Calcium Foods, Sources, Benefits and Side effects

Calcium is naturally present in various food products in rich amounts. It is recommended to include these sources in your diet to meet the daily calcium requirements of your body. Supplements of calcium are also commonly available as over the counter medications, which are different for different age groups. Consult your physician to choose the right supplements for you.

Here are the best dietary sources of calcium:

• Milk: regular/full fat/skimmed
• Cheese (all types)
• Yogurt
• Curd or dahi
• Cottage cheese or paneer
• Tofu
• Other milk products like cream and ice creams.
• Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, squash, cabbage or broccoli
• Fresh oranges or orange juice.
• Fortified cereals and some other packaged foods also contain calcium

If you are lactose intolerant (unable to digest dairy products) or a vegan, you can opt to consume calcium from non-dairy sources like fruits and vegetables. You can also opt for non-dairy milk substitutes like almond milk or soy milk, which offer the same nutritional values and a similar taste. This will help you in maintaining your daily calcium requirement without relying on supplements.

Read more: Soybean benefits

As we all know, calcium is essential for strong bones and healthy teeth, but there are other surprising benefits of calcium for all age groups.

• For strong bones: Calcium makes an important part of the basic structure of bones. Deficiency of calcium may cause bones to become weak and prone to fractures. However, the body is not able to make its own calcium so it has to be taken from an outside source.
• For kids: Since most of the bone formation occurs in childhood, calcium is much more important to children. When taken along with a sufficient amount of vitamin D, it reduces the risk of rickets in children.
• For women: Women are known to be at a higher risk of calcium deficiency and osteoporosis, especially after menopause. Supplementing calcium-rich foods also helps prevent stature problems and bone fractures in menopausal women.
• For elderly: Elderly people have a much higher need for calcium owing to their decreased appetite and poor nutrient absorption. However, it is better to take the recommended daily calcium from food instead of supplements.
• For teeth: Calcium is essential for maintaining the basic structure of your teeth. A deficiency of this mineral makes your teeth brittle and prone to decay. Calcium also helps in timely eruption of teeth in your oral cavity.

The following table entails the daily requirements of calcium by the body. You may, however, note that these values are an estimate and the actual amount to be consumed depends on your height, weight and nutritional status. Higher amounts are also required during pregnancy and lactation to meet the higher body demands and to avoid deficiencies in the infant. You can use this table as a basic guide, but, avoid taking any additional supplements without your physician’s consult. 

According to the new report of FSSAI, how much calcium should be taken in a day? Here is the report to know this.

• Children (1-9 years): About 600 to 800 mg per day.
• Teenagers (10-18 years): About 1000 to 1300 mg per day.
• Adults (19-50 years): About 1000 mg per day.
• Elderly (51 years and above): 1200 mg for women and 1000 mg per day for men.
• Pregnant and lactating women: About 1000 to 1300 mg per day.

The amount may vary for everyone. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor before starting the intake.

Above stated are the benefits of calcium and its role as an essential mineral for bones and teeth, but calcium performs several other functions in the body. It is essential for the clotting of blood, which is required to cease haemorrhage or bleeding. This, it does so, by taking part in the formation of fibrin or the clot.

Calcium also helps in the contraction and relaxation of muscles by binding with their proteins.

Read more: Muscle pain treatment

Other than this, calcium is also known to be essential in maintaining homeostasis (stable internal environment) within the body.

Studies have also demonstrated the role of calcium in maintaining cardiac health. This mineral is known to regulate the contraction of heart muscles, which helps in forming the heartbeat. It is also known to reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and atherosclerosis (narrowing down of arteries due to clot formation of lipid build-up). However, these benefits are associated with the dietary intake of calcium, and the role of supplements has been found to be counteractive in such cases. It is thus recommended to meet daily requirements of calcium from dietary sources, without relying on supplements, if not so prescribed.

Other than these roles, calcium supplementation has also been suggested to be beneficial in preventing the risk of colon cancer and certain other types of cancer. However, these findings are conflicting.

Several studies have also demonstrated the role of calcium as a weight loss supplement by taking part in the metabolisation of fat by the body. These studies have suggested that a diet rich in calcium is likely to enhance weight loss effects but has not been found to aid weight loss independently.

Read more: Balanced diet for weight loss

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Insufficient dietary intake of calcium does not cause deficiencies in the short term. Hypocalcemia is likely to occur in combination with other factors like renal failure, surgical removal of the stomach or excessive intake of diuretics, which is likely to flush out excess calcium from the system. It is marked by symptoms such as muscle cramps, convulsions, numbing and tingling sensations in the fingers. Osteomalacia, which is characterised by softening of bones, leading to malformation or fractures, can also occur due to calcium deficiency.

Calcium deficiency is more likely to occur in certain groups and individuals like postmenopausal women, amenorrheic women, anorexic patients, malnourished children and the elderly. It can be avoided by sufficient dietary intake of calcium. The management and treatment depend on the symptoms experienced by the individual and the related disorder.

While the consumption of calcium by the oral route does not pose any significant side effects when taken within the normal limits, calcium supplements are likely to cause harm. These can be mild or severe depending upon the dosage of supplements and the duration of treatment.

High calcium intake from supplements is likely to cause constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders. It may also reduce the absorption of iron or zinc. Such a high dosage is not usually possible when taking calcium from dietary sources.

In high doses, calcium supplements are likely to exacerbate or even cause kidney stones. High dosages are also linked with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, which is initially visible as an excessive deposition of calcium ions within the walls of arteries.

Excessive calcium intake also increases the risk of other cardiovascular disorders.

Due to these side effects of supplements, it is recommended to meet daily calcium requirements from dietary sources, so that you are less likely to overdose. Furthermore, try and eat within the limits of recommended daily allowance, that is, around 1000 mg for normal adults. In all situations, do not go beyond an upper limit of 3000 mg through supplements.

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