Nutrition contradictions! Help!

Osteoporosis or osteopenia?
Sounds like you've had a dexa scan. Are you saying that you are trying a non meds approach. Or? Lots of support here but more information needed.

I ran across the info below awhile ago on the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation site while looking for information on bran & calcium. It says bran is the only food known to inhibit calcium absorption from foods eaten at the same time. I drink fortified soy milk and take a 300mg supplement to boost my intake.

"Spinach and Other Foods with Oxalates
Your body doesn’t absorb calcium well from foods that are high in oxalates (oxalic acid) such as spinach. Other foods with oxalates are rhubarb, beet greens and certain beans. These foods contain other healthy nutrients, but they just shouldn’t be counted as sources of calcium.

Wheat Bran
Like beans, wheat bran contains high levels of phytates which can prevent your body from absorbing calcium. However, unlike beans 100% wheat bran is the only food that appears to reduce the absorption of calcium in other foods eaten at the same time. For example, when you have milk and 100% wheat bran cereal together, your body can absorb some, but not all, of the calcium from the milk. The wheat bran in other foods like breads is much less concentrated and not likely to have a noticeable impact on calcium absorption. If you take calcium supplements, you may want to take them two or more hours before or after eating 100% wheat bran."

I’ve read that some foods with calcium ie spinach the following: “it’s likely the oxalates binds up with some of the magnesium and/or calcium and reduces their availability “.

This is what concerns me - all the DIFFERENT advice on nutrition

Osteoporosis. Not non medical but trying to beef up important vitamins and minerals. I’ve read that calcium in vitamin form is bad for the heart. I’m taking them but I’d love to “eat my calcium “ in the future if I can get a clearer idea on food interactions

The whole issue of calcium supplements and the heart is murky. One study found a 30% increase in risk for women taking a calcium supplement, but then a later study showed a much lower increase in risk if they were also taking vitamin D.

My approach is to use mostly diet with some supplementation. Your blood test can tell you if too much calcium is circulating in your blood. I wouldn't want to be getting 1000 mg just from pills.

One thing to keep in mind is that "increased risk" can be misleading. Let's say 1-in-1000 people have a certain side effect. A study then shows that taking X doubles the risk. That sounds bad! -- until you realize that the risk is now 2-in-1000. The absolute risk is what is important, not the relative risk.

I've heard...

Cooked spinach is better than raw spinach re: oxalates

Don't take calcium with iron (bad for iron absorption)

Vitamin C helps with calcium absorption

It's a good idea to get most of your calcium from food sources and only supplement when you need it. Probably best to minimize the high oxalate foods and not rely on them as a primary source (like spinach) but you don't necessarily need to exclude them unless you're prone to kidney stones. If supplementing, your body can only absorb a maximum of 500 mg of calcium at a time so it's best to take it in smaller doses. I usually take a max of 330 at a time with the hope that I'm not flooding my body with too much calcium which can potentially end up in my arteries instead of my bones.

Sounds reasonable! I wonder if it’s a timing issue as well- eat spinach a bit after or before dairy

Or learn to love collards and bok choy, both high calcium and no oxalates!

Yep, collards are fantastic! I eat a cup and a half every morning with my eggs. They are very low in oxalates and very high in calcium, the highest of all greens. And don't discard the stems like you would on kale. They are very tasty, a little sweeter than the leaf. I'd forgo the spinach entirely as a calcium source as you won't get much from it but instead, you'll get a high dose of oxalates. Just have spinach on occasion if you like it but try to get your calcium elsewhere.