Increase Calcium in Bones – Calcium is one of the most important minerals required in the body and it plays a vital role in maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It also helps in the clotting of blood, and muscle contraction, and regulates normal heartbeats and proper nerve functioning.
Role of Calcium in our body:
We need calcium in our body for the following:
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Bone Health
Our bones and teeth contain approximately 99% of the calcium present in the human body. It is required for the growth and development of bone and its maintenance.
During the growth of children, calcium plays a vital role in the development of their bones. In adults, calcium continues to help maintain the bone’s health and slows down bone density loss, which is a part of the aging process.
Females who have already experienced menopause can lose bone density at a higher rate than males or people at a young age. They are prone to develop osteoporosis and are often advised calcium by doctors.
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Cardiovascular System
Calcium plays a key role in the clotting of blood. Blood clotting is a complex process and it involves several steps. Calcium helps in this complex process.
Calcium helps in rhythmic movement of the heart muscle. It relaxes the cardiac muscle that surrounds the blood vessels. Studies also say that high consumption of calcium helps in controlling blood pressure.
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Muscle Contraction & Relaxation
Calcium plays an important role in muscle contraction by regulating the interaction between actin and myosin Muscle contraction cannot occur properly without sufficient calcium.
Calcium is effectively pumped back into the sarcoplasmic reticulum after a muscle contraction which allows the muscle to relax. Proper Calcium levels ensure proper relaxation and prevent muscle cramps or spasms.
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Other Important Roles
Calcium is an important mineral without which key enzymes cannot function properly. It is a co-factor for many enzymes.
Adequate consumption of calcium also leads to:
- Helps in pregnancy by lowering the risk of high blood pressure
- It also lowers the blood pressure in those people whose mothers have consumed adequate calcium during their pregnancy
- Helps in lowering blood pressure in young people
- Helps in lowering cholesterol
- Helps in lowering the risk of non-cancerous tumors like colorectal adenomas
Sources of Calcium – Increase Calcium in Bones
Though many calcium supplements are available in the market, it is always better to get calcium from natural foods in your diet.
Calcium-rich veg foods
- Dairy products: Dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt are rich in calcium and the body can absorb calcium from them easily.
- Plant sources like soybeans
Soybean is a rich source of plant-based calcium. A half cup of soybean contains approximately 119 mg of calcium.
- Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables like cooked kale, spinach, and collard greens are all good sources of calcium. Among these, collard greens have the highest calcium content which is approximately 164 mg in half a cup of it.
- Calcium-Fortified Foods
Fortified juices like orange juice and cereals are rich in calcium. The juices contain calcium citrate malate which is a well-absorbed form of calcium. Some cereals are also fortified and provide 100 mg of calcium per serving.
- Figs
Figs have a high content of calcium in it. Only five dried or fresh figs can provide the body with 68 mg of calcium. Fruits like papayas and oranges are also high in calcium.
- Flour Tortillas
Carbohydrate-rich food like a 10-inch flour tortilla provides approximately 90 mg of calcium.
- Canned Baked Beans
Baked beans are a rich source of calcium along with fibers. The calcium content of four ounces of canned baked beans contains is 126 mg of calcium.
Calcium Rich non-veg Foods – Increase Calcium in Bones
- Some fishes like Rohu, Catla, Bhola, Bhetki, Aar, Koi, Panda, Chingri, etc. are good sources of calcium and contain a moderately high amount of calcium ranging from 600 to 300 mg of calcium per 100 g.
Consumption of 50 g of any of these fishes can ensure a supply of approximately 300 to 150 mg of calcium to your body.
- Fishes like Sole, Magur, Boal, Hilsa, Tangra, Pomfret, etc. also contain calcium but they contain comparatively fewer amounts of calcium which are approximately 200 to 100 mg calcium per 100 g. This amount of calcium is enough for the body if taken with other calcium-rich food in the diet.
- Other than freshwater fish canned salmon is also one of the best dietary sources of calcium. It also contains Vitamin D which helps to absorb calcium in the body. There are about 181 mg of calcium in just 3 ounces of canned salmon.
- Egg contains calcium but the calcium content is very low. An average-length egg available in the Indian marketplace weighing approximately 50-70 g can also provide 30-60 mg of calcium.
- Those eating meat in their diet can have mutton muscles to meet their calcium need of the body. One can get approximately 150 mg of calcium from 100 g of mutton muscle.
Consumption of the above food will help in fulfilling the calcium requirement of the body. Less consumption of calcium can result in weak bones and joints for which one can consult best orthopedic surgeon.
Calcium requirements in the human body
The calcium content of the body depends on the sex and age of the person.
Men
| 19 -50 years | 1000 mg |
| 51-70 years | 1000 mg |
| 71 years and more | 1200 mg |
Women
| 19-50 years | 1000 mg |
| 51 years and more | 1200 mg |
An adult of 19 to 50 years of age can take a maximum of 2500 mg of calcium a day. An adult more than 51 years and more should not take more than 2000 mg of calcium per day.
Osteoporosis and Calcium
An adult human body needs calcium to build and maintain healthy strong bones. Calcium is one of the main minerals needed by the body to maintain bone health. Without this one can suffer from osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a brittle bone disease and the person suffering from it is at a higher risk of broken bones, especially in the knee, hip, or any joints of their body. Continuous pain in the knee or any joints, disability to perform daily chores, unable to climb stairs, and loss of independence are some of the common symptoms faced. To get proper treatment and relief from knee pain, one can search for a knee replacement doctor in Delhi on the internet.