Calcium is a mineral that your body needs for a range of vital functions, including teeth and bone growth and the production of various enzymes and hormones. You absorb the calcium content of food in your small intestine. However, the consumption of certain foods can either deplete your stores of previously absorbed calcium or lower your rate of calcium absorption.
Depletion Through Urine
Once you absorb calcium into your system, a certain amount of it is normally lost in your urine, sweat or feces, according to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements. Oregon State University's Linus Pauling Institute lists several factors that increase your normal rate of urinary calcium depletion, including consumption of high amounts of protein and high intake of sodium or salt. You can also experience short-term urinary calcium depletion if you consume large amounts of caffeine. Americans consume so much protein in their diets that their daily calcium requirements are significantly higher than those found in much of the rest of the world.
Depletion Through Feces
The U.S. National Library of Medicine's Medline Plus lists a number foods rich in protein, including milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, poultry, fish and meat. These high-protein foods also often contain significant amounts of the mineral phosphorus, the Linus Pauling Institute reports. The phosphorus content in protein-rich foods can diminish the amount of calcium you lose in your urine. However, phosphorus also increases the calcium content of your digestive juices, leading to a loss of calcium in your feces.
Calcium Absorption
A number of foods in your diet can significantly diminish your initial calcium absorption, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. These foods typically contain either oxalic acid or phytic acid, two substances that bind to calcium and prevent or limit its use in your body. Foods with significant levels of oxalic acid include collard greens, rhubarb, spinach, beans and sweet potatoes. Foods with significant levels of phytic acid include seeds, beans, soybeans, nuts, wheat bran and fiber-rich products made from whole grain. You can easily overcome the effects of oxalic acid- and phytic acid-containing foods by eating a varied diet.
Depletion-Reducing Foods
You can reduce your level of calcium depletion by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the Office of Dietary Supplements notes. Once your body processes these foods, their breakdown products create bicarbonate, a substance that increases your body's alkaline properties. In turn, increased alkalinity diminishes your rate of calcium loss. If you consume a high-sodium diet, you can reduce its calcium-depleting effects by eating foods that contain potassium, including avocados, bananas, tomatoes, lima beans, tomatoes and citrus fruits or juices.
Considerations
Calcium depletion and reduced calcium absorption do not usually cause a calcium deficiency unless you use medications like diuretics, have conditions such as kidney failure or undergo surgical removal of your stomach, the Office of Dietary Supplements explains. If you do experience a deficiency, potential symptoms include lack of appetite, muscle cramps, lethargy, convulsions, heartbeat abnormalities and numbness and/or tingling in your fingers.
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