Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in your body. You need it for strong bones and teeth, and also for blood vessel function, muscle contraction, hormone and enzyme secretion, and in your nervous system for transmitting impulses. However, you need to do more than take supplements or eat calcium-rich foods such as dairy products, salmon, kale and broccoli. Your body requires the help of several nutrients to absorb calcium, and several factors can boost your calcium absorption.
Vitamin D
If you want to absorb calcium properly, you need vitamin D. This vitamin also helps you maintain adequate serum calcium concentrations in your body, which enables normal bone mineralization, bone growth and bone remodeling. Along with calcium, vitamin D helps protect you from osteoporosis as you age. Without enough of this vitamin, your bones may become brittle, thin or misshapen, according to the U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements, or ODS.
Amino Acids
The amino acids lysine and arginine, found in protein, increase your intestinal calcium absorption, says Benjamin Caballero in the book "Guide to Nutritional Supplements." In infants, lactose increases calcium absorption. Lysine is an essential amino acid, meaning your body cannot make it, and is found in pork, poultry, beef, cod, eggs, nuts, dairy products and legumes such as lentils, peas and beans, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid, meaning your body can make it, according to the Mayo Clinic. It's also found in meats, dairy products, walnuts, pecans, brown rice, sunflower seeds, peanuts and oats.
Silicon
Dietary silicon can help with calcium absorption, says Paul Pitchford in his book, "Healing With Whole Foods." This may be especially helpful as you age because your nutrient absorption decreases as you get older. Silicon is found in all plant fiber in the form of silica. Eating whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, will boost your silica intake. If you want to use a supplement, one silicon-rich herb is horsetail, says Pitchford, but you need to ingest it in small quantities because it's also a diuretic. Another useful supplement is alfalfa. For best results, combine manganese with silicon, Pitchford advises. Manganese, which helps form bones, is found in legumes, tea, nuts and whole grains.
Estrogen
Estrogen administration can boost your calcium absorption, says Caballero. According to the ODS, postmenopausal women are at risk for having decreased calcium absorption that can lead to bone mass decreases. Increasing calcium intake during menopause may not completely counteract this problem. However, hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, can help increase calcium levels. Estrogen therapy leads to lower bone loss rates, in part by increasing calcium absorption in your gut. However, HRT comes with health risks. That's why some medical groups recommend that postmenopausal women instead use medications such as bisphosphonates to prevent or treat osteoporosis.
Bad Food Combinations
Timing your calcium intake so that you don't eat foods that can hamper absorption at the same time can help. For example, when you eat spinach and milk together, you hinder the absorption of the milk's calcium, according to ODS. This is due to the spinach's high level of oxalic acid, which binds to calcium and inhibits absorption. Other foods with high oxalic acid content include sweet potatoes, collard greens, rhubarb and beans. Phytic acid also hampers absorption. Foods high in this acid include soy isolates, fiber-containing wheat bran and whole-grain products, seeds, beans and nuts.
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