How to get more calcium: deficiency symptoms, calcium antagonists, and best sources of calcium.

How to get more calcium into your diet to avoid a calcium deficiency that could have many negative effects on your body is really not that hard. 

The hardest part may be overcoming your bias towards the best sources of calcium and learning how to deal with calcium antagonists.

Drinking a glass of nutrient dense milk is an obvious choice, but maybe you'd prefer the other options.

Did you know calcium is needed by your body every day in order for you to function properly?

Calcium is a very important mineral for your health which is why you should learn how to get more calcium into your diet.

Did you know your body will strive to maintain a constant supply of calcium in your blood?

Calcium is needed in your blood for vital bodily processes which include keeping your heart and muscles working properly.

Calcium is the #1 mineral in your body and without enough in your diet, calcium will be taken from your bones and teeth which weakens them over time.

Calcium deficiency symptoms: reasons why you need calcium.

Calcium is a very essential mineral and it's needed for many important bodily processes, so a calcium deficiency is no laughing matter.

A calcium deficiency will have widespread effects on your skin, hair, muscles, bones, teeth, and mental health.

Do you have calcium deficiency symptoms?

Maybe calcium deficiency symptoms will be taken more seriously once you learn some important facts about calcium and just why your body needs this mineral to stay healthy.

Reasons why you need calcium.............

Calcium is important for blood vessels in your heart.  Without the calcium your body needs, your heart may not pump blood as effectively which can also decrease blood pressure.

When calcium levels are too low, your body diverts some from your bones or teeth, making them brittle and prone to injury.  Calcium is one of the most important building blocks for bones and teeth. 

Calcium is needed for neurotransmitters to function properly.  If you don't consume enough calcium, you may experience depression, forgetfulness, anxiety, or PMS.

Calcium is essential to maintaining the integrity and function of your skin's epidermis.  This layer acts as a barrier to help retain moisture and prevent the loss of water from your body. 

Calcium plays a role in triggering and regulating muscle contractions.  Low levels are associated with cramps, spasms, tremors, twitching, difficulty speaking or swallowing, tingling, numbness, and fatigue. 

A severe calcium deficiency can lead to seizure of your voice box!

Do yourself a favor, avoid calcium deficiency symptoms by consuming adequate amounts of calcium each day and cutting down on the calcium antagonists.

The calcium antagonists: tips on how to get more calcium into your body.

Limiting the amount of calcium antagonists that you consume will be key on how to get more calcium into your body. 

Calcium antagonists can prevent some if not all of the calcium you consume from being absorbed by your body. 

Some of these antagonists will cause calcium to be flushed right out of your body!

How many calcium antagonists do you consume each day?

Lots of fiber from vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

Phytic acid from nuts, legumes, grains, and seeds.

Oxalic acid from spinach, Swiss chard, almonds, chocolate, beet greens, nuts, rhubarb, etc.

Trans fats from processed foods, shortening, vegan mayonnaise, margarine, etc.

Lots of salt from table salt, sea salt, Kosher salt, etc.

Tannins from wine, tea, cacao, beer, coffee, and fruit juices.

Caffeine from coffee, tea, energy drinks, and chocolate.

Lots of sugar from sugary pies, cakes, soda, candy, etc.

Consuming lots of protein from protein powders, lean meats, and high protein diets.

Even without the calcium antagonists, there's a limit as to how much of this mineral can be absorbed by your body.  You can increase your odds by following some tips on how to get more calcium.

Tips on how to get more calcium into your body.

Dividing your intake of calcium throughout the day will help to ensure better absorption.  Consuming more than the RDA - preferably from foods will create a level of safety.

Only consume a moderate amount of caffeine and drinks or foods with tannins as they can interfere with the absorption of calcium. 

Try to avoid consuming daily to get more calcium into your body.

Soaking grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes helps to remove some of the phytic acid which is a calcium blocker that blocks the absorption of calcium.

Also, sourdough breads made with sourdough starter and fermented for about 24 hours will help to eliminate this calcium blocker. 

Avoid eating lots of oxalic acid which is a major calcium blocker!  Some of the biggest offenders are spinach, Swiss chard, soy products, nuts, seeds, and beet greens. 

Get your sodium from high quality seafood instead of just from the salt shaker which can actually flush calcium from your body.

Minimize sugar and sugary desserts in your diet as it can have the same effect as salt and increase the excretion of calcium from your body.

Consuming too much protein can block calcium absorption.  On the flip side, consuming too much fiber from vegetables and other plant foods will also be a problem for calcium absorption.

Trans fats and most of the vegetable oils will be a problem for calcium absorption because they are not a good source of fat-soluble vitamins.

