Unfortunately, no, Gauguin: according to current nutritional "wisdom", the calcium in green leafy vegetables is NOT easily assimilable, although vegans (the anti-dairy product vegetarians) may try to tell you that it is.
Let me quote just from one source that I have handy (Jean Carper's Total Nutrition Guide):
Although many green leafy vegetables are high in calcium, some are not considered good calcium sources. The reason: they are also high in oxalic acid, or oxalates. The oxalates retard the body's absorption of the calcium. Thus, when you eat spinach, the calcium value to the body may range from 50 percent to zilch, according to different studies...
On top of that, most of the high-calcium vegetables are also high in fiber. Now, fiber of course is also supposed to be "good for you", but sometimes it apparently does bind up minerals and carry them out of the body before they can be absorbed.
Other excellent sources of calcium:
Tofu (on a par with dairy products) Certain nuts (almonds & filberts) Canned mackerel, salmon, & sardines (with bones)
I'm not a nutritionist, Gauguin, but I have tried to inform myself the best I can about these matters, because I prefer to use diet and exercise, rather than drugs, to keep my old-lady ailments at bay. :-)
jbe
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