Brenda Davis

Absorption is poor—about 5 percent—

from high-oxalate greens (beet greens, spinach, and Swiss chard).

beans is about 20 percent. 29From almonds, which contain phytates, the body absorbs 14 to 21 percent of the calcium; however, absorption is increased after

almonds are soaked for eight to twelve hours Calcium is present in oranges, figs, organic blackstrap molasses, and (in smaller amounts) in many plant foods.

Eat dark green vegetables daily. Include broccoli, kale, collard greens, bok choy, and napa (Chinese) cabbage on the shopping list.

Make almonds, almond butter, sesame tahini, and blackstrap molasses a part of meals and snacks. Replacing 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of peanut butter with an equal amount of almond butter boosts calcium intake by 73 mg. Replacing 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of jam with blackstrap molasses can add a surprising 80 to 200 mg of calcium (check labels).

Special Issues

High salt or sodium intakes result in increased calcium losses. Each teaspoon (6

g) of salt contains 2.3 grams of sodium. When excreted by the kidneys, this

amount of sodium draws with it 24 to 40 mg of calcium. Over time, such urinary

losses can markedly influence bone loss. It’s been estimated that, in adult

women, each gram of sodium beyond daily needs will result in an additional rate

of bone loss of 1 percent per year if all the related calcium loss comes from the

skeleton

However,

each day tiny amounts of iron are lost in cells sloughed from the skin and from

the inner lining of the intestine; these losses must be replaced from food or

supplements.

Other causes can contribute to iron deficiency. Women of childbearing age

have menstrual iron losses in the range of an extra 30 to 45 mg each month,

making their dietary requirements higher than those of men.

Recommended Intake

The RDAs for men and postmenopausal women are set at 8 mg of iron per day

and for women of childbearing age at 18 mg of iron per day. Although a separate

RDA hasn’t been set for vegetarians (including vegans), the Institute of

Medicine (IOM) advises aiming for 1.8 times as much iron as nonvegetarians

due to the lower bioavailability of nonheme iron from plant foods.

Following

this guide, vegetarian women of childbearing age are advised to get 32.4 mg of

iron per day, and other adults are urged to get 14.4 mg of iron.

Vegans who include vitamin C–rich

foods as part of their meals and who don’t routinely include tea, coffee, or

calcium supplements with meals are less likely to need this suggested level of

iron intake.

Dietary Sources

Legumes are good plant sources of iron. They provide 3 to 6 mg of iron per 1

cup (250 ml) of beans or lentils or per ½ cup (125 ml) of soybeans or tofu (see

on ).