Recommended Calcium Intake
How many of us know what is the daily recommended calcium intake? I guess hardly anyone of us has an idea about that. Studies show that almost 70% of the people do not get sufficient amount of calcium in their diet. Here is a table showing the recommended calcium intake for different age groups.
|6 months||210 mg||210 mg|
|7 to 12 months||270 mg||270 mg|
|1 to 3 years||500 mg||500 mg|
|4 to 8 years||800 mg||800 mg|
|9 to 13 years||1300 mg||1300 mg|
|14 to 18 years||1300 mg||1300 mg|
|19 to 50 years||1000 mg||1000 mg|
|50 years and above||1200 mg||1200 mg|
Calcium And Bones
Did you know that 300 to 500 mg of calcium from our body is lost every day? Yes, this happens when the blood pressure in our body is low, and the body borrows the required minerals from the bones. Our body uses it for the functioning of blood, muscles, nerves, heart, etc. It is also lost through hair fall, growing fingernails, sweat and skin. To recover this usage, increased calcium levels in our body is necessary by including foods fortified or enriched with it. Osteoporosis is a disease, caused when the calcium in the bones decrease. This disease is generally seen in women after menopause, usually women that are above the age of 45 or 50 years. It is necessary for maintaining the level of bone mass, which supports the skeletal of our body. Bones and teeth become more strong. Lack of calcium weakens the bones, thus causing higher risks of fractures. To avoid this, its sufficient intake is necessary.
Some undergoing studies have put forth, that calcium with vitamin dose can reduce the risk of cancer. It is very difficult to replace any lost bones due to old age, but this can be avoided, only if the calcium supply to our body is done earlier in life, say before the age of 30. Calcium enriched foods such as dairy products, seafood, green leafy vegetables, etc. should be included in the daily died. Though there are so may benefits of it, too much intake can cause kidney stones.
It is very important that one reads the nutrition chart behind every food product, for example cheese, milk, yogurt, bread etc. Here is a list of the most eaten foods that contain calcium.
|Foods Rich in Calcium||Quantity||Calcium Content
Per Serving (mg)*
|Milk||1 cup||280 to 300|
|Cottage cheese||1/2 cup||90 to 100|
|Ice-cream||1/2 cup||90 to 100|
|Yogurt||1 cup||240 to 400|
|Broccoli||1 cup||160 to 180|
|Tofu||4 oz||145 to 155|
Always remember that consuming calcium rich foods in proper quantity, and regularly, will not only prevent its deficiency but will also help treat them.