Food high in Calcium will provide the vital mineral for good bone health. The body has more than 99% of calcium in the bones. Calcium is also necessary for blood clotting, muscle and nerve function.
Calcium and phosphate metabolism are controlled by parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcitonin and vitamin D. Plasma calcium concentration is highly controlled within the body. It is essential that calcium intake is adequate otherwise PTH takes calcium from the skeleton. It would be replaced once dietary intake is abundant.
The skeleton is constantly being transformed, that is bone deposition and bone resorption are ongoing. Bone loss occurs when bone resorption exceeds formation.
If you eat food high in calcium and therefore calcium intake is sufficient, calcium bone density increases. This will peak at about 20-25 years of age, and gradually decline later in life. The peak bone mass that is reached is a good indicator to the chance of osteoporosis later in life. The better the peak reached, the less chance of developing osteoporosis.
The RDI for calcium changes by age and gender.
How much Calcium do You Need?
| Age or stage of life | Recommended calcium intake (milligrams) | |
| Women | 800 | |
| After menopause | 1000 | |
| During pregnancy | 1100 | |
| During lactation | 1300 | |
| Men | 800 | |
| Infants | Up to 6 months | 300-500 |
| Children | 1-7 years | 800 |
| Girls | 8-11 years | 900 |
| 12-15 years | 1000 | |
| 16-18 years | 800 | |
| Boys | 8-11 years | 800 |
| 12-15 years | 1200 | |
| 16-18 years | 1000 |
”Eating for Peak Performance” – Rosemary Stanton 2nd Edition p.122
Food High in Calcium
| Milk & Soy Foods – Calcium (mg) per 250ml | |
| Skim milk | 375 |
| Calcium fortified | 500 |
| Dairy Wise | 300 |
| Hilo milk | 310 |
| Whole milk | 275 |
| Flavoured milks | 300 |
| Sustagen 250ml | 400 |
| Sustagen Sport 200ml with water | 400 |
| So Good | 290 |
| So Good Lite | 290 |
| Tofu, firm (calcium coagulant) 100g | 160 |
| Tofu, soft (calcium coagulant) 100g | 80 |
| Yoghurt – Calcium (mg) per 100g | |
| Plain, natural | 290 |
| Low fat, natural | 360 |
| Whole, fruit flavour | 260 |
| Low fat, fruit flavour | 320 |
| Cheese – Calcium (mg) per 30g | |
| Cheddar | 240 |
| Edam | 260 |
| Processed | 200 |
| Camembert, Brie | 150 |
| Ricotta | 100 |
| Cottage | 30 |
| Dairy Desserts | |
| Ski Double Up 200g | 245 |
| Fruche, low
fat 200g |
160 |
| Ice cream 1 scoop | 65 |
| Custard 100ml | 150 |
| Other foods – Calcium per serve | |
| Almonds 30g | 70 |
| Brazil nuts 30g | 55 |
| Peanuts 30g | 20 |
| Peanut butter 1 Tbsp | 10 |
| Sardines & bones 50g | 175 |
| Salmon & bones 50g | 150 |
| Prawns 100g | 150 |
| Meat, chicken 100g | 20 |
| Baked beans 1 cup | 90 |
| Kidney beans, chick peas ½ cup | 60 |
| Soy beans ½ cup | 80 |
| Tahini 1 Tbsp | 90 |
| Sesame seeds 3 Tbsp 30g | 40 |
| Broccoli 1 cup cooked | 30 |
| Bread 1 slice | 20 |
| Pasta 1 cup | 10 |
| Rice 1 cup | 5 |
| Egg | 35 |
| Milk chocolate 50g | 125 |
| Dark chocolate 50g | 25 |
| Fresh fruit average | 20 |
| Fruit juice 250ml | 25 |
Glenn Cardwell – Gold Medal Nutrition, Second Edition 1999 p.78
The best food high in calcium are dairy products. They are not only the richest source of calcium, but they also help increase the absorption of calcium due to their lactose content. The average Westerner consumes about 70% of their calcium from dairy foods
Osteoporosis is one of the more serious side effects of calcium deficiency. If you require a calcium supplement, then it is best to have one containing vitamin D as it helps to increase calcium absorption from the intestine (e.g. Caltrate with vitamin D).
In Australia, statistics show that about 1/3 males and nearly half of females over 60 years of age have some type of osteoporosis. Symptoms include stooped posture, hip fractures or brittle bones.
Osteoporosis is defined as bone density 2.5 or more standard deviations below the age-matched mean. Osteopaenia, or sports osteopaenia as it is more commonly known, is classified as bone density levels 1 – 2.5 standard deviations below the mean.
Groups at Risk of Calcium Deficiency
- Vegans
- Diets high in salt, protein, alcohol or caffeine (as these increase calcium excretion in the urine)
- Eating disorder sufferers
- Low energy, restricted, and fad dietersRisk Factors for Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the total decrease in bone mass. This leads to issues such as bone fractures, particularly of the wrist, spine and hip. Osteoporosis has many risk factors, which are divided into two categories: non-modifiable and modifiable. It is best to focus on the modifiable factors, as these can be changed to help decrease the chance of osteoporosis.
Non-modifiable Risk Factors of Osteoporosis
- Caucasian and Asian women who are small boned
- Female gender
- Age
- Family history of osteoporosisModifiable Risk Factors of Osteoporosis
- High protein intake
- High caffeine intake
- Smoking
- Alcohol intake
- Prolonged bedrest (can lead to bone loss)
- Absence of gravity (e.g. astronauts) can lead to bone lossAll of the above factors contribute to a reduction in calcium absorption
Positive modifiable factors include:
- Eat food high in calcium: in particular for pregnancy, breastfeeding, post-menopause, adolescents and amenorrhoeic athletes
- weight lifting or weight bearing exercise; greater physical stress and compression on a bone leads to greater size and strength.Snacks to increase Calcium Intake
Increasing your calcium intake doesn’t need to be difficult. It also doesn’t have to mean drinking truckloads of milk! Here are some other suggestions for increasing your calcium intake:
- Soup made with skim milk
- Evaporated skim milk in curries
- Wholegrain cereal and skim milk
- Fruit salad and low fat milk
- Sardines on toast
- Vegetable stir fry with tofu
- Low fat smoothies
- Milk based coffee
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