Food sources of calcium
Dairy foods provide about 75 percent of the calcium in American diets. In spite of this, children in their highest growth years receive only 10 to 25 percent of their needed calcium.
Calcium plays very important role in building and maintaining bones and teeth. It required for muscle contractions and nerve function, regulation blood pressure, blood vessel contractions, and clotting and performs more other function.
Calcium prevents of osteoporosis, colorectal cancer, pre-eclampsia, and lead toxicity and the treatment of high blood pressure.
Food Sources of Calcium
A lot of common foods are rich in calcium, including orange juice which is now available with added calcium.
Best sources of calcium are milk and dairy products. There’s about 300 mg of calcium in one 8-ounce glass of milk. Additionally milk contains Vitamin D which need for better absorption of calcium and for building of bones. Yogurt usually has even more calcium than milk, and many yogurt makers are now adding extra calcium. The amounts vary from brand to brand, though, so read the labels carefully. An ounce of cheddar cheese has 200 mg, while an ounce of mozzarella has 147 mg and a cup of low-fat cottage cheese has 138 mg.
Here’s the best news of all: ice cream is a good source of calcium. There’s 85 mg in half a cup of plain vanilla ice cream.
Some of the excellent sources of calcium also are excellent sources of many other nutrients. Many vegetables provide abundant calcium along with high levels of vitamins A, C, K and folic acid. Whole sesame seeds are one of the richest sources of calcium and also provide much needed vitamin E and selenium. Nuts, seeds, and legumes are healthy sources of calcium. Tofu is often set with calcium and can be a very high source of dietary calcium.
