How To Get Enough Calcium On A Plant-Based Diet

When you adopt a plant-based lifestyle every person in your timeline is worried about just two things: where you get your protein and calcium from! It soon becomes the recurrent theme of every dinner table you sit at.

At the start, before you press the panic button, ensuring a balance of all nutrients needed for healthy body function isn’t rocket science. It comes from eating a well-balanced and wholesome meal. And yes, you can get it all from plants, including good amounts of calcium, maybe with a little help from modern science.
 

WHAT ARE MICRONUTRIENTS AND WHY DO YOU NEED THEM

There are two basic types of nutrients the body needs- macro and micro.

Macronutrients are needed in large quantities and provide energy. These are carbohydrates, proteins and fat. Much like the fuel in your car.

Micro-nutrients are needed in smaller quantities and are important in disease prevention. There are vitamins and minerals. Similar to the brake oil, engine oils in your car.

CALCIUM STANDS TALL

As we learnt in our school textbooks, calcium is needed for proper formation, structure and function of bones and teeth. Calcium also assists in muscle function, nerves and blood vessel contraction. Yes, it’s important and you get it.

There are differing amounts of calcium needed by age and gender. Adults aged 19 to 64 need around 1000mg of calcium a day, with some groups like adolescents, postmenopausal women and older adults needing higher levels. Kids need from around 700mg at 1 year to around 1300mg as they reach their teen years.

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR CALCIUM!

If you are wondering where to get your calcium as a plant-powered human, look no further than the cow for inspiration.

The dairy industry pushes milk for calcium but where do cows get their calcium. You thought right…greens!

• Dark leafy greens are a great source. Even ‘underwater greens’ like seaweed especially wakame which is often eaten raw in soups and salads
• Green vegetables from the humble bhindi and cabbage to the exotic broccoli and others in the cruciferous family
• Soybean and soy-based foods are a great source as are other beans, peas, lentils
• Nuts, millets especially finger millet (ragi/nachni) and seeds like sesame, amaranth
• Fruits like oranges, kiwi, papaya, figs and guava.

The plant-based calcium mantra to repeat: greens & beans, nuts & seeds.

Among the fruits, figs are a good source of calcium.
 

OPTIMUM ABSORPTION OF CALCIUM:

Plants come as a bundle of nutrients and the amount that is bio-available isn’t always a simple mathematical equation. Plant foods often have anti-nutrients that mess up the equation and may hinder optimal absorption.

When it comes to calcium, anti-nutrients like oxalic acid and phytic acid interfere with its absorption. Greens and vegetables need to be cooked for over a minute to lower oxalate levels. High levels of oxalic acid make spinach high in calcium but low in bioavailable calcium green. Studies suggest that the body absorbs only 5% of the calcium available in high-oxalate vegetables.

Phytic acids do a similar dance albeit in seeds and nuts. Soaking, sprouting and fermenting reduces phytic acid levels.

High caffeine consumption impacts optimal calcium absorption.

Excessive salt intake in your diet flushes out the calcium.

Vitamins also play an important role in calcium absorption and utilization in the body. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium. Vitamin K plays a crucial role in calcium metabolism and better utilization by bones and other tissues.

In this fast busy lifestyle, many of us struggle with maintaining a nutritionally balanced diet. To fill nutritional gaps and avoid nutritional deficiencies that may lead to disease, modern nutritional science has come up with various nutritional supplements. 

One among them is Origins Nutra’s BONE ALGA, Plant-based calcium, Magnesium & 72 trace minerals along with D3 and K2. Calcium is from calcified algae from deep oceans. D3 is from Lichen's source. K2-7, the most active form of Vitamin K is from fermented Chickpeas. Being from a completely natural source, ensures better bioavailability, high absorption, and utilization by the body.

Calcium is one of the most important micronutrients at every stage of life. Deficiency affects bones, teeth, muscles, nails, hair, skin, and metabolism. Severe deficiency leads to thinning of bones that may result in fractures. Along with a balanced healthy diet, using the right supplements on daily basis may help to avoid deficiencies.

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CALCIUM FOR A STRONG YOU

Calcium is a critical micronutrient for keeping bones and teeth strong. A well-balanced diet should help you reach your dietary requirements. It is important to maintain these levels of calcium through different stages in life, and should it be hard to do so through diet, modern science offers us supplements.

Like this? Read: Plant-Based Proteins And Their Advantages

Read More: Does Eating Meat Cause Cancer?