Hypocalcemia is a condition in which the body doesn't have enough calcium in the blood. Hypocalcemia is caused by a number of conditions including alcoholism, kidney damage or poor diet. Phosphate levels affect the amount of calcium in the blood, so diet plays a role in calcium levels. Foods such as sodas high in phosphate decrease the amount of calcium in the blood. People who are diagnosed with hypocalcemia should avoid certain foods to avoid exacerbation of the condition.
Soda
Soda and soft drinks are the main food that patients with low calcium levels should avoid. Most of these drinks contain phosphate in the manufactured ingredients. Phosphate levels affect the amount of calcium circulating in the blood. Alternatives for these drinks are calcium-enriched juices such as orange juice and milk. Patients should also consider drinking water or fortified fluids such as Gatorade that provide fluids with electrolytes.
Artificial Sweets and Candy
Artificial sweets and candy use phosphate as a part of the ingredients. Chocolate candies also have high amounts of phosphate. A patient on a high-calcium diet due to hypocalcemia conditions should read candy labels before buying these types of food. Read chocolate candy bar labels as well as lollipops and hard candy. Candy that has citric acid content may also have high amounts of phosphate.
Packaged Food
Foods pre-packaged and found in the freezers of grocery stores have noticeably high amounts of phosphate content. Foods that are heated in the microwave or canned, processed products such as cheese or meats have phosphate. Frozen desserts, pizza and meals such as lasagna and beef have phosphate content in the packaging. When purchasing frozen food to be cooked in a microwave, read the package contents to detect high amounts of phosphate content. For hypocalcemia patients, it's better to buy fresh vegetables and meat.
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