2532: Sources of Calcium for Vegans & Vegetarians - Veganism & Nutrient Deficiencies on Optimal Health

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[00:01:00] It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, Episode 2532.

[00:01:05] And I'm Dr. Neil Malek. Welcome back to another Friday show where I answer

[00:01:09] your questions. On all the other days I read health and fitness blogs to you like an audiobook

[00:01:15] with permission from the authors. Now, I'll let you know how you can send in your own

[00:01:19] question at the end of the show and get rewarded for it. But for now,

[00:01:24] let's hear today's question and start optimizing your life.

[00:01:31] Today's question came via email. Catherine writes,

[00:01:35] As a vegetarian trying to become a vegan, what are the best ways to get enough calcium?

[00:01:41] Thank you so much for taking the time to send in your question Catherine.

[00:01:44] Calcium is important for our overall health because when we consume calcium in the

[00:01:49] right amounts most days, it can help prevent a number of diseases. And probably the most common

[00:01:55] disease we think about preventing when we think about consuming calcium is osteoporosis.

[00:02:01] Osteoporosis is the condition where holes start to form in our bones making them brittle and

[00:02:06] more likely to break. But there are other potential benefits to consuming enough calcium

[00:02:11] most days especially when we're young. Now, how much calcium should we be getting each day?

[00:02:18] The recommended dietary allowances for those identified as male versus female at birth are

[00:02:24] different. The recommendations also change depending on our age and pregnancy and

[00:02:30] lactation. So, for those between the ages of 19 and 50, regardless of gender, pregnancy,

[00:02:36] and lactation, we should aim to consume 1000 mg of calcium each day. On average,

[00:02:43] most men in the US hit this target but most women fall short. Now, after the age of 50,

[00:02:50] the recommendations change for females. It's recommended that females consume a bit more

[00:02:55] calcium each day. The number now goes up from 1000 mg per day to 1200 mg per day.

[00:03:04] After the age of 70, it's recommended that males also increase their calcium intake

[00:03:09] to 1200 mg per day. Why the change? This is because after the age of 50,

[00:03:14] the risk of osteoporosis goes up so increasing calcium intakes may help with preventing the

[00:03:21] disease particularly among women. We're also learning that for true osteoporosis prevention,

[00:03:28] we should think about consuming enough calcium much earlier in life like during childhood

[00:03:32] and adolescence. We're also finding that being active when we're younger and then staying

[00:03:38] active throughout our lives, especially performing weight-bearing exercises like resistance

[00:03:42] training can prevent osteoporosis later. We should also pay attention to our vitamin D

[00:03:48] levels. Now, I could go on about osteoporosis prevention but I'm going to stop here and get

[00:03:53] back to your question, Catherine. In the US, most of us consume calcium through dairy

[00:03:59] products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. Dairy is often naturally high in calcium

[00:04:05] but for those that are vegan, dairy isn't going to be a great source of calcium.

[00:04:11] Those that follow a vegan diet do not consume products that come from an animal.

[00:04:16] Note that this is different from those that follow a vegetarian diet.

[00:04:20] Those that follow a vegetarian diet avoid consuming animal flesh specifically. So some that follow

[00:04:26] a vegetarian diet may still consume products made from animals just so long as it isn't

[00:04:32] actual animal flesh. Some plant-based sources like leafy greens can be decent sources of

[00:04:39] calcium. For example, kale, broccoli, soy, tofu and bok choy also known as Chinese cabbage

[00:04:47] are decent sources of calcium. Now why am I saying they're decent sources and not good

[00:04:54] or great sources? Well it's because they don't have as much calcium per serving as dairy

[00:04:59] products. You may hear that spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes and beans are also

[00:05:05] good sources of calcium but the problem with these plant-based foods is that the body doesn't

[00:05:10] absorb calcium from these sources as well as it does from dairy products. For example,

[00:05:16] the National Institutes of Health say that the body absorbs about 30 percent of the calcium

[00:05:20] from cow's milk but when it comes to spinach, the body only absorbs about five percent. In

[00:05:27] fact, a recent meta-analysis found that those that follow a vegan diet do often consume less

[00:05:33] calcium when compared to those that consume animal products and even those that follow a

[00:05:38] vegetarian diet. Another meta-analysis found that those that follow a vegan diet were more

[00:05:44] at risk for developing bone related diseases like osteoporosis. So is all hope lost for

[00:05:51] those that follow a vegan diet? Absolutely not. Instead, it may just take a bit more meal planning

[00:05:58] to make sure that you're getting enough calcium. For example, making sure that those that follow

[00:06:03] a vegan diet consume a variety of plant-based foods like leafy greens, soy, potatoes and so on

[00:06:10] absolutely helps. I would also recommend buying products that have been fortified with calcium.

[00:06:16] Fortification simply means that calcium has been added to the product by the food manufacturer.

[00:06:21] For example, buy plant-based milks that are fortified with calcium. If you drink orange

[00:06:27] juice, buy the variety that has been fortified with calcium. While I prefer we try and consume

[00:06:32] our nutrients from food sources, there are times when we may need to consider a supplement.

[00:06:37] So it may be worthwhile to have a conversation with your doctor or a dietician about whether

[00:06:41] taking a calcium supplement may be a good idea. They will also be able to guide you

[00:06:46] as to how much you should supplement with and how often. If you and your health care

[00:06:51] provider decide that taking a calcium supplement is a good idea, be sure to take it with food.

[00:06:57] This will make sure that as much calcium as possible gets absorbed from the supplement.

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[00:08:32] Thank you again for taking the time to send in your question, Catherine. Now if you want to

[00:08:53] questions in, you can email them to health at OLDpodcast.com. That's health at OLDpodcast.com.

[00:09:03] Or if you want your voice played on the show, just come by OLDpodcast.com slash ask. Also,

[00:09:11] you can do it the old-fashioned way and call in your question. The number is 161-ILOVE-OHD.

[00:09:19] That's 1-614-568-3643. And if you send in a relevant question and you're in the US,

[00:09:29] we'll physically mail you a copy of our hardcover Optimal Living Daily Workbook for free. If you're

[00:09:35] outside the US, we'll send you a digital version. Thank you so much for sending in

[00:09:39] your questions. Answering them is one of my favorite parts of this show.

[00:09:43] Alright, that'll do it for another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily.

[00:09:47] Thank you so much for listening every day and all the way through. I hope you have a great

[00:09:51] start to your weekend, and I'll see you back here tomorrow where your optimal life awaits!