Why is Calcium so important?
Calcium is important for overall health. Almost every cell in
our body uses calcium in some way. Calcium
is needed for good teeth and strong bones and for the function of nerves,
muscles, kidneys, and the heart. Not having enough calcium in the diet is one
of many factors associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis, a disease
that speeds up the process of the natural loss of calcium in the bones. This
causes the bones to become weak and fragile, leading to loss of height, curved
spines, and bone fractures, especially in women. In recent years, the
recommended amount of calcium has been increased from 800 mg to 1000 to 1200 mg
per day. Dairy products are the most common source of calcium for people in
western industrialized countries. But most of the dairy products commonly eaten
are very high in saturated fat and cholesterol, as well as calories! This is
not a good trade-off - increasing your risk of heart disease and weight gain by
eating dairy products high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories in order
to decrease your risk or osteoporosis by getting the calcium they contain.
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High Calcium Foods
1
cup or milk, yogurt, pudding, or cheese
Non-fat or low-fat milk or buttermilk
Low-fat chocolate milk
Non-fat or low-fat yogurt
Low-fat cheese
Whole Milk (high in fat)
Milkshake (high in fat)
Hot chocolate
Regular cheese (high in fat)
Pudding (made with skim milk)
Custard or Flan
Sardines with bones
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Medium Calcium Foods
- Non-fat
or low-fat cottage cheese
- Cream
soups (high in fat)
- Ice
cream (high in fat)
- Ice
milk or frozen yogurt
- Non-fat
cream cheese
Non-Dairy Calcium Sources
- Dried
bean or peas
- Canned
fish
- Tofu
processed with calcium
- Almonds
- Bok
Choy
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Mustard
Greens
- Turnip
Greens
- Figs
- Corn
Tortillas
- Black
Strap Molasses
Do You Get Enough Calcium?
You
will not be getting enough calcium just from foods if you are following a
reduced calorie plan to lose weight. If you are trying to lose weight, your
diet plan contains less food than you need right now, which means it’s a lot
harder to get all the calcium you need. In order to get enough calcium from
just the foods you eat, you should eat 3-4 servings of high calcium foods every
day. When you follow your eating guidelines, they are designed to help you get
the best combination of nutrients with the right amount of calories for weight
loss. It would be very hard to get enough calcium just from eating
food during weight loss. I recommend
that you take a calcium supplement if you are following a reduced calorie plan.
Most adults, especially women, would benefit from taking a calcium supplement
whether they are following a reduced calorie diet plan or not.
Age
The amount of bone you build during teen and young adult years is called peak
bone mass. This is the strongest your bones will ever be, and that is why
getting enough calcium while you are growing is so important. After your early
20’s, you do not build bone mass, so the goal is keep your bones healthy the
remainder of your life by doing a few simple things:
- Eat
enough calcium from low fat sources, or supplement
- Strengthen
your bones through regular exercise
- Avoid
unhealthy, low calorie diet plans
- Avoid
smoking, and if you do smoke, quit!
Hope
this came useful to you!
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