 |
| Calcium Rich Foods To Prevent Osteoporosis |
Calcium
is the most abundant mineral in the human body and has relatively high consumption recommendations, since
it is essential for the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth. Calcium also plays an important role in other body
functions, such as the production of hormones, the formation
of some tissues, blood clotting, muscle contraction, and relaxation movements,
and the correct functioning of neurons in sending nerve signals. Our body
is unable to synthesize calcium; therefore eating foods rich in calcium becomes
essential.
Calcium is a macro-mineral
present in the body of all living beings, although with differences in terms of
quantity. In plants, for example, calcium represents 0.007% of their mass; but
in animals, this percentage rises to 2.45%.
In other words, 2.45%
of our body are calcium, which remains dissolved in our body tissues, both solid
(especially bone) and liquid (such as blood). It is, therefore, the most
abundant mineral in our body.
Being a very vital mineral its basic needs are covered during
childhood and adolescence. In
addition, during pregnancy and lactation, calcium needs to increase significantly.
In old
age, it is also very important to have adequate levels of calcium in the body,
in order to replace the losses that occur of this mineral, as for example
in osteoporosis.
Daily
Recommended Calcium Intake
Maintaining adequate levels of calcium can
help prevent osteoporosis,
a disease that occurs due to loss of bone mass that occurs due to weak bones,
especially in women and from the age of 50. In another sense, an excess of this mineral can lead to the appearance of complications such as constipation, a greater
difficulty in absorbing other minerals, such as iron, and a predisposition to
develop kidney stones.
Of the
total calcium contained in food, only between 20% -40% of the total is
absorbed. Its absorption improves with the presence of vitamin D, lactose, fat, proteins, vitamin
C, and acid medium. Hence, the foods with the best
calcium bioavailability are milk and dairy products.
The recommended calcium intake varies depending on age, since a baby or child, who is in the full
stage of bone development and growth does not have the same needs as an adult.
In addition, calcium consumption is needed to be increased during pregnancy and
from a certain age (around 70 years).
The recommended intakes
are different according to age:
Why
Calcium Is Important For Our Body
Eating foods rich in calcium
is essential because, in the first place, the body is not able to synthesize
calcium. That is, the mineral has to come from the consumption of other living
beings (both animals and plants). Secondly, it participates in many physiological
processes. Proof of this is that it represents 2.45% of our body.
What are the
physiological activities calcium involved? It is impossible to cover all the
functions of calcium, but here are the most important ones, seeing its positive
impact on the different systems of the body.
·
Skeletal System: 2.45%
of our body is calcium but of this 2.45%, 99% of the calcium is found in the
bones and teeth. This mineral is a fundamental part of the bone matrix, so it
is essential to give bone and dental tissue the hardness and resistance they
need. Therefore, if we do not take in enough calcium, bone density is lost.
·
Nervous System:
Neurons communicate with each other through a process known as a synapse, which
allows the transmission of electrical impulses throughout the nervous system. In
addition to many other molecules, the synapse depends on calcium for it to
happen properly.
·
Muscular System:
All muscle contraction and relaxation functions (both voluntary control muscles
and involuntary movement muscles) depend on calcium, which is the mineral that
stimulates them.
·
Cardiovascular System:
As we have said, calcium allows involuntary muscle contractions and
relaxations. Therefore, the heartbeat also depends on this mineral. Without
adequate amounts, you cannot maintain an optimal heart rate.
·
Blood Circulatory System:
As we have already mentioned, calcium is also found in liquid tissues of the
body. In the blood, there are dissolved calcium ions that are essential to
stimulate all blood clotting processes in the event of cuts or wounds.
·
Endocrine System: Calcium
is essential for all the physiological processes that take place within the endocrine
glands and that culminate in the synthesis and release of hormones, that is,
all those molecules that stimulate and coordinate the physiology of our organs.
In summary, we can say
that, without calcium, the functioning of all our systems collapses. It is no
coincidence that 2.45% of our body is calcium, since from maintaining healthy
bones to stimulating the activity of our heart; calcium is involved in
countless metabolic reactions.
What
Are The Best Sources Of Calcium?
Having seen its
importance and taking into account that the body cannot synthesize it, it is
quite clear that it must be achieved through diet. Therefore, here are the
foods that are the best sources of calcium. It should be remembered that the
WHO recommendation is to take about 900 mg of calcium a day, which can amount
to 1,000 mg in older people.
It is also very
important to bear in mind that there are foods that block the absorption of
this mineral from the intestines. We are talking about chocolate, salt,
caffeine, sugar, strawberries, beets, spinach, calcium, cereals, legumes, soft
drinks, fatty, and ultra-processed cheeses.
It does not mean that
they should be removed from the diet. In fact, some of them are tremendously
healthy and have to be part of your diet. The only thing to keep in mind is not
to combine them with the products that we will see below, because if they are
eaten together, we will not absorb all the calcium that these foods provide us.
Nevertheless, these are
the best sources of calcium that we can find in nature. We have sorted them by
calcium content. The figures indicated correspond to milligrams of calcium per
100 grams of the food in question.
1.
