Bumisuka.com – 5 Foods that Hypercalcemia Sufferers Must Avoid. Hypercalcemia is a condition of excess calcium levels in the blood. Normally, the level of calcium in the blood is 10.4 mg/dL with an ionized calcium level of 5.2 mg/dL. The term hypercalcemia is used when the level of calcium in the blood exceeds that number.
According to a report in the journal JAMA in 2022, excess calcium levels in the blood over a long period of time can cause nausea, vomiting, dehydration, drowsiness, and at worst can cause coma.
Daily calcium mineral intake must be considered. People with hypercalcemia should not eat too many foods high in calcium. So, keep your calcium intake at the level instructed by your doctor.
It is important to know which foods are high in calcium and should be avoided by people with hypercalcemia. The following five foods should be avoided or limited by people with hypercalcemia.
1. Dairy products
Dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, cream, butter and ice cream have a high calcium content. Reported by SaintLukesKC, people with hypercalcemia should avoid all of these foods, and even stop their intake, because they can increase calcium levels that are already high in the blood.
Instead, tea and coffee can be an alternative because they are low in calcium. In fact, reported by American Bone Health, consuming a lot of coffee can cause a decrease in calcium absorption in the body. However, this should still be under the supervision of a doctor because something in excess is not good. So, consult your doctor first if you want to consume tea and coffee if you have hypercalcemia.
2. Spinach
Calcium is also found in many vegetables. Well, spinach is a vegetable with a high calcium content. A 100 gram serving of spinach contains approximately 136 milligrams (mg) of calcium. Of course the intake needs to be limited or avoided by people with hypercalcemia.
Don’t worry, there are other types of vegetables that are safer, for example pakcoy. Reported by Livestrong, a serving of one cup of pakcoy vegetables has less than 100 mg of calcium, which is about 40 mg.
3. Soybeans
As explained on the Healthline page, soybeans are a type of leguminous plant that has a high calcium content in it. Soybeans are naturally rich in calcium, and a 100 gram serving contains 100 mg of calcium.
So, avoid and limit soy beans too. As a safer alternative, there are many other nuts with calcium content under 100 mg. Among them are peanuts and walnuts which are estimated to contain 92 mg of calcium. However, remember not to overdo it.
4. Sardines
Reported by WebMD, sardines have a high calcium content and the bones are the highest in calcium content. Sardines eaten with their bones are a good source of calcium. However, its consumption should be avoided by people with hypercalcemia. This is because the calcium content in 100 grams of sardines can reach 382 mg. Very high, right?
Relax, there are other types of fish that can be consumed by hypercalcemic sufferers, for example mackerel. The calcium content in mackerel is low, namely 16 mg in 100 grams.
5.Oatmeals
Quoting The Healthy, half a cup of dry oatmeal contains about 200 mg of calcium. If you usually eat this at breakfast, you can replace it with boiled potatoes. The calcium content of boiled potatoes is only 63 mg.
It’s not that people with hypercalcemia shouldn’t consume foods or drinks that contain calcium, but their intake must be limited.
The most appropriate lifestyle changes for people with hypercalcemia are controlling their food intake. The five foods high in calcium above should be avoided or limited so that the condition does not worsen and cause serious complications.