DIET AND FITNESS:
Calcium Rich Foods
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November 21, 2011
By Louise Carr, Associate Editor and Featured Columnist
Got milk? Or cheese, or yoghurt, or cream? Eating a lot of
dairy is the best-known way to boost your calcium levels.
Calcium is an essential mineral for building bones and
helping blood clot, muscles contract and nerves send
messages among other functions. But are we getting
enough? According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, girls aged nine to 18 and women between the
ages of 51 and 70 in the United States are dangerously low
in calcium. Our bodies cannot produce calcium and every day
we lose calcium through our skin, hair, nails and urine. We
clearly need to consume more calcium but is dairy the only
way to do it? Which other foods are rich in calcium to help
prevent calcium deficiency?
Calcium deficiency is defined as not getting enough calcium,
as measured by health professionals’ levels. The National
Institutes of Health and the National Osteoporosis
Foundation recommend women and men under the age of
50 get 1,000 mg of calcium a day. Women over the age of 50
and men over the age of 71 should consume 1,200 mg of
calcium a day.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the average person in the United States is not meeting these
intake levels. The report presents dietary intake estimates for
selected minerals from the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey, 1999–2000, for the U.S. population.
The mean dietary intake of calcium for both sexes was
863mg per day. For women, the mean dietary intake of
calcium was 765 mg a day - clearly below the suggested
intake.
Unusual Causes of Calcium Deficiency
Sure, not getting enough milk can cause calcium deficiency.
But are there medical conditions that can also cause calcium
deficiency? In other words, is calcium deficiency a warning
sign of a more serious medical condition? Not getting
enough dairy is just one cause of calcium deficiency. In fact,
there are two types of calcium deficiency with two different
kinds of causes.
Dietary calcium deficiency is caused by an inadequate intake
of calcium – not getting enough milk or any of the calcium
rich foods listed below. If you are deficient in Vitamin D you
can also be affected by calcium deficiency as vitamin D helps
promote calcium absorption and use.
But, there is one unusual cause of calcium deficiency you
may not have heard of. The condition is called
"hypocalcaemia". Hypocalcaemia is a low level of calcium in
the blood. And here is a very important point:
Hypocalcaemia is not affected by how much milk you drink.
Instead, hypocalcaemia is caused by certain medications,
such as diuretics, medical treatments, and diseases like renal
failure, cancer, and hypoparathyroidism (having low levels of
the parathyroid hormone, which maintains calcium and
phosphorus levels). (Learn more symptoms of thyroid
problems and natural remedies.)
Be careful if you have a dairy allergy, you are on a high
protein diet or a vegan diet, or you exercise strenuously as
you are more at risk of a calcium deficiency.
Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency
Calcium deficiency is difficult to spot. There are usually no
symptoms until your bones thin so much you develop
osteoporosis. However, you may experience bone pain or
tenderness in the bones, back or neck pain, a stooped
posture or loss of height.
If your calcium deficiency is due to hypocalcaemia, you will
have different symptoms. These symptoms include muscle
cramps and numbness, a burning or prickling sensation on
the skin, poor appetite and bruised areas on your body.
However, you may have no symptoms at all.
Consequences of Calcium Deficiency
Because calcium is so important for vital bodily functions our
bodies are excellent at pulling calcium from wherever we can
find it – and if there is not enough calcium in the blood, this
is usually from the bones. When calcium is pulled from the
bones we suffer thinning and weakening of the bone mass
as the calcium stores in the bones are not replaced. The most
prevalent, and dangerous, consequence of calcium deficiency
over the long term is osteopenia and osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by painful bone
fractures and bone weakness. According to the National
Institutes of Health, almost 34 million Americans have
osteopenia (the prelude to osteoporosis) and more than 10
million people in the United States suffer from osteoporosis.
Women are much more likely than men to suffer from
osteoporosis due to a lower peak bone mass density than
men and because the bone mass declines speedily at
menopause due to hormonal changes. In fact, up to 80% of
osteoporosis sufferers are women.
Cut your chances of developing osteoporosis and painful
bone fractures in later life by increasing your calcium intake
now. The following foods are all rich in calcium, and if you
incorporate them into your diet, you can give your bones
and your health a vital boost.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation has a simple way to
add more calcium to your diet. Use a tablespoon of non-fat
powdered milk in your recipes for puddings, cookies, soups,
casseroles, gravies and bread – one tablespoon of non-fat
powdered milk contains around 50 mg of calcium.
If you don’t eat dairy, the best way to get your calcium is
from green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, turnip greens,
watercress and broccoli, fish like salmon, mackerel, pilchards
and sardines, and tofu and other calcium-enhanced foods.
Calcium is also present in nuts and pulses and dried fruits.
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| Chocolate milk isn't just for kids. It's a great way to increase your calcium intake. Just choose low-fat varieties. |
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