Calcium and bone health

Understanding the effects of calcium in the body, proper tooth health, and how to prevent calcium deficiency

what is calcium?

Your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Your heart, muscles and nerves also need calcium to function properly. Some studies suggest that calcium, along with vitamin D, may have benefits beyond bone health: perhaps protecting against cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.

calcium recommendations

The recommendation increases to 1,200 mg a day for women age 51 and older and for men age 71 and older. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, almonds, broccoli, kale, canned salmon with bones, sardines and soy products, such as tofu.

Kids 4 to 8 years old need 1,000 mg of calcium a day (2–3 servings). Kids and teens 9 to 18 years old need 1,300 mg of calcium a day (4 servings).

hypocalcemia

Hypocalcemia is when you have too little calcium in your blood. Calcium is essential for your body to function normally. Your hormones control your blood calcium levels. It can be challenging to know if you have hypocalcemia, as usually it is only discovered through medical tests.

foods and calcium absorbtion

What foods to avoid if you have hypocalcemia?

Avoid soft drinks (soda pop). These drinks contain phosphates, which can interfere with your ability to absorb calcium. Avoid salty foods. Salt makes you lose calcium.

foods to eat for more calcium

Eating foods rich in calcium is important for growing and keeping your bones strong. It’s also an important nutrient for healthy cell function. Your body needs calcium to support muscle and nerve function and regulate blood pressure and hormone levels, as well as help with communication between cells.

Eat foods rich in calcium. These include yogurt, cheese, milk, and dark green vegetables. This is the best way to get the calcium you need. You can get vitamin D from eggs, fatty fish, soft margarine, and milk.

While many supplements are available, scientists recommend that at least half of your calcium intake come from your diet.

These five foods are some of the best sources of calcium:

1. Dairy products
Products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are rich in calcium and also tend to be the best-absorbed sources of it. Your body doesn't absorb calcium as well from plant-based foods.

2. Calcium-fortified foods
Cereals are often fortified with calcium. Some fortified cereals provide as much as 100 milligrams of calcium per serving.

3. Canned salmon
Aside from dairy products, canned salmon is one of the best dietary sources of calcium. Just 3 ounces of canned salmon provides 181 milligrams. Salmon also contains vitamin D, which helps your body absorb more calcium.

4. Flour tortillas
Good news for carb lovers: one 10-inch flour tortilla provides you with 90 milligrams of calcium.

5. Canned baked beans
Four ounces of canned baked beans contain about 126 milligrams of calcium. Beans also contain a lot of fiber.

Vegan sources of calcium

1. Figs
Dried figs make for a healthy, sweet, and calcium-dense snack. Two figs contain about 27 milligrams. As a natural sweetener, this fruit is also a healthier alternative to refined sugars.

2. Dark green, leafy vegetables
Cooked kale, spinach, and collard greens are all good calcium sources. Surprisingly, cooked kale has more calcium per serving than milk, at 177 milligrams per cup. This versatile leafy green also fights against heart disease, cancer, and inflammation.

Cooked collard greens have the highest amount: a cup provides 268 milligrams of calcium.

3. Soybeans
Foods made from soybeans are great sources of calcium. Some soy products

non-dairy alternatives for calcium

If you are looking for a milk substitute that you plan to consume often, look for the purest beverage with the best value: find the best option in your price range that is unsweetened, has nutrients important to you, and doesn’t contain a lot of thickening agents.

Dairy-alternative milks tend to have fewer calories, less fat (except for coconut-based milk), more water content (for better hydration), less protein (except soy). Some are fortified with other vitamins and nutrients.

Beyond sustaining a plant origin, these nut milks have also come under fire because certain brands contain more ingredients than just water and nuts, making them better suited under the classification of a beverage. The Food and Drug Administration is in the process of offering further regulations to industry on labeling plant-based products with names of dairy foods like “milk,” “yogurt,” or “cheese.”

tooth health and decay

cavities

Cavities, also called tooth decay or caries, are caused by a combination of factors, including bacteria in your mouth, frequent snacking, sipping sugary drinks and not cleaning your teeth well.

Cavities and tooth decay are among the world's most common health problems. They're especially common in children, teenagers and older adults. But anyone who has teeth can get cavities, including infants.

If cavities aren't treated, they get larger and affect deeper layers of your teeth. They can lead to a severe toothache, infection and tooth loss. Regular dental visits and good brushing and flossing habits are your best protection against cavities and tooth decay.

good foods for the teeth

Foods that are good for your teeth are, more often than not, good for your entire body. Foods high in calcium and other nutrients like low-fat cheese, fat-free or low-fat milk, plain yogurt, and leafy greens can all provide the nourishment you need for healthy teeth. Foods high in protein like eggs, fish, meat, and poultry can also help protect the enamel on your teeth and improve bone density.

Foods high in water content and fiber, like fruits and vegetables, not only stimulate saliva—which helps wash away food particles, neutralize acids, and prevent decay—but also help to balance out the sugar you may be consuming from other foods.

When it comes to beverages, your best option is always water, especially fluoridated water. Water fluoridation is the process of adding fluoride to the water supply so the level reaches approximately 0.7 ppm, or 0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of water; this is the optimal level for preventing tooth decay.

Drinking fluoridated water helps repair your enamel, flushes away food particles from hard-to-reach places, and promotes saliva production, all of which keep your teeth clean and harmful bacteria at bay.

in conclusion

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Almost all calcium in the body is stored in bones and teeth, giving them structure and hardness. Your body needs calcium for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between your brain and every part of your body.

After about age 30, bones slowly lose calcium. In middle age, bone loss speeds up and can lead to weak, fragile bones (osteoporosis) and broken bones (fractures). Although bone loss is more common in women, it can affect men too.

The health of your bones is measured with a bone mineral density test, which will tell whether your bones are healthy and strong or weak and thin. Some studies have found that calcium supplements with or without vitamin D increase bone mineral density in older adults, but others do not. In addition, it is not clear whether calcium supplements help prevent fractures. More research is needed to better understand whether consuming more calcium from food or supplements improves bone health in older adults.

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