Calcium content in foods

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Calcium is a trace element that is necessary for the normal functioning of the body. How exactly does it affect a person and his he alth? What foods high in calcium can be found on the shelves of modern stores and in the home refrigerator? What products with this substance in the composition can be used by women who are expecting a baby? About all this further in more detail.

The role of calcium in the human body

This substance, entering the human body with food, primarily contributes to the development of its skeleton by strengthening bone tissue. In addition, such an element is actively involved in all natural processes that occur in the composition of the cells of the human body. In particular, Ca has a positive effect on the work of the heart muscle, stabilizes the state of the immunesystem, and also supports the normal functioning of the complex of nerve endings. Due to the active work of calcium in the blood, the level of elements responsible for its clotting increases.

Scientists have long concluded that calcium is one of the most important trace elements that should be in the human body. In a normally developed individual, its share is from 1.5 to 2% of the total body weight. Most of it is found in bone tissues, in particular in the teeth, as well as in the components of the musculoskeletal system, in the hair and, of course, in the nail plates.

Daily Value for Calcium

For people of different ages, there is a certain amount of calcium in the body, which is necessary for normal development and maintenance of life. In the field of he althcare, there are certain standards regarding this indicator. So, in accordance with them, an adult who is in the age group from 25 to 55 years old should provide its content of about 1 g, and people over 55 years old - 1.2 g. The same amount of the component is necessary for the normal development of the body, actively growing (13 to 24 years old).

If we talk about children, then they require a slightly smaller amount of Ca. In particular, a newborn child needs no more than 0.6 g of the substance, and he receives it with his mother's breast milk. At the age of 4 to 9 years, the daily norm of the component should be increased to 0.8, and children in the age group from 10 to 12-13 years should eat foods with calcium in them for normal development.not less than a gram in total.

Calcium deficiency causes

To our great regret, the habit of a modern person to eat improperly, as a rule, provides a lack of useful components in his body, including calcium. As a rule, it is impossible to immediately determine its deficiency by external signs - all symptoms are observed after a certain time.

So, what happens when a person doesn't eat enough calcium-rich foods or vitamins? First of all, some deformations are observed in his musculoskeletal system, a striking example of which can be a curvature of the spine. His bones become more brittle and break very easily. In addition, his teeth begin to sharply crumble, deform, his hair breaks and falls out, and his nails break.

The fact that there is not enough calcium in the body is also indicated by the fact that a person does not get enough sleep very often, he very quickly feels tired, even when doing simple work, and sometimes cramps and joint pain begin to torment him. Having noticed at least a few of the symptoms described, you should urgently include in your daily diet a sufficient amount of foods with a maximum calcium content. What are they? Consider further.

Seeds

Thinking about what foods are high in calcium, you need to pay attention to various plant seeds. According to nutritionists, the largest amount of thiselement found in poppy and sesame. If we talk in numbers, then in 100 g of poppy it is almost 1.5 g, and in sesame - 0.9. An excellent source of such an important trace element is pasta, which is made from pre-ground sesame seeds - often culinary experts recommend using it for making sauces to the spiciest dishes. To increase the level of the component in the body, you can also eat sesame halva.

Considering seeds that contain calcium in their composition, you should definitely pay attention to sunflower seeds loved by many, which most people prefer to eat fried (about 100 mg per 100 g). Also, a considerable amount of calcium is found in mustard seeds (254 mg per 100 g of product) and pumpkin seeds (59 mg).

Dairy

Most people are aware of the high calcium content in dairy products. They can be consumed in sufficient quantities even every day, since in addition to the presence of the trace element in question in milk and products made from it, there is an increased content of other substances necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. For people who plan to lose a few extra pounds, some nutritionists recommend sticking to a milk diet, following which a person can lose weight without depriving himself of essential vitamins. However, in this case, you need to pay attention to products that have a low level of fat content. As the results of research by scientists in the field of chemistry show, the concentration of calcium in skim milksignificantly higher than in fatty foods.

