Calcium is a mineral in your body that is also found in many foods. Most of the calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth. There is also calcium in the blood, muscles, other tissues of the body, and fluid between the cells.
Path to better health
You need calcium to keep bones and teeth healthy and strong throughout your life. Your body also uses calcium to:
- Help blood vessels and muscles function properly.
- Help the release of hormones and enzymes that keep your body functioning properly.
- Help the nerves to carry messages throughout the body.
- Help control important nutrients, such as magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
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Your body can not produce more calcium. So it's important that you provide the calcium you need. The amount of calcium you need each day depends on your age, gender, and other factors. For example, vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium. Alcohol reduces the absorption of calcium. Doctors recommend:
- Children 0-6 months: 200 milligrams (mg) per day.
- Children of 6-12 months: 260 mg per day.
- Children of 1-3 years: 700 mg per day
- Children of 4-8 years: 1,000 mg per day.
- Children 9-18: 1,300 mg per day.
- Adults 19-50 years: 1,000 mg per day.
- Adult men 51-70 years old: 1,000 mg per day.
- Adult women aged 51-70 years: 1,200 mg per day.
- Adults 71 years and older: 1,200 mg per day.
It is better to distribute calcium throughout the day. Eat calcium-rich foods at each meal instead of everything at once. Make sure you get enough vitamin D every day to help your body absorb calcium.
Low-fat, low-fat dairy products (yogurt, cheese and milk) are good sources of calcium. Plant sources of calcium include dried grains, kale, spinach and cabbage. Animal sources of calcium include fish with soft bones, such as sardines and salmon. For example, 2 ounces of non-fat American cheese have 447 mg of calcium. One cup of skim milk has 299 mg of calcium. And 3 ounces of pink salmon have 183 mg of calcium. Some foods can be enriched with calcium (orange juice, bread, pasta, dried breakfast cereals and dairy substitutes).
If you are not getting enough calcium from food sources, talk with your doctor about a calcium supplement. Depending on your age, sex, general health, and other factors, your doctor may recommend that you take a calcium supplement. Also, your doctor can tell you if a calcium supplement will affect any condition you have. He or she needs to know about any prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications, or other dietary supplements, that you are taking. Calcium supplements can affect how certain medications work. For example, calcium supplements may interfere with medications for blood pressure and synthetic medications for the thyroid, bisphosphonates, and antibiotics. Other supplements, such as iron, can affect the way your body absorbs, uses, or gets rid of medications or supplements.
There are 2 main types of calcium supplements: calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Both are available without a prescription. Non-prescription calcium supplements are available in the form of tablets, chewable, liquid and powder. Other types of calcium include calcium gluconate and calcium lactate. These contain less elemental calcium than calcium carbonate and calcium citrate.
If a supplement is right for you, your doctor will help you decide which one to take. He or she will also explain how much calcium you should take each day and how to take the supplement. For example, calcium carbonate should be taken with meals to avoid possible unpleasant health effects (also called adverse effects). Taking it with meals helps your body absorb it better. Calcium citrate can be taken on an empty stomach.
Aspects to consider
If your body does not get enough calcium and vitamin D to support important functions, it takes calcium from the bones. This is called loss of bone mass. The loss of bone mass causes the inside of the bones to become weak and porous. This puts you at risk for osteoporosis, a bone disease.
Certain populations are at increased risk of low calcium levels, including:
- The postmenopausal women.
- People who have lactose intolerance and avoid dairy products.
- Women who have an eating disorder (for example, anorexia).
- People who do not eat animals, fish or dairy products (vegans).
- People who take certain medications for osteoporosis.
- People who have parathyroid disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, or liver or kidney disease.
Unfortunately, consuming more calcium than your body needs can cause adverse (negative) effects. This includes kidney stones, frequent urination, stomach pain, nausea / vomiting and fatigue. It is rare to get an excess of calcium alone from food. There is an amount of calcium that most people can take every day without developing problems. This is known as the maximum level of tolerable intake. Doctors recommend the following levels of tolerable intake by age:
- 0-6 months: 1,000 mg per day.
- 7-12 months: 1,500 mg per day.
- 1-8 years: 2,500 mg per day.
- 9-18 years: 3,000 mg per day.
- 19-50 years: 2,500 mg per day.
- Over 51 years: 2,000 mg per day.
Talk to your doctor about whether the supplements are right for you.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Can excess calcium cause stomach upset?
- Can a disease cause low calcium?
- Can osteoporosis develop at an early age?
The importance of calcium in nutrition
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body. We store more than 99% of the calcium in the bones and teeth, the rest is found throughout the body: in the blood, muscles and fluid between the cells. The concentration range of this mineral in the blood is very narrow, so when in our diet we do not have enough consumption, it is obtained from bone reserves. About 500 mg of calcium enter and leave the bones daily. It has many important functions, among which the main ones are:
- Fundamental in the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth.
- It is essential for the transmission of nerve impulses, favors an adequate muscular response and good functioning of the cardiac muscle.
- It is necessary for the processes of blood coagulation.
In all stages of life its consumption is of the utmost importance. In the stage of growth and development of children and adolescents, the consumption of calcium is important for the maturation of their bones and teeth. Between 9 and 18 years, the maximum retention of this mineral occurs. In children, a diet low in calcium causes a disease called rickets, which is characterized by weak bones and growth deficiency. In adults, its deficiency can cause long-term osteoporosis (decrease in bone mass and density). Studies have shown that a diet rich in calcium promotes the control of high blood pressure, is less likely to develop colon cancer and helps lower cholesterol slightly.
Calcium intake recommendations are suggested values based on population studies and will depend on age, whether male or female, whether pregnant or lactating. The current recommendation in Mexico is 900 mg of calcium per day for adults. For more information, review table 1.
Age group Recommended daily intake
- Children 800 mg
- Teenagers 1200 mg
- Adults 900 mg
- Pregnant woman 900 - 1,200 mg
- Lactating woman 1,200 - 1,500 mg
Food sources: Calcium is present in almost all foods in small quantities, but there are a few foods that contain a large amount of this mineral. The main sources are dairy products, while some vegetables, mainly green leafy ones, also contribute a considerable amount of calcium although it should be noted that many times this is not totally bioavailable. On the other hand, nuts and nuts and fortified foods are also a good source of calcium.
Some ideas to increase your consumption of dairy products and give variety to your food: prepare smoothies, creams like soups, consume yogurt (there are many varieties in the market), add cheese to your dishes, low-fat yogurt ice cream, also They provide calcium. An adequate intake of vitamin D can help the proper absorption of calcium, so we recommend reading the labels and prefer dairy products that are fortified with this vitamin. Another way to get it is sunning yourself, fifteen minutes a day are enough for your body to produce it in adequate amounts.
"Physical exercise increases the intestinal absorption of calcium, while sedentary lifestyle accelerates the demineralization of bones"
Stay active, perform a physical activity on a regular basis, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, etc. It has been seen that the impact exercise helps strengthen the bones. Remember that it is necessary to seek a health professional if you have any condition and never self-medicate and do not self-supplement without guidance.