Fats should contain the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 which all work together to increase the absorption and metabolism of calcium.

Foods rich in calcium that contain a good amount of fat-soluble vitamins is the most effective way of how to get more calcium into your diet.

A fun way to get more calcium into your diet is to eat nutrient dense cheese with raw fruit.

I prefer raw unsalted Gouda cheese and I'm partial to slices of raw apple because that's the way my dad taught me.  My dad even ate his apple pie with his favorite cheese.

As you can see, there are a number of factors that will either prevent or help with the uptake of calcium into your body.

Your glandular system that regulates messages sent to intestinal mucosa is another big factor. 

It requires a good amount of the fat-soluble vitamins to work properly.

Fat-soluble vitamins are also required in intestinal mucosa along with adequate amounts of dietary cholesterol to maintain the proper integrity so that it passes only the nutrients that your body needs.

And at the same time keeping out toxins and large undigested proteins.

Best sources of calcium: nutrient dense dairy foods and seafood.

The best sources of calcium will come from nutrient dense dairy foods and quality seafood which also contain the fat-soluble vitamins - most notably vitamins A, D, and K2.

Also, dietary calcium in bio-available form will be the best sources of calcium for the human body.

Dairy foods: pastured, grass fed, raw and organic are preferred.

Raw Sheep Milk - approx. 473 mg. of calcium per 1 cup serving.

Raw Goat Milk - approx. 328 mg. of calcium per 1 cup serving.

Raw Cow Milk - approx. 300 mg. of calcium per 1 cup serving.

Great sources of calcium can be yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, sour cream, and quark. 

Hard Goat Cheese - approx. 507 mg. of calcium per 2 oz. serving.

Swiss Cheese - approx. 450 mg. of calcium per 2 oz. serving.

Monterey Jack Cheese - approx. 423 mg. of calcium per 2 oz. serving.

Be aware that hard cheese will be higher in calcium than soft cheese.  A 2 oz. serving of Brie cheese will provide you a little over 100 mg. of calcium. 

Dairy products will be one of the richest sources of calcium and by the way lactose increases calcium absorption.  However, all dairy is not created equal!

When you absorb calcium, there is no guarantee that calcium ends up in your bones or in your teeth. 

Raw dairy from animals raised on lush green pastures will contain bio-available nutrients and fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, and K2. 

• Fat-soluble vitamins are needed for proper calcium absorption and they help to ensure that calcium ends up in the right place. 

These vitamins are usually abundant in the Spring and Fall.  Probably a better time for animals to have their babies as well.

Pasteurized dairy isn't very digestible because the bio-active nutrients and vitamins are either destroyed or degraded. 

The calcium in pasteurized dairy is also turned into inorganic Calcium Carbonate! 

Plus a lot of pasteurized dairy comes from cows not raised on green pastures and will lack in the fat-soluble vitamins.

In my opinion, the best sources of calcium will be from nutrient dense raw dairy foods and nutrient dense seafood can be the cherry on top to ensure you get enough calcium into your diet.

Seafood: nutrient dense and sustainable seafood is preferred.

Salmon Roe - approx. 275 mg. of calcium per 100 gram serving.

Raw Anchovies - approx. 83 mg. of calcium per 2 oz. serving.

Raw Shelled Clams w/liquid - approx. 89 mg. of calcium per 1 cup serving.

Canned Sardines - approx. 370 mg. of calcium per 3 oz. serving.

Canned Mackerel - approx. 250 mg. of calcium per 3 oz. serving.

Steamed Blue Crab - approx. 123 mg. of calcium per 1 cup serving.

Raw Shelled Oysters - approx. 146 mg. of calcium per 1 cup serving.

Cooked Lobster - approx. 82 mg. of calcium per 3 oz. serving.

High quality seafood which contains the fat-soluble vitamins is another great way of how to get more calcium into your diet.

• Seafood was highly recommended by Weston A. Price as a way to get important minerals and fat-soluble vitamins into one's diet.

Lately, I've been making a big effort to include more nutrient dense seafood into my diet because it just makes me feel better.

As with dairy, not all seafood is created equal!  Please do your best to buy sustainable seafood.

Sustainable seafood is wild or farmed seafood that is harvested in ways that do not harm the environment or other wildlife.

Purchasing sustainable seafood helps to ensure a more healthy ocean ecosystem and nutrient dense seafood for you to consume in the future.

Resources

1. Signs and Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency by Sarah Jividen, RN, Published Oct. 22, 2023, https://www.health.com/calcium-deficiency-symptoms-7976013

2. Mineral Primer by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig PhD, January 1, 2000 Weston A. Price Foundation