Calcium is a very important element for our body. It is the basic material from which they are made bones and teeth. They contain 99% of the calcium contained in the body. The remaining amount of calcium can be found in tissues and extracellular fluids. While it is a building block in teeth and bones, it has other functions in the rest of the body. Participates in:
– blood clotting
– muscle contractility,
– activation of certain enzymes,
– conduction of nervous stimuli.
The bones are warehouse of this element for extracellular fluids. They help maintain a constant level of calcium in the blood. Therefore, if the supply of this nutrient from the outside is too small, it is the bones that lose the most.
In Poland and Europe, 70% of the daily supply of calcium comes from dairy products, and only 10% from vegetables and cereal products. Hence, when it turns out that dairy products can no longer be found in the diet, there is concern about meeting the demand for calcium.
Demand
In Poland, the demand for calcium is determined with a sufficient daily intake.
– up to 6 months of age – 300 mg
– up to 1 year of age – 400 mg
– children 1-3 years old – 500 mg
– children 4-6 years of age -700 mg
– children 7-9 years old – 800 mg
– children 13-18 years old – 1300 mg
– adults 19-50 years of age – 1000 mg
– adults over 51 years of age – 1500 mg
Calcium sources
Most of it is in whey and yellow cheese. White cheese (approx. 90 mg / 100g) is significantly lower in calcium compared to yellow cheese (approx. 800 mg / 100g). So if someone ate only white cheese, thinking that he was thus covering the demand for this element, it could turn out that, although he ate dairy products, he was deficient in this element.
If it is necessary to exclude dairy products from the diet, it is important to pay attention not to run out of the diet other sources of this element. These include fish eaten with bones, seeds, nuts, whole grains, kale, spinach, broccoli, and legumes. It is also worth replacing milk with soy drinks or oat or rice milk. These products are usually additionally enriched with calcium.
Product | Calcium content [mg in 100 g] |
Sesame | 975 |
Almonds | 239 |
Hazelnuts | 186 |
Italian nuts | 87 |
Sunflower seeds | 131 |
Poppy seeds | 1266 |
Whole grain rye bread | 66 |
Oat flakes | 54 |
Brown rice | 32 |
Amaranth | 250 |
Kale | 157 |
Kapusta | 67 |
Spinach | 93 |
Broccoli | 48 |
Red beets | 41 |
Boćvina | 97 |
Carrot | 36 |
Parsley | 193 |
Celery | 40 |
Alfalfa sprouts | 30 |
Black currants | 39 |
Dried figs | 203 |
Pea | 57 |
Bean | 163 |
Broad bean | 60 |
Soybeans, seeds | 240 |
Tofu | 46 |
Calcium fortified soy milk | 120 |
Jaja | 47 |
Sardines in oil | 330 |
Herring salted | 62 |
Absorption
Calcium absorption from plant products make it difficult however, included in them phytochemicals. List here:
– pectins present mainly in fruits,
– oxalates contained, inter alia, in rhubarb, sorrel, spinach,
– phytates found, among others in cereal products, legumes.
However, the problem is also:
– too much fat and protein in the diet,
– phosphates present in food preservatives.
Calcium is therefore not 100% absorbed from the above products. Therefore, people who cannot reach for dairy products should introduce the appropriate one calcium preparationthat will make up for shortages.