Saturday, November 30, 2013

Best food sources of calcium

Calcium is the most profuse mineral in the human body. One to two percent of an adult’s body weight is comprised of calcium.

Calcium is a major mineral essential for healthy bones and teeth. There are several minerals known to be essential to the human body and which must be obtained from food.

The remaining calcium can be found in blood, extracellular fluid, muscle and other tissues.

Good plant sources of calcium include calcium set-tofu, green leafy vegetables, calcium-fortified plant based beverages, broccoli, legumes, Chinese cabbage, nuts, whole grains, seeds and nuts.

In the United States, an estimated 72 percent of calcium comes from milk, cheese and yoghurt and from foods to which dairy products have been added such as pizza, lasagna, dairy desserts. Of all the dairy products nonfat milk is the most nutrient dense because of its high calcium content and low fat and calorie content.

Calcium requirement can be achieved by including foods in the diet that naturally contain calcium, through calcium-fortified foods, the use of supplements or by a combination of these.

Drinking hard water can provide 200 mg of calcium daily but soft water contains almost none. Other calcium rich foods include black molasses, edible seaweeds, watercress, parsley and dried figs. Non yoghurt is another excellent source of calcium.

Although grains are not particularly rich in calcium, the use of calcium containing additives in these foods accounts for a substantial proportion of the calcium ingested by people who consume a large amount of grain.

Fortification with calcium for a number of foods that do not naturally contribute calcium – such as orange juice, other beverages and ready to eat cereals is becoming commonplace in the United States.

The body absorbs 25 to 75 percent of dietary calcium, depending on a variety of factors including age, presence of adequate vitamin D, the body’s need for calcium and calcium intake. Dairy products are a good source of calcium in a form that is easy for the body to absorb.

Calcium absorption is particularly high during pregnancy and infancy, and is at its lowest in old age.

Without sufficient vitamin D, calcium bone mineralization can be disrupted and this disruption will affect the structural integrity of the skeleton.

Deficiency of calcium may lead to poor bone and teeth formation. Severe deficiency may cause rickets in children and osteomalacia on adults.
Best food sources of calcium

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