Fight Calcium Deficiency With Calcium Rich Foods

Calcium is an essential mineral in your body and performs myriad functions. The U.S. National Library of Medicine points out that more than ninety nine percent of this mineral is stored in the bones and teeth.

It is therefore critical to our bone strength and integrity that we eat calcium rich foods to provide our bodies with the raw materials it needs.

We all require a balanced intake of dietary calcium as we get older to prevent bone loss. After middle age our bodies become less efficient at storing calcium and bone thinning can begin.

Calcium deficiency symptoms are not apparent for a long period of time until the body cannot adapt to low calcium stores. Let’s not get to that stage before we do something about our calcium intake.

Dietary sources of calcium are better than supplements containing calcium for several reasons I’ll cover further on.

Some of the best dietary sources for calcium are:

• Dairy – Milk, cheese, yogurt
• Vegetables – (Brassica family) Broccoli, Chinese cabbage
• Whole wheat bread, cereals, and tofu.
• Walnuts,almonds,cashews (Go easy on the salt)
• Calcium fortified tofu

Calcium derived from food sources is so much better than manufactured varieties as it is more easily absorbed and processed by your body. Natural is best – right? The other reason to obtain your calcium from what you eat is because you may have an intolerance to the additives and fillers in store bought pills.

Some people have reactions to the shellfish utilized in the products. Another consideration is the manufacturing process used to create calcium supplements may include oyster shells, bone meal and dolomite. Other pollutants and toxic metals could be inadvertantly included.

If you are going to buy supplements make sure they have “purified” or “USP Verified Mark” on the labels. Here are just a few more of the foods you can eat to get your calcium “hit”:

• Macaroni and Cheese (make sure it is whole wheat macaroni)
• Grilled Sardines (These little fish have both calcium and vitamin D)
• Cucumber/Mediterranean salad and yogurt dressing
• Soup with Kale
• Apricot and Yogurt Parfait
• Bok Choy

Be certain to incorporate vitamin D, which assists in the absorption of calcium. You’ll find this nutrient in oily fish such as salmon and sardines, eggs, liver, fortified dairy products, and some cereals. As you are probably aware, you can also supplement your dietary intake of Vitamin D by exposing your neck and arms to the sun.

Of course be careful not to sun bake for long periods. You only need about 15-20 minutes during the warmest part of the day.

We can’t finish our discussion on bone health without including regular exercise. Weight bearing type exercise stimulates bone density adaption in your body. Something as simple as 5-10 deep knee bends every other day will strengthen your leg muscles and your bones.

Give your bones a serve of calcium rich foods with a few more ideas:

• Cod and corn soup
• Salmon fillets and baked vegetables
• Chicken Breasts with garlic stuffed vegetables
• Asparagus au Gratin
• Pasta With Sun-Dried Tomatoes

So, start eating calcium and vitamin D rich foods,doing some gentle exercise and grab a couple rays of sunshine to maintain and grow your bone health.

Related posts:

1. Calcium Deficiency Symptoms, Causes, & Treatments