calcium myths

We were always told by our parents to drink at least a glass of milk a day when we were kids. They told us to drink milk so that we can get our daily recommended daily dose of calcium to help our bones grow big and strong. What our parents didn’t know is that calcium is a key mineral that affects other parts of your body; that we can get calcium from foods other than dairy-based foods; and how having a calcium-rich diet at an early age can carry us through to our elderly years. Myth #1 – Calcium is Only Good for Your Bones Yes, calcium is a key building block for healthy bones. But calcium is also a key mineral that positively affects how your nerve cells function with your muscles. Normal calcium levels allow your muscle cells to harmoniously interact with nerves, allowing the nerves to tell the muscle cells when to contract.   The balanced levels of calcium inside and outside of nerve cells regulate how the nerve cells transmit signals to the brain and muscles. However, when calcium levels are either too high or too low and are out of balance, the process of nerve cells transmitting to the brain may become interrupted, resulting in muscle spasms. Thus, it is important to get 1,000 mg of calcium for a 2,000 calorie daily diet. Myth #2 – Milk & Dairy foods are the Best Source of Calcium Milk (and dairy foods) is not the best source for calcium. Actually, milk products can be harmful to many of us. By the time we reach the age of 5, many of us stop producing the “lactase” enzyme, which helps us digest the main sugar “lactose” found in milk. As a result, the undigested sugars in milk end up sitting in our stomach, specifically our colon, and begin to ferment. This fermentation process creates gas which results in cramping, bloating, nausea, flatulence and diarrhea.  And if you’ve experienced these effects, you’re not alone. National Digestive Diseases Information Report cites that 75% of adult have a decrease in lactase.  And according to a USA Today article, there are approx. 60% of adults that are not able to digest milk.  However, there’s hope as greens are a great source of calcium! Following the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s “Reference Values for Nutrition Labeling”, a recent study listed that a serving of Tofu, Collard Greens, Spinach, Turnip Greens and Mustard Greens having higher calcium levels than a serving of Yogurt. Another study validated that 1 cup of steamed collards has nearly the identical amount of calcium in 1 cup of cow’s milk – 266 milligrams vs. 276 milligrams of calcium in cow’s milk. Also, many types of fish and scallops also have high levels of calcium. Thus, it is entirely possible to get your calcium needs from non-dairy foods! Myth #3 – Osteoporosis Is a Disease that Affects the Elderly 40% of total adult bone mass is formed between the ages of 10 and 15 years old. Consequently, your teenage years are some of the most important times to get adequate calcium levels. Osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density, is a disease that causes the bones to be brittle and susceptible to breaks.  And osteoporosis is typically found to affect the elderly. However, it is believed that the foundation starts at a very early age.  It is believed that many of those affected with osteoporosis can trace back to their poor food and dietary choices leading back to their adolescent years. Although it is a disease that affects the elderly, making a concerted effort to have a calcium-rich diet in your pre-teen years can have a positive effect on your bone mineral density when you get older. Calcium is also a key nutrient to helping regulate your acid/alkaline balance. If your blood pH levels become unbalanced and decreases from your baseline of 7.4, your body releases calcium from your bones to help bring your acid/base levels back into balance. Thus, it is important to continue to have a calcium-rich diet so that you have adequate calcium reserves should your body need to continue to recruit calcium from your bones to help offset the results of your body being too acidic. Calcium is a key mineral beyond helping your bones and teeth stay strong.  It plays an important role in other parts of your body throughout your lifetime, and you should continue to have a conscious effort in having a calcium-rich diet. To Your Balanced pH, The pHion Balance Team