Calcium and Being Vegan

*NOTE: I am not a health or medical professional but am sharing what I learn on my journey to becoming one and the journey to find my own better health.

We're always hearing about how "Milk does a body good" and how eating all those dairy products are supposed to keep us from getting osteoporosis, right? This is an important subject that I've been forcing myself to learn more about especially since my own bone density test came back two years ago with a diagnosis of osteopenia in my lower back. My first reaction was, "but I eat cheese, yogurt, etc.". Yes, that was my pre-vegan time. So, now with being vegan, I figure I might be in a lot more trouble bone-wise than before and hence the in-depth reading. I have to give a push for the best book with all types of nutritional information that has become my so-called "vegan bible"...Becoming Vegan by Davis & Melina! I highly, and greatly, recommend this book even for non-vegans/vegetarians!

Anyway, back to what I've discovered about our bodies, our food, and calcium...

First off, did you know that calcium isn't just for helping to build bones? Its uses in the body are phenomenal - essential in blood clotting in injuries, relaxing muscle fibers after contraction, enabling nerve signals, and it regulates cell metabolism! Plus, they're seeing signs that it even helps with preventing high blood pressure! Wow, that's one little amazing mineral, right? It does all of this with only about 1% of the calcium stored in our bodies. Now, if we are experiencing bone loss already, what do you think happens to those other calcium functions? Ya, it doesn't look good, does it? But it does.

It's not all about how much calcium we take in but more about the balance of that amount, the absorption of it, and the excretion or loss of calcium. For example, North Americans (according to the RDs who wrote the book "Becoming Vegan") absorb about 30% of the calcium in their diet but once you look at the amount that is excreted, the actual retention is as low as 10% of what was in the food to begin with. Now the question is, what affects these calcium losses.

The things that make our bodies excrete high percentages of calcium that could've been otherwise used for bones and/or any of the other calcium functions are things that will likely surprise some of you:
Protein. Yes, I said protein but namely the sulfur amino acids in it. These amino acids cause a pH imbalance in the blood causing the body to restore this balance by depleting calcium from the bones (acts as a neutralizing agent). It's approximated that for every gram of protein we consume/absorb that 1 mg of calcium is used then disposed of in the urine. Now we know we need protein for many physiological functions but the game is to not overdo it or to stay away from those proteins that have a higher amount of sulfur amino acids. Meat, by-the-way, is a highly concentrated source of these (considered highly acidic) and dairy products are not that far behind (considered moderately acidic)...just putting it out there. The other culprit that creates havoc with our calcium absorption/stores?
Sodium. That just has a bad rep all around, doesn't it? Well, in this case, when the kidneys have to process out all the extra salt, the body also loses about 23-26mg of calcium per gram of sodium removed. This one is definitely a red alert for vegans since a lot of prepared foods come with a lot of sodium in order to make certain things taste better, like those "meat" substitutes.
Soft drinks & coffee. Here is another repetitive health alert for these things, though coffee is only shown to be a possible culprit after 3 cups a day. Soft drinks, on the other hand, do their damage with their phosphoric acids (see the word "acid"? What does the body use to neutralize acids?)

All right, so now we know what's not pro-calcium balance so what does a vegan do to get balanced? Well, it's recommended that an adequate intake (AI) of calcium a day (for an adult) be between 1000-1200mg, while trying to maintain a ratio of calcium(mg) to protein(g) of 16:1 to 20:1 and to get less than 2400mg of sodium per day. Mumbo jumbo translated: for every gram of protein you eat, you should eat 16-20mg of a calcium rich (or enriched) food but keep your daily sodium allowance under 2400mg. Plus, research has shown that we absorb calcium better when small amounts are taken at a time (instead of a giant calcium supplement). Also, don't forget the important roles that vitamin D and magnesium have on calcium absorption - make sure you get enough of those too. I take a vegan vitamin D supplement (VegLife) every morning because I was extremely low and a fizzy magnesium drink every night before bed (Natural Calm)...just make sure to have your blood tested for vitamins & minerals first before adding any supplements to your daily routine. Don't forget weight bearing exercise like jogging or weight lifting, that also helps build bone!

