Which Foods Give You More Calcium, And Which Ones “Steal” From You

Foods More Calcium: Calcium is the essential nutrient that bones need, as it is its main component. Think that 99% of body calcium is found in bones and teeth.

Ensuring you get enough of this mineral through your diet is essential to have strong and healthy bones and prevent osteoporosis. But it is also necessary to avoid those factors that can “steal” the calcium you take.

1. Do You Know How Much Calcium Your Bones Need?

An adult person requires about 1,000 mg of calcium a day. To ensure optimum intake, it is recommended to consume at least two servings of calcium per day.

What does a serving amount? It is equivalent to a glass of milk, two yogurts, or 50 g of cheese. Better that you choose skim dairy, which provides the same amount of calcium but is hardly fat.

In inclusion to these two daily calcium rations, it is necessary to complete the diet with other foods rich in this mineral.

Skimmed dairy products provide the same calcium as whole milk but contain little fat.

In the case of female, from the age of 35, they should swallow 1,200 mg daily. And from the age of 50, when menopause begins, it is advisable to grow the dose to 1,500 mg every day. To achieve this, it is wise to take 4 servings of dairy a day and other foods that provide calcium.

You should only take calcium supplements with a prescription.

2. 7 Foods With Calcium That Are Not Dairy

Dairy, especially milk and yogurt, are the primary source of calcium since 70-80% of its contribution is assimilated. In the case of cheeses, it depends on their degree of cure: the more they are, the more calcium they provide and more saturated fats, so you should take them in moderation.

However, other foods are also rich in this mineral and should not be missing from your diet.

• Bluefish, especially those of small size, are eaten with bones (anchovies, anchovies, sardines ). In addition to calcium, they give you with vitamin D, which favors its absorption.
• Vegetables. Especially chickpeas and soy. Take them 3 times a week.
• Nuts. Mainly almonds, followed by hazelnuts. Take a handful (25 g) every day, as a snack, or adding them to salads, breakfast cereals, yogurts.
• Sesame seeds. To better assimilate calcium, eat them lightly toasted and crushed. You can boost them to any dish, such as salads or vegetable creams. You can also use them in the shape of tahini (sesame paste or milk) to make vegetable pates, sauces, or to season pasta or rice dishes.
• Leafy green vegetables. The ones that contain the most calcium are chard, spinach, and watercress.
  Seafood. Norway lobsters, prawns, and prawns are other excellent sources of calcium.
• Algae. The hiziki, wakame or arame variation are very rich in this mineral, among other nutrients.

3. 4 Things That Don’t Let You Take Advantage of Calcium

It is as essential to take enough calcium with your diet as avoiding those foods or factors that can edge your body from taking the lead of it. Take note of this if you desire to have healthy bones:

• Too much protein. Moderate protein intake is necessary, both for muscle and bone mass formation, and not to lose it with age. But excessive consumption favors the elimination of calcium through the urine. The WHO estimates that an adult needs 0.8-1 g of protein per pound of body weight per day. Try to alternate white meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. Legumes, whole grains, and nuts also provide plant-based proteins.
• Excess phosphorous. Calcium and phosphorus are complementary for bone maintenance but must be in balance. And is that excess phosphorus is associated with less assimilation of calcium? To prevent this from happening, do not abuse processed products and soft drinks.

• Lots of fiber. Taking too much fiber also hinders calcium absorption. Phytates, found in the bran of whole grains, form insoluble salts with calcium and limit, although they do not prevent its absorption. The same is true for oxalates from spinach or Swiss chard. Solution? Take the right fiber (25 g daily), and the day you exceed this amount, eat an extra yogurt to make up for the stray calcium.
• Salt in quantity. High salt intake and raising blood pressure and being harmful to health increase the loss of calcium through urine, which ends up weakening the bones. To avoid this, reduce the amount of salt you usually eat and get used to dressing dishes with aromatic plants. And don’t forget to control the hidden salt that is in many foods, especially processed ones.