Calcium

[Mystical]

I went and got an annual physical, and my calcium is way down since going raw. I have a green smoothie once a day and also eat kale or cabbage salad. I used to drink sesame milk, but haven't in a while - I'm confused on whether to use the hulled or unhulled sesame seeds for this. Does anyone know? Does sprouting increase the calcium of the seeds? Any suggestions on getting more calcium? Or perhaps something is blocking my absorbtion...

[exurb]

Thanks for the reminder about the calcium, I have been not taking care with that lately.

IMO the nutrients you have to take a little care to not get low in are B-12, calcium, vitamin D (which you have no problem with if you get enough sunshine) and zinc.

Sesame seeds are dramatically high in calcium, 1 cup has 1404 mg.

Quinoa is also said to be high at 102 mg/cup. Buckwheat has 31 mg/cup. Kale has about 90mg/cup.

Vitamin D is supposed to enhance absorption of calcium. Are you getting enough sunshine so your body can make vitamin D? Too much sodium can also cause a negative effect on the calcium. (too much protein, caffeine, alcohol also said to have a negative effect, but most raw fooders don't have those problems).

Maybe you could find a biscotti recipe that has lots of sesame seeds in it, something where you could stand to eat a certain amount of sesame seeds each day. I've seen a recipe for them, but have loaned out most of my raw cookbooks now.

Also, just in case you have any issues with hyperventilation, that is also said to decrease your calcium.

[Angelina]

ITs the UNHULLED sesame seeds you want..they are drastically higher in calcium than the hulled. The hulled ones are not only lower in calcium but they are also acid in our bodies where as the unhulled are very akaline.

[jennplas]

maybe try grinding sesame seeds in the coffee grinder and throwing them in your smoothie. that way you can get lots of calcium in something you are already having. just like some people put hemp seeds in their smoothies for other reasons.

:)
jennP

[Ariannah]

I must add, that the standards and required "levels" are something I am wary of. A raw fooder's body is different and has different requirements. The reason so many mainstream people need so much calcium is that they snarf down foods daily which leach out the calcium to begin with.

[HydroRaw]

Please know that it is not my intention to hijack this thread, but zinc is being mentioned in one of the posts. My problem is that I have trouble keeping up with daily zinc intake as there are not many plant sources for this particular mineral. Of course, pumpkin seeds and cashew nuts are high in zinc, but they can also accumulate fats pretty quickly if one needs to meet daily zinc requirement. This is the main reason as to why I am still sticking with my Total cereal (whole wheat) -- only 1/2 to 1/3 cup (32 to 43 calories) per day. Of course, this cereal is not raw, but I use it only in my smoothies -- completely pulverized and supposedly very bioavailable (?). This seems to be only way to get my zinc requirement met for the day while being on a raw lifestyle. This is in spite of the fact that I have no problem meeting other vitamins and minerals with raw foods except Vitamin D and B-12. Otherwise, i would have to consider taking some form of zinc supplement -- have not found the right type for my needs. Any advise?

[ladybug]

At one time I was on a med for ostiopino (spelling) it really did a number on my stomach. I try to walk each day but I do not live in a warm climate to get a lot of sun. I really need to know what to do about this. I never want to go back to where I was. I work out with weights, have eaten something different each night since 11-29. Mornings I usually have carrott/spinach juice with 2 tsp of spirulla flakes at 7am. Then between 10-1:30 have a fruit smoothie of numerous fruit, 2 scoops hemp protein, 3 tbs muselix. Have been having hydrated squash as snacks. So what should I eat or drink to maintain high calcium. Docs want me to take in at least 1000 mg which I have not been doing.

[Rawkinlocs]

At one time I was on a med for ostiopino (spelling) it really did a number on my stomach. I try to walk each day but I do not live in a warm climate to get a lot of sun. I really need to know what to do about this. I never want to go back to where I was. I work out with weights, have eaten something different each night since 11-29. Mornings I usually have carrott/spinach juice with 2 tsp of spirulla flakes at 7am. Then between 10-1:30 have a fruit smoothie of numerous fruit, 2 scoops hemp protein, 3 tbs muselix. Have been having hydrated squash as snacks. So what should I eat or drink to maintain high calcium. Docs want me to take in at least 1000 mg which I have not been doing.
I'd like to quote what Rawandnatural said because I think it's very important to keep in mind when trying to keep up with what the doctors, etc. feel our numbers should look like:


I must add, that the standards and required "levels" are something I am wary of. A raw fooder's body is different and has different requirements. The reason so many mainstream people need so much calcium is that they snarf down foods daily which leach out the calcium to begin with.
As a raw fooder, we are getting THE most assimilable sources of calcium than any cooked fooder could ever get. I mean think about it...all the millions of women who drink milk and eat dairy up the wazoo STILL end up with Osteoporosis, hip fractures, etc. If a large cow can get all the calcium she needs for her massive body weight with eating grass...I think we're pretty safe!

