Calcium plays a key role in controlling blood pressure, formation and development of bones and teeth, blood clotting and nerve transmission. It is a vital mineral nutrient. During certain stages of our lives due to several factors, our body’s calcium absorption ability may drop. Calcium deficiency may lead to rickets or osteoporosis. After 20 years of age, woman’s calcium absorption decreases. Bone loss starts in the middle age and affected mostly during the time of menopause for women. Calcium is required to regain the lost bone weight. Infants require around 270 mg of milk per day. Children around 3 to 8 years require 800 mg of calcium per day. People aged 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium per day and above 50 need 1,200 mg daily. So it is very essential to know how to increase calcium absorption in our body. Here are some useful ways to increase our body’s ability to increase calcium absorption without using any artificial calcium supplements.
Intake of Vitamin D
Calcium in our body can be stored and retained with the help of vitamin D. The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. Spend minimum 15 minutes daily in sun light and you can be sure that vitamin D has been absorbed into the body.This helps to improve calcium absorption. 240 ml of milk contains 400mg of calcium. Fish such as salmon, sardines, cheese, and cereals are also good sources of calcium. Milk is the best source of calcium for all age groups. Calcium can be moved through the intestines with the help of vitamin D thereby it can be absorbed and improves the circulation of calcium which has been locked up in the bones. People below 50 years of age require 200 IU of vitamin D per day. IU stands for International Units. Older aged people between 51 to 70 years require 400 IU of vitamin D per day. Exposure to sunlight is mainly helpful for people suffering from rickets. Vitamin D deficiency is the main cause for rickets. But one must make sure that he doesn’t spend more than 15 minutes in sunlight as he may face the risk of developing skin cancer.
Avoid soft drinks
People who consume soft drinks have a high risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Soft drinks containing citric and phosphoric acid may decrease the process of calcium absorption. Soft drinks contain huge proportion of sugar bubbles which are caused because of phosphoric acid and carbon dioxide present in its preparation ingredients. These sugar bubbles remove nutritious minerals from bones. Thus, bones become weak thereby increasing the risk of breaking. 100mg of our body calcium will be lost by consuming 12-ounce of cola. A research conducted on several people found that women who consume cola based soda regularly have lower bone density when compared to those who drank other drinks like sprite or 7up. Though phosphorous is a vital bone mineral, its disproportionate usage compared to calcium amount leads to bone loss. Increased intake of soft drinks has more impact on women than men as on an average, they consume more cola.
Intake of calcium rich food
Consumption of calcium rich food further improves our body’s calcium absorption. An individual above 2 years of age must have three series of dairy products daily. Milk, orange juice, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, green beans, almonds, salmon are all rich sources of calcium. Having plenty of fruits and vegetables is another best way to boost our calcium absorption. Fruits and vegetables are easy for our digestion and body metabolism. They produce bicarbonates. Bicarbonates reduce the loss of calcium. Milk is an essential source of calcium particularly for growing children and pregnant women. 75gm of salmon contains 185 mg of calcium. 1 medium orange contains 52mg of calcium. But increased consumption of calcium rich sources is associated with less absorption of iron which may lead to anemia. People who are obese may reduce the quantity of cheese and almond as they have much fat.
Proper lifestyle and habits
Proper lifestyle is important to retain our calcium absorption capability. Our body’s estrogen levels are affected because of smoking. It increases bone loss and thus reduces the calcium absorption. Consumption of alcohol is another factor for reduced calcium absorption. Mental stress from tensions and worries reduces calcium absorption. We can get away from this stress by doing exercises. Regular exercises such as walking, jogging and aerobics reduce the risk of bone loss. These exercises are mainly useful for older people. Apart from increase in calcium absorption, exercise also helps to maintain body weight and get rid of many health complications such as heart diseases, diabetes and arthritis.
Intake of magnesium rich food
Magnesium is essential for calcium absorption. Calcium present in blood stimulates the secretion of calcitonin hormone while reduces the secretion of parathyroid hormone. Level of calcium in our bones and tissues are regulated with the help of these hormones. Adequate amount of magnesium is required for easy movement of calcium in these tissues. If not, calcium gets collected which leads to arthritis. Intake of magnesium rich food prevents bone disorders. Children between 4 to 8 years require 130mg of magnesium. Between 9 and 13 require 240 mg. Magnesium requirement is high for pregnant ladies which range between 360 and 400 mg per day. Magnesium is available in several varieties of beans, nuts, whole grains such as brown rice, millet, whole wheat, legumes including lentils, split peas, and a varieties of beans. Tap water is a good source of magnesium. All these sources are widely available. These sources are essentially important to maintain hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Calcium facilitates contraction of muscles and magnesium helps to release. Intake of more calcium helps during menstrual cramps by releasing magnesium out of cells. But this is not a correct solution as magnesium amount is dropped and magnesium is essential for calcium absorption. Thus, by taking magnesium and calcium appropriate dosage, calcium deficiency can be reduced.
Foods to be limited or avoided
Consumption of certain foods rich in oxylate, phytate and fiber lead to decreased rate of calcium absorption.
Oxylate: Oxylate is a type of acid that is present in few fruits and vegetables. Spinach has high oxylate content. Chocolate, berries, grapes, sweet potatoes and eggplant are other foods high in oxylate.
Caffeine: caffeine in coffee could reduce 2 to 3 milligrams of calcium. People who are at risk of bone loss should mainly avoid caffeine.
Alcohol: Consumption of alcohol interferes in the process of calcium absorption.
Phytate: phytate is a kind of plant based acid which reduces the process of calcium absorption. Phytate is present in beans, seeds, whole grain products and nuts.
Sodium, fiber and protein: Intake of food containing high levels of sodium, fiber and protein should me reduced. People who are diabetic should eat high fiber foods. They may consult a doctor in this regard.
Intake of food having inulin
Inulin is a dietary fiber found in fruit
s, onions, asparagus, herbs, leeks, bananas and wheat. It is present in the roots of these plants. Inulin increases calcium absorption which is essential for stronger bones. It is a probiotic food source. Frequent intake of this inulin increases calcium absorption. It also helps in bone mineralization. Females require 21 to 25 gm of inulin per day whereas the requirement varies from 30 to 38 gm per day in men’s cases. Inulin cannot be digested directly. Thus, its calorific value is very less. So, having inulin rich food reduces the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in our body. Inulin does not affect the blood sugar levels. Thus, inulin rich food is used for diabetics. It is also used in preparation of medicines. It is also added to some food products. Hence, inulin is another source to increase our calcium absorption. Apart from this purpose, it is also used as a taste improver in certain foods. It also helps in weight loss and constipation problem. But excess consumption of inulin may lead to gastric problem.