From childhood, we hear words from our parents that each person needs calcium. With age, we become convinced that this element plays a very important role in human life.
If you ask any person: “Why does the body need calcium”, then the most common answer will be: “For bone strength”. In fact, the benefit of this mineral is of much greater importance, being a source of human life at all stages of its development.
Calcium in the human body
Calcium is a building material for our skeleton, which allows us to delight people with our white-toothed smile. This information may not surprise anyone, but only a few are aware that the process of blood coagulation is impossible without calcium.
It also helps to maintain the required amount of certain enzymes, controls the flow of nutrients into the cells, allows our muscles contract and relax and ensures proper transmission of nerve impulses.
All these facts should already cause a person to want to know what the table of products containing this useful element looks like.
Today in many pharmacies you can easily find a variety of calcium-containing drugs. However, if you have a deficiency of this element, this does not mean that these supplements can help you.
You can provide the body with this element if you approach the preparation of your diet correctly. To do this, you just need to have a table of products rich in this element, and then you can avoid unpleasant symptomsthat can be triggered by an excess or deficiency of calcium in the body.
Calcium is one of the most common elements that can be found in many foods. But this does not mean that they can be used all without restrictions. Useful are only those foods that contain calcium that can absorb our body.
Bean nuts and seeds
It is wrong to assume that calcium, which is found in milk and dairy products, is easily absorbed by the body. Here it is necessary to pay attention to products of plant origin.
Beans are considered especially valuable in this regard, among which it should be noted beans, peas, beans, lentils and green peas. Sesame, almonds and poppy seeds are known to contain more calcium, unlike cottage cheese and cheese.
However, there are many people who wish to make poppy or sesame as the main product of their diet, consuming them in large quantities. After all, the only way to satisfy the body's need for this element.
Cereals, vegetables, fruits, berries and greens
Grains, vegetables, fruits, berries and greens are inferior in terms of calcium content to the above products. However, what makes them valuable is that they contain a lot of vitamins and other beneficial substances that increase the absorption of calcium.
It is necessary to include these products in the diet not only because they can provide the body with this element in the required quantities and maintain a high level of its digestibility.
Another reason is the high availability of vegetables and fruits that can be consumed at any time of the year. To better understand how much calcium can be obtained by consuming certain products, we give specific examples for illustrative purposes.
When 100 grams of whole grains and bread are consumed from wholemeal, the body receives about 50 mg of calcium, watercress - 214 mg, rosehip - 257 mg, young nettle, which is often used to make soup - 713 mg.
It is also worth highlighting a fairly wide group of products that differ high calcium:
- celery;
- cauliflower;
- leaf salad;
- carrot;
- asparagus;
- citrus fruits and others
You will not have to face a deficit of this element if your desk is constantly present strawberries, gooseberries, cherries, apples, blackberries, apricots, peaches, grapes and currants.
Meat and fish products, eggs
Making sure that your menu contains foods rich in calcium, you should pay attention to products of animal origin. Many people know that fish is rich in calcium.
And among its wide variety, it is especially worth highlighting sardine and salmon. Eating 100 grams of meat products, you can provide your body with up to 50 mg of this useful element. Eggs that not only contain this element in sufficient quantities, but also vitamins that improve its absorption can help you cope with its deficiency.
Milk and Dairy Products
Although there are other products that contain more calcium, milk and other products of dairy origin are still popular - not only because of their wide availability, but also because of the absence of harm to health.
You can include in your diet any product - milk or yogurt, kefir or cottage cheese, sour cream or cheese. Those who are on a diet should not focus on the degree of fat content of a dairy product. The calcium content in them does not depend on this in any way.
The combination of calcium-rich foods
Once you know from which foods you can get this beneficial element, you should find out in which combinations it is advisable to use foods to ensure the best digestibility of calcium. It is recommended that you consume calcium foods that provide your body with vitamin D, ascorbic acid, magnesium and phosphorus salts.
Vitamin D. It plays an important role in maintaining the necessary amount of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, and regulates its intake in bone tissue. With a sufficient amount of vitamin D, the risk of tooth decay is reduced, the healing process of fractures and the treatment of osteoporosis are accelerated.
You can provide the body with vitamin D if you include the following products in your diet:
- Butter.
- Dairy.
- Egg yolk.
- Fatty fish.
In this case, the body itself is able to produce this element under the influence of sunlight. If you often go for walks or the sun shines regularly in your windows, you can be sure that the process of assimilation of calcium in the body will be much better.
Vitamin C. Vitamins A, E, C and B vitamins are mandatory for the normal absorption of calcium by the human body. You can get them from the same products that contain calcium - vegetables, legumes and meat.
Magnesium
To keep the bones strong, it is very important to pay attention to how much calcium and magnesium are in the body. The human body has the unique ability to independently maintain the balance of all substances.
The same applies to magnesium. Therefore, with a decrease in its amount in the blood at the same time calcium level decreases. The body reacts similarly if the amount of magnesium increases.
Therefore, if you want calcium to be absorbed well in your body, foods must be present in your diet, rich in magnesium and vitamin B6. The latter is of particular importance because it allows you to retain magnesium in the body.
