Hey, guys, Dr. Axe here, doctor of natural medicine and founder of draxe.com.
Today, we'll be talking about the warning signs that you have a calcium deficiency and
the top calcium-rich foods you need to be getting in your diet today.
So we're going to dive right in and talk about some of the surprising calcium-rich foods
plus warning signs you're calcium deficient and how to overcome a calcium deficiency.
So for starters, listen, here are symptoms that you have a calcium deficiency.
Number one, brittle bones and fractures.
If you know somebody or you yourself, has broken bones fairly easily, that could be
a big warning sign that you have a calcium deficiency.
Now, osteoporosis, if you have osteoporosis, that means you have a calcium deficiency.
Blood clotting problems, especially if you tend to get bruising and it stays for a long
time or you can tell you kind of get these age spots or skin issues, that could be a
warning sign.
Weakness and fatigue, child growth delays, heart problems, these are all warning signs
that you have a calcium deficiency.
Now, here are benefits in general of having optimal levels of calcium in your body.
Number one, supports muscle and nerve function.
So think about it, your brain controls every organ in your body, working for your heart
to beat, your lungs to breathe, your bowels to move.
Calcium supports your brain and nervous system, so it's very, very important for that reason.
Diabetic prevention.
Calcium has been shown to prevent diabetes in medical studies, been shown to be crucial
for the dental health of your mouth and gums.
Also, weight loss support.
A lot of people don't realize how beneficial and how necessary calcium is, being one of
the most abundant minerals in your body.
Let's now talk about the most calcium-rich food you should be getting in your diet every
single day.
Number one is kale.
We call kale the king of the vegetable kingdom.
It's high in vitamin A, lutein, zeaxanthin, so it's great for your eyes, but also it's
one of the most calcium-rich foods, super greens, out there.
I love doing kale as a kale salad or sautéed kale with some garlic and coconut oil and
sea salt.
Number two, sardines.
Sardines are an omega-3-rich superfood, which we know, omega-3s reduce inflammation.
Sardines are high in omega-3s, they're high in protein, but also very, very high in calcium.
This is one of the ultimate foods for healing the body.
Number three is kefir.
So kefir, one of the great things about kefir . . . now again, I don't recommend conventional
cow's milk.
Conventional cow's milk today is loaded with hormones, steroids, antibiotics, other medications.
It's pasteurized.
It's homogenized.
It's toxic to the body.
But if you can go out to a farmer's market or buy certified organic goat's milk kefir,
all those probiotics . . . in fact, it's probably the most probiotic-rich superfood in the word.
The good news is, is that kefir, you're going to absorb even more of the calcium because
of all of the probiotics.
So kefir, I would include yoghurt there as well, an incredible calcium-rich superfood.
Number four here, we've talked about raw milk.
Has it been pasteurized or homogenized, which actually will damage a lot of the enzymes
which can affect absorption.
Number five here, white beans.
White beans are actually very high in calcium.
So especially if you're on a vegan diet, white beans are one of the superfoods you want to
be adding into your diet.
Number six, raw milk cheese.
Now, I love doing raw sheep and goat cheeses.
I love Manchego.
I love P'tit Basque.
I love doing . . . different brands of even raw goat cheddar are very good.
Raw milk cheese is a very good place to get your calcium.
Number seven is okra.
Now, okra has a little bit of a slimy substance, but this stuff is delicious, especially when
made with stewed tomatoes.
Okra is also very good for the health of your bowel movements.
So if you have that issue, too, okra is good.
Number eight, collard greens.
Collard greens are up there with kale in terms of its overall nutrient density.
So doing collard greens, another calcium-rich superfood.
Almonds, this one might surprise you.
Almonds, in terms of the nut family, and nuts and seeds have the highest levels of calcium,
so you can also oftentimes do an almond milk.
If you're allergic or sensitive to dairy, doing almonds or almond milk instead can be
a good replacement, and you're going to get some calcium.
Number 10, natto.
Natto is fermented soy.
Now, we don't recommend or I don't recommend conventional soy because of all the phytoestrogens.
The good news is, is natto, which is an ancient Japanese superfood dish, very high in probiotics
like Bacillus subtilis, also though very high levels of calcium.
So natto is part of the Japanese diet.
And really, Japanese have more centenarians per person than anywhere else in the world.
Number 11 is we know goat cheese is a better option than most cow's milk cheese.
So throwing a little goat cheese on a kale salad can be a good option.
And then mustard greens, similar to collard greens, spinach, and kale, also very high
in calcium.
And you want to focus on getting these foods as much as possible on your diet every single
day.
Now I want to mention this.
Calcium supplements warning.
If you're doing a by-itself calcium supplement, it may increase your risk of a heart attack,
increase your fracture risk, and artery disease.
Well, how is that possible?
Here is the reason why.
When you take calcium, you need to take it with the other cofactors that support absorption,
including vitamin K, vitamin D, and magnesium.
Okay?
So remember, in order to absorb calcium, you need vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin K.
Well, the good news is in food form, you're getting many of these other nutrients.
In sardines, you're getting vitamin D. In raw cheese, you're getting vitamin K2.
That's why you want to be consuming that whole list of foods on that board to really lift
up your calcium levels.
But again, taking an isolated calcium supplement will actually do you more harm than good.
Most of it's made of something called calcium carbonate, which essentially is ground mineral
rock, and your body can't absorb it.
In fact, according to clinical studies, your body will only absorb about less than 30%
of calcium carbonate.
The rest of it can actually get lodged in your arteries, causing arterial plaque and
"calcification" of your arteries.
So again, when buying a calcium supplement, make sure it also has vitamin D, vitamin K,
and magnesium as part of it there as well.
So the good news is even though there are all these calcium symptoms, you can overcome
them when you're getting more of these calcium-rich foods in your diet every single day.
Well hey, guys, if you want to learn more about natural and ancient remedies to heal
your body and other minerals like magnesium and vitamins like vitamin B12, and herbs that
could help boost your bone density, make sure to subscribe here to my YouTube channel, or
search another topic like "Dr. Axe magnesium," you'll find more information there.
Also, I've got a more in-depth article on calcium on my website.
Just do a Google search for "Dr. Axe calcium."
You'll find the article online there.
Hey, guys.
Thanks for watching.
Hi, Dr. Axe here.
I want to say thanks so much for checking out this YouTube video.
And also, don't forget to subscribe if you want to get more great content on things like
herbs, essential oils, natural remedies, and how to use food as medicine.
Also check out more of our content on my YouTube channel.
Thanks for watching.