Foods containing calcium are especially necessary for children and women. In children, a lack of calcium in the food they eat can lead to skeletal development and poor tooth quality.
In adults, a lack of calcium in the body is responsible for the occurrence of osteopenia, or osteoporosis. In addition, a decreased amount of calcium is associated with the appearance of colon cancer and hypertension.
How much calcium do we need every day?
Adults recommended 1000 mg of calcium per day. This portion of calcium we find in the following amount of food:
- 1 glass of milk + 50-60 g of cheese + 1 yogurt
For teenagers, people over 50, as well as for women in the menopause, this need is higher. Therefore, try every day to have on your table 3 dairy products: milk, cheese and yogurt.
To introduce them into the diet is not difficult. For example:
- to drink 1 glass of milk in the morning;
- add milk or cheese to cooked dishes (soup with milk, cheese with pasta);
- Eat 1 yogurt before bedtime.
Besides:
- Eat more fish (2 times a week - at least);
- small fish (sardines, smelt, anchovies) eat together with bones, because they contain most of the calcium.
What can not combine foods rich in calcium?
In some cases, foods even with a high calcium content may not bring us the expected benefits. The fact is that there are some food combinations that do not allow the body to fully absorb calcium, which is found in the foods we consume. Arranging the scheme of their food, consider the following:
- Coffee, chocolate, whole-grain food and alcohol should not be consumed simultaneously with products containing large amounts of calcium. For example: chocolate ice cream, coffee with milk, yogurt with whole grains.
- These combinations are not harmful to health - they just do not allow calcium to be absorbed completely. If for some reason you can not
avoid them, just increase portions of foods with a high calcium content for the rest of the day. - Do not eat a lot of salt! In addition to increased pressure, the salt also causes an increased loss of calcium by the body.
- A similar effect is observed in the case when foods containing calcium are combined with excessive consumption of proteins. Usually it happens to people who eat a lot of meat or those who stick to protein diets.
- Do not get carried away with skim milk products 0% fat.
- They do not have vitamin D (it is in fat that has been removed), namely this vitamin helps the body to fully absorb the calcium contained in food. Instead of products with 0% fat content, you can choose those that contain 1-2% fat. However, children should eat dairy products of normal fat content.
What foods contain calcium?
The truth is that most of the calcium we find in dairy foods and, of course, the milk itself. However, there are many other products, also high in calcium, that belong to other food groups. We list them:
List of products rich in calcium
Meat:
- veal;
- pork.
Fruit:
- oranges;
- dried figs.
- Beans:
- beans;
- soybeans.
Vegetables:
- leek;
- leaves of grapes;
- bulb onions;
- cabbage;
- chicory;
- broccoli.
Dairy products:
- butter;
- cheeses: parmesan, romano, gouda, cheddar, briques, mozzarella (low fat content), edem, wire, roquefort, goat cheese.
Spice:
- oregano;
- rosemary;
- mint;
- basil;
- fennel;
- garlic;
- parsley;
- coriander;
- cinnamon;
- caraway;
- chili pepper in powder.
Fish and seafood:
- sardines;
- salmon;
- mackerel;
- anchovies;
- cod;
- mussels;
- oysters;
- caviar (red and black);
- cuttlefish.
Nuts:
- almond;
- sesame;
- tahini.
Group of starches:
- cereals for breakfast.
Sweets:
- low-fat ice cream;
- whipped cream;
- cereal bars;
- cookies with cream.
Other:
- cheese tofu.
You see that calcium is found not only in the main food groups, but also in many spices that we use to make meals every day. This is the easiest way to introduce calcium into your daily diet.
In general, any balanced diet provides the human body with a sufficient amount of calcium.