You can avoid magnesium deficiency if products like bran, wholemeal bread, and nuts are present on your table.
Phosphorus salts
You should not calm down even after you know which foods are rich in calcium. No less important is how much phosphorus is contained in the body. This is due to the dependence of these two elements: the optimal ratio is 1: 2.
Therefore, when phosphorus becomes larger, occurs lower calcium. Fish is traditionally very rich in phosphorus. But at the same time, it is allowed to add animal food to the diet, which contains more phosphorus than in vegetable.
You will undoubtedly benefit your body if there are more foods that contain calcium on your table. But you need to remember that among them may be products that worsen the process of assimilation of this element.
Those are diuretics, among which the most common are alcoholic and caffeinated drinks.
You should also limit the use of fats - with the combination of this substance and calcium, insoluble compounds arise that are difficult to absorb. Calcium is less absorbed by the body of those people who smoke a lot, and also consume large amounts of sugar, carbonated drinks and salt.
Nettle salad with nuts
Knowing which foods are rich in calcium, you can diversify your menu by preparing tasty and healthy dishes from them.
Components:
Inspect the nettle and remove the wilted leaves, rinse and put in a boil in salt water, giving it boil for 3-4 minutes. Fold the leaves in a colander and drain the water.
Take a spoon and mash the leaves slightly, add to them a mixture of vegetable oil, crushed garlic and salt. Next, in the salad you need to put parsley leaves, onions, chopped walnuts and lemon juice.
Sardine stuffed eggs
Components:
First you need to boil hard boiled eggs, then cool and clean. After that, the eggs are cut in half, the yolks are removed, wiped with a sieve and add pounded sardines to them. There you need to put chopped onions and a spoonful of mustard. This filling is filled with halves of proteins, and sprinkled with greens on top.
Paying a lot of attention to their diet, often people forget that the cause of poor health may be a deficiency of certain elements. One of them may be calcium. Therefore, it is necessary to switch to a new diet after evaluating whether this element is sufficient in the body.
Choosing the right products, you must not forget that calcium is not ideally combined with all products. This must be taken into account because it will help prevent their proper assimilation.
Kale is rich in calcium
Calcium is an important nutrient for humans, which is necessary for building and strengthening bones and teeth. Calcium also regulates muscle contractions, the nervous system and hormone secretion, plays an important role in blood coagulation processes and helps regulate blood pressure. Our body is not able to produce calcium on its own, so to maintain a sufficient level of calcium, we must get it from various food sources. When we consume calcium, it penetrates our bloodstream and is transported to other areas of our body where it is needed. Any excess calcium accumulates in the bones and teeth. If the body does not receive enough calcium, it begins to extract it from the bones and teeth in order to function properly. This leads to their weakening and destruction, and can cause bone diseases and brittle bones. Nutritional supplements can also serve as a source of calcium, but eating a balanced diet is the best way to satisfy the need for this mineral. calcium rich foods.
Human need for calcium
Children aged 4 to 8 years are recommended to use 800 mg of calcium per day, children from 9 to 18 - 1300 mg. Men and women aged 19 to 50 years are recommended to consume 1000 mg of calcium per day, adults older than 51 - 1200 mg. Pregnant or lactating women need more calcium daily (from 1400 to 2000 mg).
Calcium Rich Foods
Dairy are the most common group of foods containing calcium. Milk and cheese are a good source of calcium. Moreover, dairy products with a low fat content contain more calcium. Hard cheese varieties, depending on fat content and varieties, contain about 1000 mg of calcium per 100 grams, processed cheese - half as much. 100 grams of yogurt contains about 130 mg of calcium. In milk - 120 mg, in skim milk a little more calcium.
Canned fishcontaining soft bones are the best meat option for calcium intake. Soft bones can be crushed and eaten along with fish meat. Canned sardines (500 mg calcium per 100 grams), salmon (210 mg) and mackerel (240 mg) are the richest in calcium.
Green vegetables, especially dark green leafy ones, contain surprisingly large amounts of calcium. Parsley (245 mg), kale (210 mg), (106), dandelion leaves (103), leaves (61), and turnip greens are excellent sources of calcium. By the ratio of calcium in food to calories, many leafy vegetables are superior to dairy products. The following greens are also a good source of calcium: romaine lettuce (Roman salad), cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts. Some fruit also contain calcium, including apples, bananas, tangerines and grapefruits.
Many nuts contain a relatively large amount of calcium. The best choices are almonds (260 mg per 100 g) and Brazil nut (160). Calcium record holders are poppy seeds, about 1000 mg and 1500 mg per 100 grams, respectively. Fennel seeds also contain large amounts of calcium. White and red beans (150) and soybeans (100) are rich in calcium from legumes.
Soya productssuch as tofu, soy milk, soy cheese, soy yogurt, and edamame (soybean pods) are also a good choice for replenishing calcium levels from food. One hundred grams of tofu contains 105 mg of calcium and a surprisingly small number of calories.
Sources of calcium in grain group are whole grain corn and whole grain wheat flour. Regular flour, unlike whole grain, does not contain calcium. One slice of rye or whole grain bread contains about 10 mg of calcium, and a 50 gram serving of cereal muesli contains about 25 mg of calcium.
