I'm trying to focus on thinking only about calcium but Romeo and Juliet (the Leonardo DiCaprio version) is playing on TV...and ladies you understand this, as you can imagine calcium is not the priority on my mind ;)
Alas, I must focus and Leo has to go, haha!
Since I'm going in alphabetical order, the next nutrient up is not a vitamin but a mineral -calcium! This one is another popular nutrient, known for promoting bone health. But did you know that although 99% of calcium in our bodies is stored in bones and teeth, it has other key functions such as control muscle and nerve function by cell signaling as well as manage acid/base in our blood. Our bodies need to have a balanced pH to work properly and when those levels start getting too low, calcium is released from our bones into our blood stream.
I read in "World's Healthiest Foods" something pretty neat actually. We should consider the storage of calcium like a bank. Since we have a high storage of calcium in our bones, it is unlikely that the muscle and nerve function along with maintaining body pH will be affected with only not consuming enough calcium rich foods. However, when your body uses up more than your intake constantly, is when you end up in deficit.
How much do I need? Is it only found in Dairy?
Calcium recommendation varies a little with age and gender. Male and female adults up to the age of 50 require 1,000 mg per day. The needs for women over the age of 50 on the other hand, is increased to 1,200 mg. Also, pregnant or lactating women independent of age should aim for 1,300 mg per day.
Even though calcium is extremely important for our health, like everything, too much of it is also not recommended. The upper limit was set to 2,500 mg for adults 50 and under and 2,000 mg for adults over 50.
Foods that are usually known for being calcium sources are the ones coming from dairy (yogurt, cheese, milk) but since the hot topic for a while has been eliminating dairy from diet, I wanted to show a few other foods that are great sources as well! Although dairy sources are usually better absorbed...4 ounces of Tofu has about 770 mg of calcium
1 cup of spinach has about 240 mg of calcium
1 cup of collard greens has about 260 mg of calcium
1 cup of bok choy has about 160 mg of calcium
Calcium - team player? Un peu...
Calcium is another nutrient that works in a team! Vitamin D, vitamin K and magnesium are fundamental for calcium absorption. Foods that contain calcium, usually contain vitamin D too.
However, it sometimes is not much of a team player since it can interfere with the absorption of other important nutrients such as iron, zinc as well as magnesium. Which is why it is very important for someone with anemia to avoid having foods rich in calcium mixed with foods sources of iron, like meats.
Wrapping up our first mineral, hope everyone has an amazing week! I bet you're wondering which nutrient is next aren't you?? It's my secret...stay tuned to find out ;)
XOXO
-The Nutrinut-
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