What are the best dairy products for those who want to increase their calcium stores in the body? First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to powdered milk with a low fat content. In 100 g of such a product there is more than 1100 mg of calcium, which is quite a lot. There is also a high content of the substance in cheeses such as Emmental (about 970 mg per 100 g of product). As for processed cheeses, their calcium levels are slightly lower, but also quite high, compared to other foods that a person eats every day (about 760 mg). Cheeses such as Gouda and Cheddar are also close to this indicator. About 700 mg of calcium is contained in 100 ml of cream, and if we talk about cheese, then by consuming 100 g of such a product, you can replenish your microelement supply by 515 mg.

All other dairy products have lower levels of calcium than the above, however, regular consumption of them in normal amounts can be a good way to replenish your daily supply of the substance. In particular, natural condensed milk contains about 307 mg of the component (in 100 g of the product). As for fermented milk products, there are about 250 mg of calcium in a glass of kefir, yogurt and yogurt can boast about the same indicator, and in sour cream (30% fat) it is only 85 mg. The same goes for cottage cheese.

If we talk about milk as a pure product, then, depending on the origin, it may have differentthe level of trace elements in a glass of product. So, goat's milk is valued, for example, a little less than cow's or goat's: in the first case, the Ca content is about 350 mg (per glass of milk), and in the second - no more than 300 mg for the same amount.

Vegetables and fruits

As you know, in products of natural origin such as vegetables and fruits, the content of calcium is quite high. Which of them should be eaten in order to make yourself he althier by replenishing the supply of the microelement? Eating a large amount of foods with a high content of calcium in them every day, you can ensure a normal flow of other useful substances that should be in the human body.

Special attention when choosing food for a daily diet should be given to rose hips - 100 g of the product contains more than 250 mg of the component. It is also recommended to use ordinary cabbage or watercress - in the products of this type there are about 210 mg of the substance per 100 g of net weight. The same goes for asparagus, which is also great for weight loss.

Some doctors recommend eating more olives or raisins to increase calcium levels in the body. However, the proportion of calcium in such products is relatively small - only about 80-90 mg per 100 g. There is a little of it in garlic, radishes and carrots (no more than 35 mg), but in these vegetables you can find a huge amount of other necessary for the normal development of body substances.

As practice shows, various fruits containrelatively small amount of calcium. So, for example, in figs you can find no more than 55 mg of the component per 100 g of fruit, in raspberries - about 40, in tangerines and strawberries - no more than 30, and in dates - a little more than 20. As for pineapples, they contain calcium generally small - about 15-16 mg per 100 g of fruit.

Greens

What is the calcium content of this type of food? Every day, people use them in combination with various dishes, without thinking about the fact that by slightly increasing their amount, you can significantly replenish the supply of the substance necessary to maintain the body's vital functions.

First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to nettle leaves. It is in them that there is an increased concentration of the component - more than 700 mg per 100 g of the product. Not everyone knows exactly how this product can be eaten - when considering options for its use in the field of cooking, you should definitely pay attention to the recipes for delicious nettle soup.

Foods high in calcium also include basil leaves (370 mg) and parsley (about 250 mg). A little less of this component can be found in dill (about 125 mg), as well as in green onions (100 mg), however, as practice shows, they are used by gourmets in much larger quantities than those mentioned earlier.

Celery is considered an excellent way to lose extra pounds, not only due to its low calorie content, but also because of its high concentrationa wide variety of trace elements, including calcium (about 70 mg).

Nuts

What foods are considered high in calcium? These include nuts, and of various types. In particular, those who like to eat about 100 g of hazelnuts a day increase their supply of trace elements in the body by 255 mg, and fans of nutmeg and almonds - by 250 mg. As for walnuts and pistachios, which are more common in the southern strip of Russia, there is a slightly lower concentration of calcium per 100 g of a properly stored product - about 125 mg (per 100 g), and peanuts contain no more than 70 mg of the component.

