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What about calcium?

Where do vegans get it?

Most of us have been conditioned to believe that without the constant consumption of cows' milk our bones would be brittle and weak. As things turn out however, this really isn't the case.
We can see this pretty easily simply by observing 'non-dairy' cultures around the world. Being so fixated on the 'dairy for strong bones' myth means we often fail to notice that many places outside of the west consume little or no dairy at all (though it's sadly on the rise thanks to western influence) and that seventy percent of humans worldwide are allergic to dairy - a fact that shouldn't even put it into consideration as a suitable global calcium source. 
In parts of East Asia for example there was, up until recently, no culture of dairy consumption at all. Whilst this has begun to change in recent years (due to globalisation) dairy consumption is still incredibly low by western standards. Yet bone health in these countries is not only comparable to that of the west, in many cases it's notably better. This is because standard diets in this part of the world contain a lot more leafy greens than
western diets and one of the common staples there (dried seaweed) is also a great calcium source.

​Like all the nutrients found in meat and dairy products, calcium is only there to begin with because the animals first ate plants. By going directly to the source we can forgo the unnecessary step of filtering our nutrients through the body of an animal. Dark, leafy greens are an exceptional source of calcium and also the reason cow's milk contains calcium in the first place - because the cows eat grass. 
On a healthy, plant-based, whole foods diet our bodies get all the calcium they need, and those who refuse to eat their greens are still covered anyway thanks to the fortification of vegan staples such as plant-based milks.

The videos below from nutritionfacts.org cover a range of topics relating to calcium and bone health and are well worth a little of your time.
​


  Plant vs Cow 
        Calcium


   Vegan vs  
 Omnivore Bone
         Health


  Is Milk Good
 for Our Bones?


   Dairy and
      Hormonal
     Imbalance


    Calcium
  Absorbtion:
       Soy vs
     Cow Milk



                             "The most ethical diet just so happens to be the most environmentally
                                 sound diet and just so happens to be the healthiest."
                                                                                             Dr. Michael 
Greger

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