LIFESTYLE NEWS - Calcium is an essential mineral found in large amounts in the body. Ninety-nine percent of all the calcium in the body is found in the bones and teeth, with the remaining one percent being found in the blood.
First and foremost, calcium is an important bone mineral.
Calcium also plays important roles in nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and blood clotting.
Calcium is lost daily in the urine, sweat and faeces.
If calcium levels in the blood drop below normal, calcium will be taken from bone and put into the blood in order to maintain blood calcium levels. It is therefore vital to consume enough calcium to maintain adequate blood and bone calcium levels.
But how much is enough?
Strong evidence exists that a calcium intake of below 500mg per day leads to accelerated bone loss which can cause osteoporosis and subsequent fractures.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation of South Africa (NOFSA) recommends an average daily intake of approximately 1 000mg, although calcium requirements differ in the different age groups.
Children and teenagers between the ages of nine and 18, for example, should be getting 1 300mg calcium, while women over the age of 51 should be getting 1 200mg calcium.
There are also certain groups of people who are at an increased risk of calcium deficiency, such as postmenopausal women and people with lactose intolerance or cow’s milk allergy.
Here is a list of calcium rich foods and how much calcium they provide per serving:
- Cheese (aged and processed) and cheese spreads – 40g serving = 260mg calcium
- Cheese (unripened) such as cottage cheese, ricotta, feta – 150g serving = 300mg calcium
- Milk: fresh, UHT, sterilised, milk powder(reconstituted), commercial flavoured, goat milk – 250 ml serving size = 300mg calcium
- Soya beverages – 250ml serving size = 300mg calcium
- Yoghurt: plain, fruit yoghurt, drinking yoghurt, buttermilk, maas – 150g serving size = 243mg calcium
Other sources of calcium from fish include sardines in oil, drained pink salmon, canned mackerel with bones, canned drained shrimp –100g = 382 calcium.
Non-dairy sources of calcium include some vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, kale, and broccoli. Spinach provides calcium, but its absorption rate is poor. Most grains do not have high amounts of calcium unless they are fortified.
A day’s nutrition which includes, for example, 40g of cheese, a cup of milk, 150g of yogurt and 100g of tinned pink salmon will give you approximately 1 185mg of calcium.
But how many of us can achieve this daily?
Most people can easily get at least half of the calcium they need from food.
Taking an appropriate calcium supplement is also a great way to increase your calcium intake as the right supplement will contain relatively large amounts of elemental calcium, and dissolves well in the body.
Always speak to your doctor or pharmacist about whether you might require a calcium supplement, any possible side effects and how best to take it.
Visit https://calciums.co.za/ for more information.
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