Calcium

Since going raw i’ve become concerned about my calcium intake…too low i’m afraid. any suggestions on what i can eat to naturally ingest calcium or do i have to take supplements?

Comments

  • Hello there,

    There is absolutely NO reason at all to worry. Becoming a raw vegan is THE BEST thing you could do get better calcium absorption and utilization from your body.

    First of all, eliminating animal products automatically helps a great deal because animal products cause the body to draw calcuim out of the bones to act as a buffer against all the acidity they cause in the body.

    Secondly, there is tons of calcium that is more absorable and usuable, (that comes along with Vit C that is needed for calcium utilization) in raw fruits and veggies.

    Here is a great post that a raw friend (RawRic from Dr. Graham’s message board) of mine posted on another raw site:

    “Calcium is easily found in the huge quantities contained in raw fruits and vegetables.

    Hopefully the below info will be of help. One whole orange for example, (not juice), has about 60 mg. of calcium. Main thing is…don’t worry if you are low-fat raw-vegan. Calcium is something your SAD neighbors should be worried about…not you.

    Calcium in 100 calories of (ETL book data):

    bok choy 1,055 mg. (more tender than collards or kale in my opinion) collard greens 559 mg. kale 455 mg. romaine lettuce 257 mg. broccoli 182 mg. sesame seeds 170 mg. cucumber 108 mg. cauliflower 88 mg.

    Calcium in 100 calories of (for comparison only): milk 194 mg. fish 38 mg. eggs 32 mg. steak 5 mg. pork chop 2 mg.

    Animal protein (meat, eggs, dairy) actually induce calcium loss. Calcium is released from the bones to neutralize the acid load in the blood from animal-protein ingestion.

    Other things besides animal-protein causing calcium loss: salt caffeine refined sugar alcohol nicotine aluminum-containing antacids drugs such as antibiotics, steroids, thyroid hormone vitamin A supplements

    Things that inhibit calcium absorption are grains and legumes (both of which are not included in the 811 diet). If aspects that inhibit the absorption of a nutrient are not present in a diet…then less of that nutrient are needed. The US RDA levels are set up for persons who are on the Standard American Diet… 811 is totally different, totally superior than SAD, for both calcium absorption, and for calcium retention in the skeletal structure.

    The RDA for calcium is 1000 mg. EVERY QUANTITY LISTED IS FOR 100 CALORIES OF THE FOOD ITEM (USDA DATA):

    Vegetables, calcium Watercress, 1090 mg. Argula, 640 mg. Kale, 490.91 mg. Collards, 483.33 mg. Chinese Cabbage, 481.25 mg. Spinach, 430.42 mg. Parsley, 383.33 mg. Endive, 305.88 mg. Celery, 285.71 mg. Butter Head Lettuce, 269.23 mg. Green Leaf Lettuce, 240 mg.

    Fruit, calcium Lime, 110 mg. Orange, 93.48 mg. Current, 87.3 mg. Tangerine, 69.81 mg. Black Berry, 67.44 mg. Papaya, 61.54 mg. Current, 58.93 mg. Kiwi, 55.74 mg. Grapefruit, 52.38 mg. Strawberry, 50.00 mg. Raspberry, 48.08 mg Fig, 47.30 mg.”

    Wishing you all the best,

    Audrey

  • I feel better now. Whew. Thanks for doing that research, I had no idea. Calcium intake was one of the things I had no answer for to my inquisitive (read, skeptical) relatives.

  • Thank you so much for your help and wonderfully detailed info.!

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