It should also be understood that here is a list of this type of food with the highest calcium content in them. In fact, almost all nuts that are in nature have a considerable concentration of the component. In addition, nuts contain a high content of fat, which helps the element to be absorbed in the human body. However, when consuming them in large quantities, one must remember that this type of product contains a large amount of calories that are favorably deposited in body tissues in the form of fat.

Beans

Among the foods with the highest calcium content are also legumes. They contain not only this element, but also a large number of other substances necessary for normal life. Among the most useful food products in this group are chickpeas and mung beans, which have about 190 mg in their structure. Ca per 100 g of product. In addition, when choosing legumes for eating, you need to pay attention to peas, in the structure of which there is about 90 mg of the component.

If desired, you can also eat dried soybeans, which contain 200 mg of calcium.

Grains

Housewives very often cook porridge from various cereals as a side dish, not even suspecting that they contain a huge amount of a valuable mineral. What foods have the highest percentage of calcium? When choosing ingredients for a dish for dinner, you should definitely pay attention to wheat groats - it is she who has about 250 mg of the component in 100 g. A considerable content of the element is eaten in peas (90 mg) and in oat flakes (50 mg). If we talk about rice and buckwheat loved by many, then they contain the lowest calcium concentration - no more than 30 mg, and in the second case, as a rule, about 20 mg per 100 g of cereal.

Foods high in calcium for pregnant women

As you know, in the process of bearing a fetus, future mothers share most of the trace elements that enter their body with the fetus. They especially need to ensure that the level of nutrients is constantly in the norm, otherwise some problems and malfunctions in the body and in the development of the child may occur. In practice, one can often find comments regarding the fact that during pregnancy, many of their hair weakened, their nails began to break, or their teeth began to fall out sharply and crumble. All these factors indicatethe fact that in the body of the expectant mother there is a catastrophic lack of calcium, and this element is for the most part necessary for the normal formation of the skeleton of the fetus. So what are calcium-rich foods for pregnant women? What should you pay special attention to when planning your daily diet?

First of all, the expectant mother should take into account the fact that she definitely needs to consume skim milk, but in moderation, since its excess can lead to an allergy to the product in a child, which is very common. In addition, it is necessary to eat cauliflower, a small amount of garlic, celery, a large amount of fruits, as well as berries. Of the greens, it is recommended to pay special attention to parsley. In addition, be sure to pay attention to other foods with sufficient calcium content. These include cheese, almonds, canned sardines, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, as well as seafood, which, although not the highest concentration of Ca, but they have a huge amount of other substances that are very necessary for the development of the baby.

Why calcium is poorly absorbed

Eating foods with a lot of calcium in them, many people realize that it is not absorbed properly. A number of factors contribute to this phenomenon.

So, if a person leads a sedentary lifestyle, not only calcium, but also other useful elements are poorly absorbed in his body, regardless ofhow much of the necessary products will be eaten. In addition, you should definitely pay attention to whether there are various diseases in the body associated with disruption of the endocrine system, gastrointestinal tract, as well as kidney problems. The reason for poor absorption of Ca can also be hypovitaminosis, when all the necessary elements in the body are not just enough, but they are in excess.

Any person should also understand that during the heat treatment of products, some of the useful components that they contain are also lost. Calcium is no exception. So, when planning your daily diet, you should give preference to fresh food or one that goes through the minimum number of stages of stewing, boiling, and frying.

If during the day a person eats a sufficient amount of food containing calcium in the required volume, but it is still not absorbed properly, then you need to pay attention to the state of the nervous system - frequent stresses interfere with this process. In addition, the factor of prolonged starvation is of great importance - in its presence, the component is practically not absorbed at all, since this process requires a sufficient amount of vitamins, A, C and E, the presence of amino acids, selenium, copper, magnesium, zinc, proteins, as well as phosphorus. That is why the balance of absolutely all trace elements is especially appreciated in proper nutrition.