lack of calcium

[vegan23]

:help: i went to the doctor for a pain in my ribs, i had some blood and some other tests done and the doctor said it's probably because of my lack of calcium. i had a 2.8 and it should be 3.8-5.1 . every other test was fine, surprisingly, as i've been a vegan for at least 5 years and i eat less than a mouse, most times just once a day. she said i should try eating dairy and/or i should take Ca 500mg plus D3 vitamins. what is the vegan alternative for this? i mean veggies and vegan vitamins. thank you. :help:

[*AHIMSA*]

Food. Eat food. Lots of collard greens, Kale and broccoli with tahini and quinoa. You need to eat more than once a day. How can you expect to get all your nutrients if you eat only once a day? You need to eat calcium-righ foods several times a day, as your body will not abosorb all the calcium it needs at once. Spend 30 minutes everyday in the sun, getting adequate exposure and supplement D if you can't get exposure to sun daily.

Do you have an eating disorder? Are you depressed? Having money issues?

PLEASE EAT MORE!!!

:hug:

[Lothar M Kirsch]

:help: i went to the doctor for a pain in my ribs, i had some blood and some other tests done and the doctor said it's probably because of my lack of calcium. i had a 2.8 and it should be 3.8-5.1 . ...
If your calcium is that low it has nothing to do with your being vegan!!!
I guess the lab has given the calcium count in mmol/l instead of mval/l. Better check if your calcium is really too low.
If it is low you better see a specialist (internist, endocrinologist, rheumatologist, or nephrologist should have enough knowledge to guide further diagnostic tests).
:)

[ynaffit]

you can drink fortified soymilk.

[Tweety]

Some oj's are supplemented with calcium. I'm not sure if it's vegan or not.

[bigdufstuff]

I agree, one meal a day really is not enough. A minimum should be three meals a day but ideally your calories should be spaced out more.

Do you have any idea how many calories are in your one meal? I wouldn't be surprised if it is less than 1000 which is not a sufficient diet.

[bstutzma]

You cannot absorb more than 600mg of calcium in one meal (which is why calcium supplements say take 1 chew twice daily, etc.) - you need to get calcium throughout the day. If you are eating only once a day, even if you drink a ton of milk, you still aren't going to get the calcium you need. But really, if you are eating only once a day, you have other serious food issues that need to be addressed before the calcium thing. Clearly there are other nutritional needs that are suffering right now, even if you don't have the aching ribs to prove it.

[Trueveggie14]

Definitely agree with everyone else. You must eat more than once a day!!!



USDA nutrition references report the approximate calcium content in milligrams per 8 oz (1 cup) for many foods.

Speciality foods

Carrot juice, fresh 57
Molasses, blackstrap 2820, 176.2 per tablespoon
Molasses, unsulphured 672, 42 per tablespoon
Sesame butter (unhulled sesame seeds) 1022, 63.9 per tablespoon
Sesame butter/ tahini from hulled or decorticated seeds 315.2, 19.7 per tablespoon
Soy beverage, unfortified 9.8
Soy beverage, calcium-fortified variable, check nutrition information; approx 200
Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium 1721
Tofu, regular, prepared with nigari, 260
Vegetarian support nutritional yeast, variable, check nutrition information

Dark green leafy vegetables Many dark green leafy vegetables have relatively high calcium concentrations. The calcium in spinach is however, somewhat poorly absorbed, probably because of the high concentration of oxalate. The study revealed that kale, a low-oxalate vegetable, is a good source of bioavailable calcium. Kale is a member of the same family that includes broccoli, turnip greens, collard greens and mustard greens. These low-oxalate, calcium-rich vegetables are therefore also likely to be better sources of available calcium

cooked turnip greens 450
cooked bok choy 330
cooked collards 300
cooked spinach 250
cooked kale 200
parsley 200
cooked mustard greens 180
dandelion greens 150
romaine lettuce 40
head lettuce 10

Sprouts

soy 50
mung 35
alfalfa 25

Sea vegetables (seaweed)(dried powdered form)

nori 1,200
kombu 2,100
wakame 3,500
agar-agar 1,000, 62.5 per tablespoon

Beans and Peas (cooked, ready to eat)

navy beans 140
soybeans 130
pinto beans 100
garbanzo beans 95
lima, black beans 60
lentils 50
split peas 20

Grains

tapioca (dried) 300
brown rice, cooked 20
quinoa, cooked 80
corn meal, whole grain 50
rye flour, dark 40
oats 40
tortillas, corn, calcium fortified (2) 120
tortillas, flour or unfortified (2) 23
whole wheat flour 50

Seeds

almonds 750
hazelnuts (filbert) 450
walnuts 280
sesame seeds (whole, unhulled) 2,100
sunflower seeds 260


Calcium Supplementation:

If you do not consistently get enough calcium from the food alone, consider using a calcium supplement. Take calcium supplements with meals, preferably in powder forms, for best absorption. Take enough calcium to make up the difference you are receiving from your diet and the following table, depending on your age group.

infants 600 mg/day.

children (up to 10 years old) 800 mg/day

teens 1200 mg/day

adults (to age 35) 1200 mg/day

adults (35-50) 1000 mg/day

post-menopausal women 1500 mg/day

The sources of calcium supplements include:

calcium carbonate (Tums): highest amount of calcium per pill but may cause intestinal gas and/or constipation

calcium citrate: less calcium per pill but better absorbed than carbonate. No known side effects

You can get a vegan vitamin D supplement. It would be vitamin D2, but as AHIMSA said it would be better to go outside in the sun for 15 to 30 minutes a day.

[Lothar M Kirsch]

Thanks for the quote. :)

[Morna]

If you have body-image issues and are eating that little, I'd recommend an evaluation by a qualified therapist...you could be at risk for an eating disorder. If that's just how you eat, and are not loosing weight, you're probably getting enough calories. A twice or 3-times daily calcium suppliment might be a good idea. Google "vegan calcium chews" and you'll find some good stuff.