Long ago, doctors believed that kidney stones were caused by diets rich in calcium. But an 18-month long study that started in June 1993 at the University of Parma disproved the benefits of a low calcium diet. These findings prompted a new stance from the medical community--a stance that supported the dietary recommendations made by the United States Department of Agriculture. Though low calcium diets have become increasingly rare, it is important to know what foods to avoid should you ever find yourself on this type of diet.
Dairy Products
Ohio State University has compiled a reference sheet that lists foods that are high in calcium. According to the OSU index, you should steer clear of the cheese tray during cocktail parties because just one ounce of swiss or cheddar cheese has more than than 200mg of calcium. Choose water instead of milk with your cookies and you will spare yourself from nearly 300mg of calcium. And within your usual morning parfait is a whopping 450mg of calcium, thanks to the non-fat yogurt hiding beneath the granola.
Soybeans
According to the National Soybean Research Laboratory, growing soybeans requires soil that is rich in calcium. In turn, healthy soybean crops provide a lot of calcium for the person who eats them. In fact, one cup of cooked soybeans provides the body with 175mg of calcium. Meanwhile, the soy milk that you purchase at the grocery store is often fortified with calcium, bringing the level up to 300mg per 8oz. serving.
Foods Fortified with Calcium
Soy milk is not the only product that is fortified with calcium. In fact, cereal, orange juice and breakfast foods such as waffles and pancakes often have astronomical levels of calcium. In January 2008, supermodel Heidi Klum promoted calcium-fortified mineral water. It is important to carefully monitor every food to ensure that it has not been fortified with calcium because just one cup of fortified cereal or orange juice contains 300mg of calcium.
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