And, just for good measure, here are 10 of some of the high calcium plant foods (calcium mg per 100 calories of the food - nutrient density):

1)Cooked collard greens (1/2cup)...457mg per 100cals
2)Raw kale (1/2cup)...270mg per 100cals
3)Raw romaine lettuce (1 cup)...257mg per 100cals
4)Raw seaweed (1/2 cup)...360mg per 100cals
5)Calcium enriched tofu (1/2cup)...471mg per 100cals (this may fluctuate so read labels)
6)Vegan ground round (2oz)...76mg per 100cals
7)Flaxseed (2tbsp)...56mg per 100cals
8)Figs (5)...83mg per 100cals
9)Oranges (1med.)...85mg per 100cals
10)Blackstrap molasses (1tbsp)...366mg per 100cals (this one is the biggest surprise for me)

Looks like I'll be buying some Blackstrap molasses, though it's hard to find sometimes since most people prefer buying the dark corn syrup but I'll find it! Most of the foods on the previous list are things I already enjoy eating so I think I'm on the right track but only next year's bone density test will prove it or not :D

Want a quick comparison to dairy products for a gauge?
1) 2% milk (1/2cup)...208mg per 100cals
2) Cheese (3/4 oz)...152-182mg per 100cals
3) Yogurt (1/2cup)...291mg per 100cals

If you have a moment, let me know what your experience with increasing your calcium intake has been like!

21-day Vegan Challenge, Day #2

Starting yesterday, my girls & I have challenged ourselves to be vegan for 21 days! This comes about from having read some interesting studies and a book written by Dr. Neal Barnard entitled "21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart". This is a good choice for me (the girls came along on this journey by their own choice) considering that I have already been removing most dairy products from my diet because of my seasonal allergies and have been decreasing the amount of meat because of cholesterol issues. Plus, it's not just about avoiding animal products, it's also about watching the fat content and keeping oils (all of them, including olive oil) down to a minimum.

Most people that I've told that I was starting this challenge have expressed skepticism. One of the questions that I've gotten a lot is "Aren't you afraid you're not going to get enough calcium & protein?" Answer is "No, I'm not" because I know that there are higher & better sources of these (& other vitamins & minerals) than eating the muscle tissue of an animal and eating/drinking an animal's milk that was meant to fatten its offspring. Another question has been "You know you'll get really sick when you go back to eating meat, right?" Not after only 21 days and even if it did happen (the getting sick part) doesn't that say something about what our bodies really think about ingesting other animals? If our reaction after being on no animal products for awhile is to get physically ill after going back, doesn't that say something about, maybe, meat is more of a poison than a nutritional necessity?

I'm not saying I'm all gung-ho about veganism, I love the taste of meat - pork, chicken, beef, fish, shellfish - and I'd like to think I'll be able to be vegan most of the time with small vacations into omnivore-land. Hell, I love hot fudge brownie sundaes too but I know those aren't good for me either. I'm not going to try to lure/coerce my friends or family members to do this and I'm not going to limit going out to restaurants with people just because I'm vegan right now. I've learned enough to be able to go to just about any restaurant and get a vegan meal that isn't just a salad :D so I don't think my lifestyle will be affected either. I am hoping that my cholesterol levels will drop and maybe some pounds will go too.

Plus, this is an awesome era to try this out in because there is SOOOO much out there, even at Walmart (yes, not including the produce section)! The girls and I have been doing our research throughout last week (and ongoing) about what is sold where. We started a list of the things we've tried and what we've liked, what we didn't like, etc. Since we've been working hard on getting the house ready for showings, I haven't had much of an opportunity to do a lot of cooking so we've been trying a lot of the frozen meals and prepackaged foods. The girls are even better at reading those ingredient labels than I am (did you know there's dairy in frozen onion rings?) Here are the things we've liked so far: vegan bacon (even though it looks like those dog treats "Beggin' Strips"), beans & rice burritos, sweet & sour chick'in with rice, blueberry pancakes, "beef" jerky, coconut ice cream, lasagna, potatoes with peppers & mushrooms, carrot cake, chocolate chip cookies, seasoned ground "beef", black bean chili, lemon poppy seed muffins, oatmeal with fruit, Tom Kha Gai coconut soup, vegan chocolate, and some candy bars.

So, this is a journey for us that seems to be off to a fun start :D Let's see how far the girls & I can get...I bet I can go all the way through the 21 days!