Top 5 best sources of plant-based calcium

The recommended intakes are different depending on age :

• 500 mg for a baby

• 700 mg for a very young child (4-6 years old)

• 900 mg for a young child (7-9 years old)

• 1200 mg for a child and adolescent (10-19 years old)

• 900 mg for an adult

• 1200 mg for an elderly person and women after menopause (after 55 years)

The first food we think of when we talk about calcium is milk . We have often been told that the best source of calcium is milk.

However, many scientific studies have shown all the problems that are linked to the consumption of cow's milk . Indeed, not only is most of the calcium in cow's milk not well assimilated by the body, but above all, milk would increase the loss of calcium from our bones.

First of all, the amounts of calcium contained in milk are significant, but the bioavailability is only around 30%. This means that a large part of the calcium in milk is not assimilated by our body. In addition, like any animal protein, milk generates acid production, which leads to biological modification.

At the same time, the calcium that milk provides and which our bones need to strengthen is used to neutralize the “acidogenic” effect of milk.

This is why calcium, following this biological modification, detaches from the bones, and is finally evacuated through urine. So, milk reduces calcium in our body.

In reality, cow's milk is intended for calves just as mother's milk is intended for babies. But cow's milk contains three times more protein than human milk and is not suitable for humans, who have a very different skeleton from that of calves and cows.

Finally, lactase is the enzyme that allows us to properly digest lactose. However, lactase production is different depending on the individual and age. Some people continue to develop enough lactase to easily digest milk, but most stop producing it as they get older. This is why so many people are lactose intolerant and cannot digest milk .