Milk Does A Body Good - Calcium Candidates

A lack of nutrients in our foods of today including the fresh stuff can be blamed due to the soils depletion of nutrients of the last 60 years as per Senate Document No. 264, 1936.

"Laboratory test prove that the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, the eggs, and even the milk and the meats of today are not what they were a few generations ago (which doubtless explains why our forefathers thrived on a selection of foods that would starve us!)

No man today can eat enough fruits and vegetables to supply his stomach with the mineral salts he requires for perfect health, because his stomach isn't big enough to hold them!"
Other factors such as poor diet habits and rise of fast foods relate to the lack of nutrients we miss through diet alone so many of us supplement.

The problem with supplements is that many are not fully absorbed by the body so even though you may think you are getting your 1000mg as stated on the bottle; you are actually absorbing less than half.

There are some supplement companies such as Usana which have had some studies done proving that their products are pharmaceutical grade and better absorbed at a cellular level but the cost for these supplements are higher and some of the studies were paid for by the company itself making it hard to distinguish how NON biased it really is.

There are still foods you can eat which do have higher levels of calcium but many people don't even realize these foods are rich in calcium so they may not include the in the diet art all or if they do they may not eat these vegetables frequently enough.

Many of us are raised to believe we will get all the calcium we need from milk and cheese but research done by several studies show that this may not actually be the case. Cheeses are mainly fats. Eggshells, Oyster Shells and such have been used for supplement base for their calcium qualities but these are not really palatable as a whole food itself. I question the process these items undergo during their manufacturing which would affect the end products quality as a whole.

My suggestion for those who need or want to increase their calcium intake is to try taking in more produce such as listed below. Vitamin D helps the body absorb Calcium so this is also a consideration which is easily done by 15 mins in the sun. Many of the items below are also great sources of Vitamins including D.

Calcium Candidates: Cooked turnip greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, bok choy, collards, spinach, and kale as well as fresh parsley, romaine and head lettuce.

These items are not difficult to find in your grocery stores and need very little preparation. Washing is always suggested whether you buy organic or not. Adding one if these daily to your diet would take minimal effort yet would help you achieve a step toward increased Calcium in your diet. I still suggest a supplement on top but consciousness needs to be directed toward the diet as well because we should not solely depend on one or the other. A combination of both will give you a good balance.

By Linda Cusmano