Getting Enough Calcium (Naturally)

Most of us are well aware of the importance of calcium for healthy bones and strong teeth. But did you know that it’s also important for the functioning of our heart and muscles, maintaining normal weight and blood pressure, and even fighting cancer and symptoms of PMS?

The typical Western diet of too much meat, refined grains, and soft drinks is a disaster for our body’s calcium balance! In this article I’ll discuss not only how we can get more calcium into our diets, but also how we can help our bodies to absorb and utilize that calcium.

Symptoms that you may have low calcium include:

Weak bones, fractures or osteoporosis
Aching joints
Brittle nails, eczema
Weakness or fatigue
Irritability
Muscle cramps, numbness in the arms/legs
Growth delay in children, rickets
Tooth decay
High blood pressure or heart arrhythmia
Depression, hyperactivity

Despite general knowledge of the importance of calcium, we often don’t talk about the factors needed to allow our bodies to effectively absorb and utilize it. This requires vitamin D and adequate dietary magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C. The minerals in our body are in a delicate balance with each other. If we are deficient in calcium, most likely these other minerals will also be out of balance.

The Importance of Magnesium

Magnesium is needed to direct calcium into the bones, and keep it from being absorbed into the soft tissues. Many forms of arthritis are caused in part by excess calcium in the soft tissues. Whole food sources of magnesium include:

Seaweed (hijiki, waakse, kelp, kombu, nori),
high-chlolophyll foods (green veggies, avocado, wheat/barley grass, spirulina and chlorella),
beans,
whole grains,
nuts and seeds, and
(last but not least!) dark chocolate.

When wheat berries are processed into refined white flour, only 8% of the magnesium remains! Our soil is often deficient in magnesium due to pesticide use and over-farming, so it can be difficult to get enough magnesium from our diets. For that reason, I like to use a homemade magnesium spray, which is easy and inexpensive to make.

Easy DIY Magnesium Spray

You simply mix equal amounts magnesium flakes and warm water (1/2 cup of each, for example) and stir until the flakes are dissolved. Once cool, put in a spray bottle and use on your skin daily before sleep.

(Note: until you get used to it, the spray may cause a slight itchy irritation of the skin, if this is the case you can dilute the spray with additional water.)

Whole Food Sources of Calcium

People often think of dairy as the best source of calcium. But unfortunately, many dairy foods today are not of good quality. (This could help explain why Americans consume large amounts of dairy, but still suffer from widespread calcium deficiency.) And it can be very difficult or expensive to find high quality dairy products, free of hormones, antibiotics and processing.

Fortunately, however, Allah سبحانه وتعالى has provided us with many other sources of calcium to fulfill our needs.

High Calcium Foods include:

Seaweed (hijiki, waakse, kelp, kombu, nori)
Cheese, yogurt, milk, and whey (preferably raw and grass-fed)
Dried wheat/barley grass
Bone broth
Sardines and canned salmon (with bones)
Nuts and seeds (almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pistachios, sesame seeds)
Parsley, broccoli, kale, spirulina, okra, asparagus, cabbage
Legumes (Garbanzo beans, black beans, pinto beans)

It’s also important to avoid the calcium inhibitors, listed below:

The Wonders of Chlorophyll

All plants touched by sunlight contain chlorophyll (green plants contain the highest amount). Take a look at the chlorophyll molecule, what do you notice in the center of the molecule…

See that little “Mg”? That stands for magnesium, one of the cofactors which I mentioned are so important for calcium metabolism. And guess what? Most plants also contain phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin C, which are also needed for calcium absorption. SubhanAllah, plants provide us with not only calcium, but also the co-factors necessary for it’s absorption and utilization, in the perfect package!

The plants richest in chlorophyll are the micro-algae (spirulina and chlorella) and cereal grasses (wheat and barley grass).

Note: spinach and chard are high in oxalic acid, which can interfere with absorption of calcium. Lightly steaming these greens can break down the oxalic acid.

How to Increase Calcium Absorption

So now that we know the best dietary sources of calcium, how can we help our bodies to better absorb and utilize it?

Get enough vitamin D, from sunshine and/or a Vitamin D3/K2 supplement. Try to expose at least 20% of your skin (face and arms without sunscreen) for 20-30 minutes to the midday sun.
Eat lots of leafy greens (including wheat/barley grass and the micro-algae spirulina and chlorella), seaweed, whole grains, and legumes. These foods are rich in calcium, magnesium, chlorophyll, and other minerals.
Add lots of movement to your life (but don’t overdo it). Too little or too much movement can cause calcium loss.
Presoak or sprout grains and legumes before cooking. This neutralizes anti-nutrients, such as phytic acid, which can bind to minerals and prevent your body from absorbing them.
Use fermented dairy (yogurt, kefir, laban, and cheeses) as they are easier for your body to digest.

Times of Increased Calcium Requirements

There are times in your life when you need to take special care in making sure you’re getting enough calcium in your diet:

Periods of growth (childhood, pregnancy, breastfeeding)
Older age (especially women after menopause)
In the presence of heart disease, high blood pressure, bone disorders, arthritis, dental disease, nervous system disorders

Should I Take A Supplement?

Try to avoid supplements and instead get your calcium from dietary sources. Too much calcium from over-supplementation can result in loss of other minerals in the body, such as iron, zinc, and manganese. It may also lead to calcium deposits on the bones and in the tissues, increasing your risk of stroke and heart disease.

If you do decide to take a supplement (which may be required for severe calcitic disorders such as arthritis or weak bones and teeth):

Make sure you don’t exceed 1000 mg per day (500 mg at one time).
Take the supplement with meals and not at the same time as iron (calcium can inhibit iron absorption).
Include plenty of green vegetables in your diet to minimize the danger of calcium accumulation in tissues. You can also take your supplement with kelp or alfalfa tablets.

A Tip for When that Sweet Tooth Hits

An excess of very sweet foods (even naturally sweet foods such as honey and fruits) can inhibit calcium absorption. Celery and lettuce (which are high in chlorophyll and silicon) can encourage calcium absorption. So if you’ve overindulged on sweet foods, chew on some lettuce or sticks of celery afterwards to help counter this affect of sugar.

Sources:

Pitchford, Paul. Healing with Whole Foods, 3rd edition. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2002.

Balch, Phyllis A. Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 5th edition. New York: The Penguin Group, 2010.

Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis. BMJ 2010; 341:c3691 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c3691