Cheese: (up to 850 mg)
Cheeses are the most
abundant source of calcium. Anyway, the exact contribution will depend on the
type of cheese. Gruyere, Roquefort, and Emmental are the ones that have the most
calcium since their amount ranges between 560 and 850 mg per 100 grams of the product. Others like the Manchego come to have 470 mg of calcium per 100 gr.
The problem is that these are also the fattest, so you should be careful with
their consumption. The healthiest ones have amounts around 120 mg, which is
already very good.
2.
Sardines: (470 mg)
As surprising as it may
sound, sardines, especially those that are canned, are nature's second-best
source of calcium. This is due to the fact that it is a soft-boned fish, so
with the thermal procedures to which they are subjected for consumption, they
cause the calcium from their bones to pass into the meat. 100 gram of this blue
fish provides 470 mg of calcium. Moreover taking into account its contribution
to healthy fatty acids, they should not be missing in our diet.
3. Almonds and Hazelnuts: (240 mg)
Almond is the richest
dried fruit in calcium. As it does not contain water, all its nutrients and
minerals are more concentrated, that is, there are a large number of nutrients
in small portions. In addition to calcium, they are rich in magnesium, an
element that also helps maintain healthy bones. Almonds and hazelnuts are the
best sources of calcium of plant origin in nature, so in case you do not want to
take products of animal origin, they cannot be missing from our diet. 100 grams
of these two products provide us with 240 mg of calcium.
4. Crustaceans: (220 mg)
Crustaceans are another
source of calcium of animal origin that comes from the sea. Prawns, shrimp, and
scampi are a fantastic source of calcium. 100 grams of its meat provide us with
about 220 mg of calcium.
5. Yogurt: (180 mg)
We return to dairy
products, famous for being a source of calcium. In the case of yogurt, we are
facing the fifth-best source of calcium, because although it depends on the
type of yogurt, the milk with which it is manufactured, and the processes it
follows, and the calcium content ranges between 130 and 180 mg for each 100 gr.
6. Dried Figs: (180 Mg)
Figs are the fruit that
contains the most calcium. Therefore, it is the second most important source of
calcium of plant origin, behind almonds and hazelnuts. Their calcium content
increases when they are taken after a drying process, which allows the amount
of calcium to be about 180 mg per 100 g of fruit, very similar to yogurt.
7. Chickpeas: (145 mg)
Chickpeas are a key
legume in any Mediterranean diet. It is a food of plant origin that, among many
other benefits, is a magnificent source of calcium. For every 100 grams of
chickpeas, they provide us with 140 mg of calcium. The problem is that being a
legume, we may have problems absorbing it. Therefore, it offers a lot of
calcium, but not everything is assimilated. This can be solved by immersing
them in water for 12 hours before consuming them so that the calcium can be
absorbed more effectively.
8. Custard: (140 mg)
Custards are dairy
derivatives and, as such, are a very good source of calcium. Again, we would
have to watch the fat intake, but the truth is that every 100 gram of product,
we get about 140 mg of calcium.
9. Pistachios: (136 mg)
Pistachios are nuts
with many health benefits, especially in terms of healthy fatty acids, but they
are also a magnificent source of calcium. In fact, 100 gram of product provides
136 mg of calcium, even more than milk.
10. Milk: (130 mg)
It may be surprising
that milk ranks 10th on this list. We have taken cow's milk as a
representative, as it is the most consumed. This, in its liquid version
(without making derivatives), provides about 10 mg of calcium per 100 gram of
product. It is a magnificent source, but, as we have seen, it is neither the
only nor the best.
11. White Beans: (130 Mg)
White beans are legumes
that, in addition to being a fantastic source of fiber, contain the same amount
of calcium as milk: 130 mg per 100 g of product. The problem is that this
calcium is not so easily assimilated by the body as it is a legume. Again, they
should be soaked in water 12 hours before consumption so that the calcium can
be absorbed more effectively.
12. Mollusks: (120 mg)
Mollusks, especially
clams and cockles, are an excellent source of calcium that comes from the sea.
About 100 grams of these products provide about 120 mg of calcium, in a very
similar way to cow's milk. In addition to calcium, they are an important source
of iron and iodine.
13. Green Leafy Vegetables: (114 mg)
Spinach, chard, leek, and the rest of green leafy vegetables have a high amount of calcium compared
to other plants, which we remember that they do not stand out for their calcium
content. These have enough and, depending on the type, the amount of calcium ranges
between 87 and 114 mg per 100 gram of product. The problem is that the body
appears to have trouble absorbing calcium when it comes from this source.
14. Walnuts: (70 mg)
Walnuts are another of
the nuts with the highest amount of calcium. This is already lower than what
we've seen on the list, but it's still a fantastic plant-based source of
calcium. In fact, 100 grams of walnuts provide about 70 mg of calcium.
15. Olives: (63 mg)
We close our list with
olives, which are the fruit of the olive tree. They are a fantastic plant-based
source of calcium, although you should be careful because they are quite
caloric foods (despite what you can hear, they do not have cholesterol). Be
that as it may, 100 grams of olives provide about 63 mg of calcium, so they can
be a very good complement to the diet.
Comments