This article has been compiled by Vaibhavi Kodnani, a content writer for Proactive For Her.
Calcium is an essential mineral for our body and constitutes the formation and maintenance of our bones and teeth. It is also the most abundant mineral found in the human body. But, the body cannot generate calcium on its own. We can only get it through the consumption of food. Hence, it becomes crucial for us to include a certain amount of calcium in our diet every day.
Who needs calcium?
Every person irrespective of their gender and age requires calcium to stay in good health. The daily calcium requirements depend on various factors, the most standard one being age.
Some people who may need a higher intake of calcium per day are:
- Pregnant women
- Lactating women
- Menopausal women
- Older people
- People with medical conditions like osteopenia, osteoporosis, arthritis
- People or athletes who consume a protein-rich diet or protein supplements
Why is calcium needed for our body?
Calcium contributes to many vital bodily functions which may be categorised as below.
Bone health
Our entire skeleton, the internal framework consists of calcium. Calcium helps in the development and formation of bones until the early 20s to 30s. Post that, calcium is essential for the maintenance of strong and healthy bones as the body ages.
Teeth
Our teeth are also composed of calcium. If the body is not getting an adequate amount of calcium, it can affect the quality of the teeth as well - loose teeth, tooth decay, brittle teeth and weak roots are some of the damaging effects that a lack of calcium may have on our teeth.
Muscle contractions
Calcium is crucial for the muscles to contract efficiently.
Cardiovascular system
Our heart is also a muscle; calcium ensures the proper beating of the heart. Thus, calcium deficiency can affect your cardiac health as well.
Blood clotting
Apart from this, calcium is also necessary for blood clotting. If you get a cut in your body and start bleeding, you need calcium and Vitamin K for your body’s clotting mechanism to work optimally. If your body is unable to do so, you will end up losing a lot of blood.
How does calcium deficiency affect the body?
Calcium deficiency gets many problems along with it such as muscle spasms, muscle cramping, brittle bones, brittle nails and frequent fractures.
In more severe cases, one may also experience mental health changes such as depression, anxiety, memory loss, disorientation.
Menopausal women and old people are at a higher risk of getting affected with dangerous lifelong conditions such as, osteopenia, osteoporosis and arthritis.
Why is calcium even more important for women?
Women have a lower lean body mass, meaning the number of muscles present in women is comparatively lower than that of men. Even the bones are thinner than men. Hence, the intake of calcium becomes more necessary for women.
For women, estrogen is the hormone that protects the bones. It helps in keeping the bone density intact. However, during menopause, the estrogen levels go on decreasing and can lead to calcium loss, eventually resulting in bone loss in the body.
Hence, it becomes imperative for women of the menopausal age to focus on their calcium intake. Even though women are prone to calcium loss and other conditions once they reach menopause, it is not impossible to avoid them. Although for that to happen, you need to take care of your body when it’s the right time.
Women reach their peak bone mass between the age of 18-30. Between the age of 18-25, they can make their bones strong and build up the maximum of their bone density. At the age of 30, women’s bones form and have the highest bone strength and density. Then between that age and menopause, women do not experience any significant changes in their bones.
So, if you build up your bone density during your 20’s and 30’s, the amount of calcium loss will be considerably lower after you reach menopause.
How much calcium does your body need daily?
The calcium requirements are different for each person and largely depends on many factors such as age, weight, height, body type, amount of physical activities, medical conditions, etc.
On average, adult men and women require about 600-700 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day.
During pregnancy and lactation periods, women’s calcium requirements become twice in amount - around 1200-1300 mg of calcium every day.
In older adults, about 1000 mg of calcium per day is recommended.
Which other nutrients are important for calcium?
To get calcium, you not only need calcium-rich foods but also need certain other nutrients along with it to achieve maximum benefits of calcium.
Vitamin D - Vitamin D is essential for calcium to get absorbed in your body. That’s the reason why most of the calcium supplements already have some amount of Vitamin D in them.
Sources of Vitamin D - Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. Apart from that, egg yolks, mushrooms and deep-sea fish are also good sources.
So what should you be eating for your daily dose of calcium?
Since food is the only source of getting calcium, you need to include certain calcium-rich foods in your diet.
- Animal-based calcium sources include all dairy products like milk, cheese, paneer, etc.
- Plant-based calcium sources include dark green leafy vegetables, sesame seeds, ragi, amaranth or rajgira, soybean, soymilk, tofu, etc.
These are foods that contain a higher calcium content than other foods. However, apart from these, even the usual diet of chapati, rice and vegetables have some amount of calcium.
In case your daily calcium requirements are not getting fulfilled, you can take calcium supplements based on your doctor’s advice.
Disclaimer - This information is provided for educational purposes and should not be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare practitioners before undertaking any changes in your diet or adding supplements.
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