Good evening,
I am considering how to achieve the ideal Ca-Mg ratio in a vegan, or at least get close to it. It is very difficult for me to reach this balance, and I tend to end up with an imbalance in favor of magnesium. In such a case, or generally for vegans, is it advisable to include calcium in the form of a supplement? Especially due to the more problematic absorption of Ca because of the higher content of antinutrients.
Thank you in advance and have a nice day.
In this task, you are addressing a situation that is a genuine problem in practice. For vegans, a higher magnesium-to-calcium ratio is typical, and it is a challenge to achieve balance at this level, especially without supportive supplementation. An increasing number of food manufacturers are attempting to fortify (not just purely vegan) products with calcium, so when planning a diet in real life, it's important to leverage the potential of these options.
If you do not ensure an adequate calcium intake, its long-term deficiency (or imbalance with magnesium) will primarily affect neuromuscular coordination (= reduces "tension") and decrease bone density (here, the presence of proteins in the diet, the Ca:P ratio, and the level of physical activity also have a significant influence).
Questions answered by
Mgr. Martin Jelinek
Lecturer and author of the educational system
Nutrition educator, lecturer, and author of the educational system and the ZOF learning application.
Mgr. Martin Jelínek has been systematically involved in nutrition education since 1999. He is the founder of ATAC, the educational company behind NutriCourses, and the author of an educational system focused on nutrition, healthy lifestyle, and the practical application of nutrition knowledge.
He graduated from the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University in Brno. Throughout his professional career, he has combined nutrition, education, and the practical application of acquired knowledge. His educational system also includes the ZOF (Zone of Optimal Functioning) learning application, where students turn theory into practical work with meal plans.
In 2007, he launched the first intake of a six-month course focused on the education of nutrition advisors. Over time, this course became the foundation for the further development of the educational system and a range of specialised courses.