Calcium is a mineral that helps keep bones and teeth strong, and also helps muscles contract and is involved in your heart?s beating.
Osteoporosis and osteopenia, which are medical terms for thinning of the bone (reduced bone density), are common problems in the United States. This thinning of the bone leads to an increased risk of bone fractures. Inadequate calcium intake is one of many factors that can lead to bone thinning.
Dairy foods and calcium also may play a role in promoting heart health, including helping control high blood pressure. Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are the richest sources of calcium.
Calcium is found in other foods, too, although these foods don?t have as much calcium as dairy foods.
Non-dairy sources of calcium include: Sardines and salmon with the bones Dark green vegetables Dried beans/legumes Calcium-fortified foods (such calcium-fortified juices or cereals) Soy milk or rice milk (but be sure to read the label to make sure they?ve been fortified with calcium) The most common calcium supplements are calcium citrate and calcium carbonate. Calcium citrate seems to be the best absorbed, but calcium carbonate is often less expensive and still fairly well absorbed. Some people find that calcium carbonate causes constipation, so if this is true for you be sure to include plenty of fluids in your diet.
Avoid oyster shell based calcium supplements (due to concerns about contamination). Also, keep in mind that your body can only absorb about 500 mg at one time, so if you’re taking more than that per day, it’s a good idea to break up the doses. If you also take both iron and calcium supplements, it’s a good idea to take them at different times, since they compete for absorption. If you take a calcium supplement, choose one that also has vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium.
Of the calcium-rich foods, only milk and fortified cereals have vitamin D. (Although only whole milk has “Vitamin D” in big letters on the carton, ALL types of milk—fatfree, 1%, and 2%—have the same amount of vitamin D.) How much calcium do you need each day? Adolescents/Teens (9 – 18 years) need 1,300 milligrams (mg) per day Adults (19 – 50 years) need 1,000 mg per day Older Adults (51 years+) need 1,200 mg day Consuming 3 dairy foods per day and a variety of foods from the other food groups should help you get reach these goals. To help you determine how much calcium you are eating each day, here’s a list of the calcium content of some foods: The following have 300 mg calcium Buttermilk 250 mL (1 cup) Cheddar Cheese 43 g (1? oz.) Chocolate Milk 250 mL (1 cup) Dry Milk Powder (reconstituted 25 g powder) 250 mL (1 cup) Fruit Flavored Yogurt 250 mL (1 cup) Goat’s Milk 250 mL (1 cup) Milk (whole,2%,1%,skim) 250 mL (1 cup) These have 200 mg calcium Almonds 125 mL (? cup) Cream Soups (prepared with an equal volume of milk) 250 mL (1 cup) Enriched Farina 250 mL (1 cup) 150 mg calcium Blackstrap Molasses 15 mL (1 Tbsp.) Brazil Nuts 125 mL (? cup) Cabbage-spoon (Bok Choy) 125 mL (? cup) Mackerel, canned 125 mL (? cup) Mustard Greens 125 mL (? cup) Salmon, canned 43 g (1? oz.) Scallops 8 75 mg Broccoli 125 mL (? cup) Cottage Cheese (2%,4%) 125 mL (? cup) Cornmeal, whole ground 63 mL (? cup) Herring, canned 57 g (2 oz.) Ice Cream 125 mL (? cup)
Author: Dots Rego
