6 types of calcium -rich foods for stronger bones

Because your body does not naturally produce calcium alone, it is important to obtain an adequate quantity thanks to your diet for optimal health. Calcium helps you maintain strong bones and teeth, feeds your muscles and supports the nervous and hormonal function.

While dairy products and milk and yogurt are well -known calcium sources, many types of fish, plants based on plants and fortified products also contain this essential mineral.

Dairy products are among the richest sources of calcium. They also contain high quality proteins, which build and preserve muscles. Foods like yogurt and kefir offer intestinal probiotics, and milk is often fortified with vitamin D. This means that manufacturers add vitamin D to milk during the production process. Dairy products also contains nutrients such as potassium, zinc, magnesium and phosphorus.

Here is the calcium content of popular dairy products:

• Cheddar cheese: 120 mg per edge, or about 11% of the recommended daily value (DV)
• Greek yogurt with whole and whole milk: 260 mg per cup, or about 20% of DV
• Whole milk: 300 mg per cup, or approximately 23% of DV

Soy -based ingredients like tofu are often prepared with calcium sulfate, a salt that helps maintain the texture and structure of the vegetable protein. Tofu products made with this salt are good sources of calcium.

It is not uncommon either that soy milk is fortified with calcium and vitamin D so that consumers who do not eat dairy products do not miss these important nutrients. Calcium content varies depending on the brand.

Soy products as the following can help you meet your daily calcium needs:

• Fortified soy milk with calcium: 300 mg per cup, or about 18% of DV
• Soy (boiled): 261 mg per cup, or about 20% of DV
• Tofu based on calcium sulfate: 434 mg per half-cut cut, or about 33% of DV

Preserved fish, like salmon and sardines, are large sources of calcium. Unlike tuna, these fish are canned with their bones, which contain calcium and vitamin D. The bones are so soft and fine that they are easy (and safe) to chew.

Eating fatty fish three times a week is a great way to include omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation in your body.

Try to incorporate one of the options below for an affordable calcium dose:

• Canned crab: 114 mg per 6.5 oz can, or approximately 9% of DV
• Sardines preserved: 286 mg per 2.65 oz, or around 22% of DV
• Salmon Sockeye canned: 197 mg by 3 oz, or about 15% of DV

Green leafy vegetables are full of nutrients, including vitamins A, C, E and K, iron and fibers. They are also a source of calcium without dairy products. Here is the calcium content of certain leaf greens:

• Collard Greens: 327 mg per cooked cup, or about 25% of DV
• Kale: 177 mg per cooked cup, or about 14% of DV
• Spinach: 141 mg per cooked cup, or about 11% of DV

Some nuts and seeds also contain calcium. Almonds and sesame seeds – including almond butter and Tahini, a paste made of sesame seeds – both deliver mineral, as well as antioxidants like vitamin E. Antioxidants are substances that prevent or delay cellular damage caused by compounds called free radicals.

The following nuts and seeds are particularly rich in calcium:

• Almonds: 96 mg per cup of a quarter, or about 7% of DV
• Chia seeds: 90 mg per tablespoon, or about 7% of DV
• Tahini: 127 mg by 2 tablespoons, or around 10% of DV

In the United States, calcium is often added to juices, foods such as breakfast cereals, dairy products and plant milk. The idea is that this process can help reduce the prevalence of conditions correlated with low consumption of calcium, including rachitism in children and preeclampsia in pregnant women. Common enriched foods include:

• Fortified cold breakfast cereal: up to 150 mg per cup, or about 12% of DV
• Fortified orange juice: 300 mg per cup, or about 23% of DV
• Enriched wheat flour: 67 mg per ½ cup, or about 5% of DV

In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration of the United States set the recommended daily value of calcium at 1,300 milligrams (MG) for the 4 years and over.

Recommended food allowances (ARM) are developed by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. GDRs are designed to meet the nutritional needs of most people. They vary depending on the age and sex of a person. These are the GDRs for calcium:

• 0-6 months: 200 mg
• 7-12 months: 260 mg
• 1 to 3 years: 700 mg
• 4-8 years: 1000 mg
• 9-13 years: 1,300 mg
• 14-18 years: 1,300 mg
• 19-50 years: 1,000 mg
• Men aged 51 to 70: 1,000 mg
• Women aged 51 to 70: 1,200 mg
• 71+ years old: 1,200 mg

Calcium deficiency can cause symptoms such as muscle weakness and spasms, as well as numbness and tingling. More serious cases can contribute to mood disorders, compromised vision and cardiovascular disease (MCV), which affect the heart or blood vessels.

Chronic and inadequate calcium intake can also cause low bone mineral density. This is observed under conditions such as ruchitism, which softens and weakens bones, often observed in children. It is also observed in osteopenia and osteoporosis, conditions which weaken and weaken bones in adults.