Page 117 - Vegan Life - Issue 59 (February 2020)

greens provide the best absorption rates, sessions a week with two to three sets • Eat fruits and vegetables:
although fortified products also have per session. There was a significant Consuming plenty of fresh fruits and
extremely high calcium bioavailability. improvement between four and vegetables daily will help maintain the
The recommended daily intake (RDI) for six months, but this increased calcium in your bones.
adults is 1000mg per day. dramatically ater one year. • Reduce your cafeine intake:
So, what does research tell us about • Reduce your protein intake: Diets Cafeine can increase the rate that
dairy? A 12-year Harvard study of 78,000 high in protein cause more calcium calcium is lost through the urine.
women found that those who drank milk to be lost in urine. Animal-based • Choosing plant-based calcium:
three times a day broke more bones than proteins are a particular concern, as Consuming plant-based calcium
women who rarely drank milk. Another they are more likely to cause calcium sources (green vegetables and beans)
study conducted in Australia on elderly loss than protein from plant sources. over animal sources will help provide
men and women found that higher This may be one factor in why vegans building blocks for bone building
dairy consumption was associated with and vegetarians tend to have stronger (adults require 1000 mg per day).
increased fracture risk. Getting calcium bones than meat-eaters.
into your bones is only half of the story • Consume less sodium: Diets high Find Yvonne on Facebook at
though, you also need to ensure that in sodium increase loss of calcium @livingveganoficial ■
calcium stays in your bones, too. For through your urine. Cutting down
healthy, strong bones, we need to focus on packaged foods, fried foods,
on obtaining adequate calcium, vitamin salty sauces, such as soy sauce and
D, whole plant foods, exercise regularly, peppercorn and reducing the amount
and to reduce our intake of salt and you add to your food.
cafeine (and abstain from smoking). • Stop smoking: Smoking increases the
loss of calcium from your body. Giving
How can we improve our bone up smoking or reducing it will be a
strength and keep calcium in great help.
our bones? • Get enough vitamin D: Aiming to
• Strength training: A study conducted get 10-15 minutes of sunlight on the
on older adults found that exercise face and arms every day will allow
was reported as one of the best the body to make the bone building
natural ways to improve bone mass hormone vitamin D (remember, never
throughout life. Strength training allow your skin to burn). If this is not
was found to be the most beneficial, possible, it’s best to take a vegan-
with high load intensities of three friendly vitamin D supplement daily.

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