Mineral

This mineral strengthens bones, maintains teeth and helps muscles contract, regulates blood pressure, prevents rickets & osteoporosis and may help with PMS & weight loss.

Calcium is an inorganic substance which must pass through the metabolic process of plants (vegetables) before it can become available to an organic mechanism such as a human body.  It must be in an acid medium in order to be assimilated through the intestinal wall.  So humans cannot absorb the calcium contained in cow’s milk because it is alkaline.

People who consume the most cow’s milk have the lowest levels of calcium

Sources include:

Almonds, arugula, asparagus, chickpeas, dandelion greens, kale, canned sardines, seeds, soy, salmon with bones, spinach, squash and tahini. Best sources of calcium are found in Seaweeds, Nuts & Seeds and Vegetables & Beans.

Here are some examples with high calcium content per 100g:

  • Seaweeds: Arame (1,170mg), Hijiki (1,400mg), Wakame (1,300mg) & Kombu (800mg)
  • Nuts & Seeds: Sesame Seeds (630-1,160mg), Almonds (234-282mg), Hazelnuts (196-209mg), Brazil Nuts (169-186mg) & Sunflower Seeds (120-140mg)
  • Vegetables: Shephard’s Purse (300mg), Kale (200-250mg), Collards (200-250mg), Parsley (200mg), Bok Choy (150-200mg), Radish Greens (190mg), Mustard Greens (140-183mg), Broccoli & Okra (100-150mg)
  • Legumes: Soybeans (190–226mg), Kidney Beans (130mg), Tofu (120-128mg), Miso (70-180mg)

By comparison, the calcium content in Cow’s milk is 100-118mg, which our bodies are not built to absorb.

But rather than focus on calcium sources, focus on eating whole foods like green leafy veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains to acquire the necessary vitamins and minerals required for optimal bone structure and function.

Here is a list of the various calcium formulations available as supplements:

Calcium Citrate has an acidic base which requires less natural stomach acids for absorption so it’s 22 – 27% better than Calcium Carbonate

Calcium Citrate-Malate is ideal for vegetarians and best absorbed with orange juice

Calcium Gluconate, Lactate & Phosphate are not very effective

Calcium Lactobionate helps the body absorb more calcium from the diet

Calcium Hydroxyapatite & Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite Complex: “MCHC” is derived from the only natural source of this calcium: raw bones of free-range cattle of New Zealand with no exposure to antibiotics, pesticides, hormones or other toxic chemicals

*Make sure to spread out your calcium intake as the body can only absorb so much at a time (500mg Max.) and don’t take with other minerals or multis.