What You Should Know About Calcium

Milk and dairy products are not the only sources of calcium.  In America, that is the ideal we are taught while growing up.  The ideals about milk are changing as people are becoming aware of the hormones, pesticides and chemicals found in cow’s milk.  Also, many more people are becoming allergic to dairy, are lactose intolerant, or are choosing to omit animal products.  But calcium is a very important mineral.   Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium which is why milk is fortified with Vitamin D.  Normally adults only absorb about 30% of the calcium that they take in, but the body adjusts its absorption rate for pregnant women, teens, and growing children who all absorb about 50-60% of their calcium intake. 

Calcium is so important for growing children.  Studies have shown that calcium supplements do not have the same benefits as natural occurring calcium.  If your child has a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance, then it’s important to make sure they are getting plenty of these non-dairy food sources of calcium in their diet.  Milk alternatives will be fortified with calcium but there are other ways to get enough without the use of synthetic fortification.  For maximum calcium absorption, pair it with adequate Vitamin D either from the sun or fortified in food products.  If you do not have a dairy allergy, then goat’s milk is nutritionally the best alternative to cow’s milk.

Non-Dairy Food Sources of Calcium

Amaranth

Nuts- (almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts)

Seeds- (sesame seeds, flaxseed)

Green Leafy Vegetables (kale, bok choy, mustard greens, turnip greens)

Wheat bran and wheat germ

Olives

Broccoli

Legumes

Seaweed (Nori)

Black Molasses

Apricots- dried

Foods that are fortified with Calcium

Tofu

Orange Juice

Bread

Cereal

Also, if you have hard water that you are drinking in your house, then that may be contributing to the calcium in your diet, as well as magnesium.  The actual composition varies from city to city.

 Calcium Intake Recommendations per age group/ per day

Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Calcium [1]
Age	Male	Female	Pregnant	Lactating
0–6 months*	200 mg	200 mg
7–12 months*	260 mg	260 mg
1–3 years	700 mg	700 mg
4–8 years	1,000 mg	1,000 mg
9–13 years	1,300 mg	1,300 mg
14–18 years	1,300 mg	1,300 mg	1,300 mg	1,300 mg
19–50 years	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg
51–70 years	1,000 mg	1,200 mg
71+ years	1,200 mg	1,200 mg

Source of chart: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium/

**NOTE**Too much calcium can cause kidney stones, interfere with other nutrient absorption, and may be toxic, so an Upper Limit (UL) has been set at 2500 milligrams/day

*See my blog post about Milk Alternatives*

Sources of information:  “Understanding Nutrition”, 12^th edition by Whitney/Rolfes