[How do I get my calcium?

Who hasn't heard this phrase over and over again? The habits of consuming dairy products to be healthy and fill up on calcium are so ingrained that they are difficult to transform. Which brings us to our first question:

Do we need to eat dairy products to get calcium?

Cheese! Smile, you're decalcified!

The answer to the first question is "no": calcium is contained in a wide range of foods. What's more, there's no need to consume calcium from dairy products. Calcium is present in an impressive number of foods:

• greens
• oilseeds
• persil
• rapeseed oil
• olive oil
• a handful of almonds contains more calcium than a yoghurt

In fact, insufficient calcium intake is very rare.

Are dairy products bad for your health?

This wasn't the case in the past, but it is today, for 2 main reasons:

The first is that milk "in the old days" was a rather healthy food. Cows grazed on grass rich in OMEGA-3, they calved according to a natural rhythm and our grandmothers boiled the milk before consuming it to remove the growth hormones intended for calves and not for humans (no need to reach 350 kilos!).
Nowadays, intensive breeding means that they are fed mainly wheat and corn, rich in pro-inflammatory OMEGA-6. What's more, confinement and lack of exercise weaken their immune systems. The result: preventive vaccines and curative antibiotics.
Productivity means profitability, and calves are needed all the time! They are therefore inseminated more than they should be, and certainly not in the natural order of things, which weakens them even further. As a result, their udders are often inflamed, producing pus which contaminates the milk.
Their milk also contains natural growth factors (IGF-1) to make their calves bigger, but these growth hormones can be harmful to our health.

Vaccines, antibiotics, hormones and ... pus. A regulatory threshold, known as the maximum residue limit (MRL), has been defined, but today it's worth what it's worth. Despite these regulatory thresholds, it's accumulation that impacts our health: Dairy products, but also meat, which follows the same pattern, antibiotic and hormone residues in water... Antibiotic resistance is a real concern, as are hormonal pathologies due to hyperoestrogenism, painful periods, cysts, fibroids, endometriosis... The best way to protect yourself is still to choose production methods that respect the natural cycle of the animals, fed as naturally as possible (see the BLEU-BLANC-COEUR method) and not to consume tap water (for antibiosis and hormones). It's true that goat's milk and sheep's milk are less contaminated because the farming is less intensive, but they are still acidifying products.

The 2nd reason is that our current stress levels and our diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins and sugars considerably acidify our bodies. To counteract this acidity, if the buffering systems are not sufficient, the body will draw alkaline minerals from the bones and teeth: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium... If this is not enough, the body will store the acidity in the tissues, contributing to the creation of chronic inflammation (a small inflammation called "low-grade", almost invisible (except to naturopaths! 😉 ) Consumption of dairy products can accentuate this inflammation. Regulating the acid-base balance is essential for good health.

Getting back to calcium. I consume dairy products to get calcium, I acidify, my body draws on my alkaline minerals to buffer (calcium, phosphorus ...). So what's the point of consuming them?

It's worth remembering that, overall, an omnivorous diet is not lacking in calcium.

What are the calcium assimilation aids?

On this point we must be careful:

• Vitamin D levels, which are generally very low for most people, especially those living above the Loire. It is therefore essential to start taking vitamin D3 supplements in September. Recommended doses in France today are 400 IU for adults and 800 IU after the age of 60. As research progresses, we realize that the need for vitamin D is very, very high, because it helps assimilate calcium, is anti-cancer and regulates the immune system... The doses given today in Nutritherapy are much higher, without toxicity. Taking one ampoule for the winter is not enough, as the liver will not store this dose, which is far too high. It's essential to take it daily. Especially if you have dark skin, were born and raised in the sun, are over 60 or have an auto-immune disease, your needs are greater.

• An adequate intake of magnesium, as it facilitates calcium utilization. As explained above, magnesium is over-used to buffer acidity caused by diet and stress. An adult's overall requirement is 400mg (much more under stress), yet today's diet provides no more than 250mg (due to soil impoverishment). The use of supplements for at least 3 weeks a month is necessary, as magnesium cures are no longer sufficient. On the other hand, you need to choose magnesium salts that are not acidifying and that can be easily assimilated, such as magnesium bisglycinate and glycerophosphates. Personally, I avoid marine magnesium as it has a tendency to acidify.

• Hypochlorydria. Lack of acid production in the stomach causes much the same symptoms as hyperchlorydria. Research shows that 80% of the population suffers from this condition. It leads to deficiencies due to poor assimilation of calcium, as well as B vitamins (particularly B12), iron, zinc, magnesium and copper. Certain pathologies, such as hypothyroidism, can favour hypochlorydria.

• Phytic acid , which is contained in the seed coat of semi-complete or complete cereals and legumes, serves to retain minerals. This acid traps these minerals and prevents their assimilation in our digestive tract. Don't eat them? Absolutely not! They're an excellent source of nutrients. On the other hand, when it comes to bread, you should buy sourdough bread, as it helps lower the pH and destroys phytic acid. Soaking legumes overnight also neutralizes phytic acid (don't keep the water). Beware of industrial whole-grain products, which may offer little or no benefit in terms of nutrients. As a food that acidifies cereals and sugar, it will also draw on your minerals to buffer them. In this case, it's best to combine it with a banana, for example, which is highly alkalinizing.

• Vitamins A and C and essential fatty acids, on the other hand, promote the absorption and bioavailability of calcium.