Here is a nice little list of what foods contain how much calcium that was posted by a member a while back:

================
For anyone concerned or curious about the amount of calcium they or their kids are getting...I found this list & found it interesting & helpful.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/grou...lk/message/1928 (http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/notmilk/message/1928)

A 100-gram portion of human breast milk (3.5 ounces) contains
33 milligrams of calcium. Human adults need calcium too, but
human adults should not be drinking human breast milk. Let's
compare the amounts of calcium contained in adult foods to
the level of calcium in human breast milk:

Calcium content of foods (per 100-gram portion)
(100 grams equals around 3.5 ounces)

1. Human Breast Milk 33 mg
2. Almonds 234 mg
3. Amaranth 267 mg
4. Apricots (dried) 67 mg
5. Artichokes 51 mg
6. Beans (can: pinto, black) 135 mg
7. Beet greens (cooked) 99 mg
8. Blackeye peas 55 mg
9. Bran 70 mg
10. Broccoli (raw) 48 mg
11. Brussel Sprouts 36 mg
12. Buckwheat 114 mg
13. Cabbage (raw) 49 mg
14. Carrot (raw) 37 mg
15. Cashew nuts 38 mg
16. Cauliflower (cooked) 42 mg
17. Swiss Chard (raw) 88 mg
18. Chickpeas (garbanzos) 150 mg
19. Collards (raw leaves) 250 mg
20. Cress (raw) 81 mg
21. Dandelion greens 187 mg
22. Endive 81 mg
23. Escarole 81 mg
24. Figs (dried) 126 mg
25. Filberts (Hazelnuts) 209 mg
26. Kale (raw leaves) 249 mg
27. Kale (cooked leaves) 187 mg
28. Leeks 52 mg
29. Lettuce (lt. green) 35 mg
30. Lettuce (dark green) 68 mg
31. Molasses (dark-213 cal.) 684 mg
32. Mustard Green (raw) 183 mg
33. Mustard Green (cooked) 138 mg
34. Okra (raw or cooked) 92 mg
35. Olives 61 mg
36. Orange (Florida) 43 mg
37. Parsley 203 mg
38. Peanuts (roasted & salted) 74 mg
39. Peas (boiled) 56 mg
40. Pistachio nuts 131 mg
41. Potato Chips 40 mg
42. Raisins 62 mg
43. Rhubarb (cooked) 78 mg
44. Sauerkraut 36 mg
45. Sesame Seeds 1160 mg
46. Squash (Butternut 40 mg
47. Soybeans 60 mg
48. Sugar (Brown) 85 mg
49. Tofu 128 mg
50. Spinach (raw) 93 mg
51. Sunflower seeds 120 mg
52. Sweet Potatoes (baked) 40 mg
53. Turnips (cooked) 35 mg
54. Turnip Greens (raw) 246 mg
55. Turnip Greens (boiled) 184 mg
56. Water Cress 151 mg

[ladybug]

Thanks I just get scared I have gone from a meat eater, to almost vegetarian to now raw and have gone even further in physical shape, except for my pain in the back pain right now. I never want to go back to where I was and thanks for the reassurance.

[Mystical]

Thanks for all of your ideas. I think I should keep drinking sesame milk daily. I've been drinking sesame milk for months, until I read this thread http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8715 which made it very confusing!!!

I usually just use unsoaked, unhulled seeds - but this thread just left me confused!

Can anyone clarify?

[sport]

I know that I may have screwed up in my wording last time so I am taking this statement directly from The ECCO-Eating site.

Some people believe that almonds are a good source of calcium. However,
the high phosphate content of the almonds means that more calcium is
dragged out of the bones, by the phosphate, than is deposited.

So if you want to have a source of fat that is alkaline rather than acidic
then the only one that I know of which is viable is unhulled tahini.

Now, unhulled tahini, which is made from unhulled sesame seeds, is above
the centre of the CaPNaK Chart right up high in the alkaline area.

And in the opposite direction, down in the acid area, you'll find hulled
sesame seeds. So it's important to know that tahini made from hulled
sesame seeds is actually a very acidic food, whereas unhulled tahini is a
very alkaline food.

So don't use hulled tahini as a way of avoiding osteoporosis, as it will
actually contribute to osteoporosis.

[tvillemom]

OK...I have NO idea which I have (in a baggie in the fridge). I got my sesame seeds out of the bulk bin....would I know from looking at them which is hulled or unhulled? Some family members are concerned that I may not be getting enough calcium or protein. Protein, I feel like, as much as I work out, and I'm starting to build some muscle, then I must be ok there. (plus my energy level is good without the ups and downs I used to have from a higher carb. diet I was eating). How much kale and collards, etc. would you have to eat to get that amount listed on the chart. I think I will print it out just to have it handy! Thanks for the info, and someone please clear up the unhulled/hulled question....PLEASE.

[JMD]

I am guessing that the majority of the refrigerated raw tahini is then hulled right??? I bought a bottle of Rejuvinative Foods about a month ago and got pretty sick with it...???

[MoniDew]

did your test measure BLOOD calcium or BONE calcium? if it only measured your BLOOD calcium, your bones may still be okay.

[Mystical]

I just had a blood test done, and calcium was one element they tested for. It is lower than it was a few years ago, so that's not so great.

The unhulled sesame seeds are brown, or black and the hulled ones are smaller and white.

[NoGMO!]

ok - so just for the record...

darker colored sesame seeds/unhulled = good/alkaline

white sesame seeds/hulled = bad/acidic

right? :D


(please correct me if I'm wrong)

[ReneeSC]

According to Victoria Boutenko http://rawfamily.com/ , her body craved calcium and she started loading herself with sesame milk daily. After a while, her body said it was satiated, and she didn't have to drink it as much or anymore. So, I think you're on the right track if that is what your body is asking for.

I've thought about making some myself, I just kept forgetting. She sweetened her's a bit in the beginning.

[marigold]

when my girlfriend broke her back i made her seseme milk every day along with MACCA..that has loads of calcuim in i believe.