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November, 1997
Osteoporosis is a real problem in this country and there's a lot of money to be made in selling calcium supplements.
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Calcium Supplements
I made the
switch to veganism about six to seven months ago after
having been a very strict vegetarian for a long long
time. I am a college student, and have little choice for
meals that are well-balanced. I'm not the least bit
concerned about protein, I eat plenty of tofu, but I am
concerned about my calcium intake. I'm too poor to afford
vegetarian supplements, but our dining service here at
college is not the best on having vegetables like
broccoli or spinach (or any of the other calcium-rich
veggies). Do you have any suggestions as to how I can
meet my calcium needs? Should I even be concerned?
Congratulations
on your smart move to veganism! I'm glad that you're
smart enough to know that an all plant-food diet gives
you plenty of protein as long as you have enough
calories.
The calcium issue is one that the media and marketing business keep bringing up for two reasons. Osteoporosis is a real problem in this country and there's a lot of money to be made in selling calcium supplements. The main problem most Americans have a problem with osteoporosis is due to their high animal protein intakes which leaches calcium from their bones and their sedentary lifestyle. (Animal protein is high in the sulfur aminos, therefore is highly acidic, enough to acidify the blood. The base that the body uses to counter the acidity is calcium, so when people eat animal protein frequently, their bones are robbed frequently.)
Since you, as a vegan, don't have to worry about losing calcium, you are probably getting plenty through your diet. Bear in mind that ALL plant foods have calcium, although I would still push for getting as many of the green leafy vegetables in you as possible.
The other side of this coin is putting the calcium to good use. If you're leading a very active lifestyle, your bones reflect this by getting denser. If you don't use your bones, as the extreme of people in outer space with not even gravity to pull on their bones discover, you will lose bone mass. So, exercise is extremely important in maintaining and even increasing bone density. I recommend running as a very effective and efficient exercise, especially for busy college students.
You mentioned not being able to afford supplements. Even if you could afford them, I wouldn't recommend them for the following reasons: Taking high doses of calcium interferes with the absorption of other important minerals and you certainly don't want to create other deficiencies.
Secondly, bones are made of many minerals, not just calcium altho you'd never know it listening to the ads. So just taking calcium pills still would not give you all the raw materials necessary to build bone. Again, plant foods have the full range of minerals your body needs to build strong bones.
Keep up the good work!
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