Are there 2 types of calcium? One from dairy and one from plants?
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Question by A is for Apples: Are there 2 types of calcium? One from dairy and one from plants?
Reason I’m asking is because my friend and I was having a discussion. I was under the impression that if I stopped all my dairy intake, I would be fine as long as I got my calcium and vitamin-D from other sources (veggies, sun). He said that my bones and teeth would deteriorate anyways because the calcium in plants was not the same kind of calcium found in dairy.
So are there two different types of calcium? If there is, can you cite proof from a trusted site? Thanks sooo much!
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6 Responses to Are there 2 types of calcium? One from dairy and one from plants?
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No, there is ONE type of calcium. Well, technically there’s the different isotopes of calcium, but either way it’s still the same 20-proton atom. That one type comes primarily from dairy products.
Cliff
July 5, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Calcium…comes from Earth. Can be sourced through plants. ‘Dairy’ Animals eat these said plants for a living, thus their milk produces lots of calcium.
It doesn’t matter where you get your calcium…it will benefit you the same way. Sure, I can’t prove that, but at the same time I have YET to see any article saying otherwise. A typical American will certainly say something like that [in ref to “…bones and teeth would deteriorate anyways because the calcium in plants was not the same kind of calcium found in dairy.”]. And before someone goes blasting back, I get my calcium from [organic] dairy and plant sources.
TriNStylZ
July 5, 2013 at 4:17 pm
Calcium is a mineral it’s the same as if you get it from animal or plant based sources.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium#Nutrition
The main sources are green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach, almonds, sesame it’s in pretty much all living organisms so eating a plant based diet will yield you plenty of calcium for all your bodily needs.
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241546123_chap4.pdf
spitfiredd
July 5, 2013 at 4:36 pm
I think your friend is confused about the various sources of dietary calcium. There is calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, coral calcium — all are named from the source from which they’re derived. But you certainly don’t need to worry about your bones or teeth. Studies show the vegetarians absorb calcium better than meat-eaters. In fact, here is all you need to know about calcium, especially from a vegetarian point of view:
http://www.soystache.com/sources_of_calcium.htm
owlcroft
July 5, 2013 at 5:15 pm
of course there are
calcium lactate
calcium citrate
calcium gluconate
the list goes ON AND ON
plant sources arnt as bioavailable to humans.
because of “binders” oxalate
this is just one belief
there are vegans who think that dairy makes your body more acid
so drinking milk just causes bone LOSS
im not an organic chemist i dont know which to believe. both are probably true to some extent.
gluck
anon a
July 5, 2013 at 6:06 pm
Milk feeds the babies of a mammal. Human breast milk is for human babies. Cow milk is for a cow’s baby. Whale milk is for a whale baby. Dog milk is for a dog baby. Goat milk is for a goat’s baby. When we are old enough to get our nutrition from other foods, we no longer need mom’s breast milk, and we do not require the baby milk of any other species to meet our needs for calcium or any other nutrient.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/3747005407_060289110f.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2704741720_4b45a53d8e.jpg
http://www.westvalleymedctr.com/CPM/breastfeeding.jpg
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/whale-seaworld-orcaandcalf.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/105/305413920_7a77b8f392.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/images/2005/09/21/man_cow_470_470x300.jpg
Most adults in the world cannot properly digest milk because about 3/4 of people will greatly reduce production of the enzyme lactase as we age. http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA182741
Some plant-based foods are better for calcium than others, which is why it’s important to make better choices. The American Dietetic Association, the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals in the world, stated in their position paper on vegetarian diets, “Low-oxalate greens (eg, bok choy, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, collards, and kale) and fruit juices fortified with calcium citrate malate are good sources of highly bioavailable calcium (50% to 60% and 40% to 50%, respectively), while calcium-set tofu, and cow’s milk have good bioavailability of calcium (about 30% to 35%)” http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/2009_ADA_position_paper.pdf But they did go on to say, “Oxalates in some foods, such as spinach and Swiss chard, greatly reduce calcium absorption, making these vegetables a poor source of usable calcium. Foods rich in phytate may also inhibit calcium absorption”
http://veganhealth.org/articles/bones/
EatYourVeggies
July 5, 2013 at 6:16 pm