Other sources of calcium
Surprisingly, many seasonings and spices also contain calcium. Among them are basil, dill, thyme, oregano, rosemary, cloves, garlic.
Oddly enough, molasses (molasses) contains a high percentage of calcium - 172 mg in one tablespoon. Therefore, to increase your use of molasses, you can consider replacing molasses with sugar in various recipes.
Many food manufacturers enrich their products with calcium. Typically, calcium is added to breakfast cereals, cereals, fruit juices, milk substitutes (rice, soy milk).
Text: Tatyana Firsova
What foods, besides milk, can be sources of calcium for us? Are there many such products? It turns out a lot. And not all of them are white. Greens, fruits, nuts and black molasses - all that you wanted to know about calcium, but hesitated to ask.
Who needs alternative calcium sources
Dairy products, including milk, yoghurts and cheeses, are not only rich in calcium, their composition allows for maximum absorption of calcium by the digestive system. Unfortunately, many people who are hypersensitive or allergic to milk protein (casein), as well as their inability to digest milk sugar (lactose), require alternative dietary sources of this essential mineral. Although calcium from dairy products has a high bioavailability (that is, it is effectively absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract of the body), there are alternative sources of calcium: among some non-dairy products, as well as among foods enriched with calcium.
Calcium is a very important mineral for ensuring the vital functions of the human body. Most people know that calcium strengthens bones and teeth, but not everyone understands how many processes in the human body actually depend on calcium. The functioning of muscles, the compression and expansion of blood vessels, the transmission of nerve impulses, hormonal secretion - all this requires calcium.
Sources of calcium in carbohydrate-containing foods
Alternative sources of calcium may be carbohydrate-containing foods. Carbohydrates are one of the three main classes of macronutrients. The other two classes are proteins and fats. Carbohydrate-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, cereals, bread, cereals, milk, and dairy products. In addition, the list of carbohydrate products also includes almost everything that is made with sugar: sweets, sugar-sweetened drinks, confectionery, especially those that are made with honey. The use of these sweets is not as good for health (rather the opposite), as the use of other sources of carbohydrates containing fiber, vitamins and minerals - fruits and vegetables.
In some vegetables, calcium may be even greater than in milk. Leafy green vegetables, especially cabbage, are good sources of calcium. Almost all types of cabbage, including green Chinese cabbage, contain calcium. Depending on the variety, one serving (usually a tablespoon 200-gram cup) accounts for 75 to 200 mg of calcium. Moreover, calcium, which was ingested from cabbage, is very well absorbed in the digestive tract. Other sources of calcium among vegetables are Bok Choy, green mustard, arugula, broccoli, and baked potatoes.
Rhubarb, turnips, beets, and especially spinach should not be considered as alternative sources of calcium. Although spinach is one of the richest calcium plants among greens, it also contains a lot of oxalic acid, which significantly inhibits the absorption of calcium. Due to poor absorption, approximately sixteen servings of spinach are needed to get as much calcium as can be obtained from a glass of milk.
Bread and fruit
Fruits are not usually considered as sources of calcium, however, for example, some types of orange juice are artificially enriched with calcium by manufacturers.
A certain amount of calcium is found in cereal products - in bread, in bread cakes and breakfast cereals. In addition, some of these products are made using milk, which adds calcium to them. Industrial-made cereal products can also be good sources of calcium, as they are artificially enriched with this mineral. In some cases, the calcium content in them can reach 1 g of calcium in one serving.
Calcium is not present in all carbohydrate-containing foods. So, for example, honey and sugar do not contain calcium at all. Fruits that were not enriched with vitamins during cultivation, such as watermelons, apples or oranges, may contain small amounts of calcium, but cannot be considered good sources. Other carbohydrate-containing foods, such as regular bread, also contain small amounts of calcium. In a slice of white bread, calcium is approximately 30 mg, which is about 3% of the daily needs of a person.
Beans, nuts and molasses
Beans and nuts can be another source of calcium. One serving of white beans, which is known primarily for its high fiber content, gives the body about a third of the same amount of calcium contained in a glass of milk. Red beans and pinto beans (light brown beans with dark spots, popular in North and South America) contain about twice as much calcium, but their calcium is absorbed a little worse.
We pass to nuts. Raw or fried almonds as an additional bonus to their nutritional properties (almonds give the body, first of all, monounsaturated fats and fiber) is a good source of calcium. Walnuts and raw pecans can also be good alternative sources of calcium, especially when compared to other nuts.
In general, although nuts and legumes are not champions in terms of calcium, they can significantly enrich the calcium diet.
Finally, molasses or molasses can be another, quite exotic, alternative source of calcium. Molasses is a by-product of sugar production and looks like a syrupy liquid of a dark brown color. It is unlikely that molasses can be considered as the usual choice of a sweetener with which sugar is replaced, but there are ways to incorporate it into your diet. Traction can be used for barbecue sauces or added to beans. 2 tablespoons molasses can provide up to 400 mg of calcium - this is almost half the daily recommended intake for adults.
