12 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR CALCIUM continued
7. High-fiber diets can interfere with calcium absorption, so it is best not to mix a high fiber meal with a high calcium one. If you do mix them, boost your calcium as you increase your fiber. Some fiber tablets have calcium in them-this is pointless and too expensive.
8. The presence of estrogen facilitates calcium absorption, so women after menopause are at increased risk of calcium deficiency, and therefore need to increase their daily intake of calcium.
9. The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio of a food or supplement determines how much of the calcium is absorbed. The ideal calcium-phosphorus ratio is 2 to 1, close to the proportion found in human milk, which has an almost perfect calcium-to- phosphorus ratio of 2.3 to 1. The ratio in cow’s milk is 1.3 to 1.
The higher the phosphorus content of the food, the more calcium is excreted in the urine, leading to a loss of calcium. Foods high in phosphorus (such as meat, poultry, corn, potatoes, beer, and buckwheat, and soda) can interfere with calcium absorption.
