How to Avoid Calcium Depletion while on a Diet?

Dieting may cause some long-term damages to the body if not handled properly because it places a lot of attention to food intake, some of the necessary nutrients needed for the body can be neglected in favor of accommodating the requirements set by the dieting procedure, even at the expense of being malnourished.
Calcium depletion is a serious threat to those whose dieting has become part of their lifestyle. In order for the body to function effectively, it has to consume a manageable amount of mineral to sustain it. Teeth and bone growth are some of the benefits of having a sufficient amount of calcium achievable through production of various enzymes and hormones. Your small intestine is the organ which absorbs the calcium content of your food.
However, some foods can either deplete your stored absorbed calcium previously consumed or lower your rate of calcium absorption. Here are some ways to maximize your regular dieting without sacrificing your calcium intake.
• Through the Urine
According to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, depletion through urine, sweat or feces are some of the ways that a certain amount of your calcium is reduced. Another study says that one of the factors that increase your normal rate of urinary calcium depletion is the high protein intake as well as sodium and salt. On the other hand, Caffeine can be a source of short-term urinary calcium depletion. In USA alone, most of the populace consume so much protein in their diets that their calcium requirements are depleted way lower as compared to the rest of the world.

• Through the Feces
Foods rich in protein include milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, poultry, fish and meat. These foods also contain great amount of mineral phosphorus. But, the phosphorus content in these foods can actually diminish the amount of calcium you let out through urine but can also increase the calcium load of your digestive juices, which eventually wastes away the calcium in your feces.

• Absorption Process
The Office of Dietary Supplements says that a number of foods in your diet can significantly diminish your initial calcium absorption. Containing an oxalic acid or phytic acid, two substances that bind to calcium and prevent or limit its use in your body, these food elements can be found in a number of healthy and affordable ones like collard greens, rhubarb, spinach, beans, nuts and fiber-rich products made from whole grain. Eating a varied diet is one way of overcoming the effects of oxalic acid- and phytic acid.

• Depletion-reducing
A diet that includes fruits and vegetables is an effective way of avoiding calcium depletion in your body. These types of foods create bicarbonate, a substance that increases your alkaline properties which diminishes the rate of your calcium loss. You can also reduce the calcium-depleting effects from having a high-sodium diet by eating foods that contain potassium like bananas.

• A few more matters
Unless you use medications like diuretics and calcium depletion, reduced calcium absorption is far from becoming a calcium deficient. The lack of appetite, muscle cramps, lethargy, convulsions, heartbeat abnormalities and numbness and/or tingling in your fingers are just some of the symptoms of being a calcium deficient. But these few tips will definitely lend service to your daily calcium needs especially in your diet.


Ludovic Beraud