Calcium

Calcium is a metal that combines with phosphate in our bodies to form hydroxylapatite, which is the mineral portion of human and animal bones and teeth.

It is a vital part of the diet (too little can cause osteoporosis in later life) and, fortunately, can be obtained from numerous sources: seaweeds such as kelp, wakame and hijiki, nuts and seeds (like almonds and sesame), blackstrap molasses, beans, oranges, figs, amaranth, collard greens, okra, rutabaga, broccoli, dandelion leaves, kale and fortified products such as orange juice and soy milk. If you're eating your leafy greens, some nuts and some fruit, you'll almost certainly be getting enough calcium.


Isn't milk the best source of calcium?

Dairy is actually a very poor source of calcium, for the following two major reasons:

1) Many people are lactose intolerant, including a significant percentage of people of Indo-European descent;

2) Dairy also contains lots of proteins that are thought to indirectly leech calcium back out of the bones. The counter-intuitive result of this is that drinking lots of milk might actually CAUSE osteoporosis, not prevent it!


For more information on the dangers of milk, visit NotMilk.com.