Importance of Calcium in a Women diet

Bones are living and growing calcified connective tissues that form the major part of your skeleton.

Good sources of calcium include dairy foods like milk, yoghurt and cheese, and calcium-fortified products, such as soy milk or rice drink and breakfast cereals.

Calcium plays a role in:

• Strengthening bones and teeth
• Regulating muscle functioning, such as contraction and relaxation
• Regulating heart functioning
• Blood clotting
• Transmission of nervous system messages
• Enzyme function.
• Pregnant women – Pregnancy the most important phase of life where you need lot of calcium. However there is need for women to take additional dietary calcium during pregnancy .
• Breastfeeding women – there is increased requirement for calcium during breastfeeding.

Recommended Dietary Intake of Calcium for Women:

The recommended dietary intake of calcium varies with age and special conditions. The following data shows the recommended dietary intake of calcium for women of different age groups:

• 0-6 months: 200 mg
• 7-12 months: 260 mg
• 1- 3 years: 700 mg
• 4-8 years: 1000 mg
• 9- 13 years: 1300 mg
• 14- 18 years: 1300 mg
• 19-50 years: 1000 mg
• 51 -70 years: 1200 mg
• 71+ years: 1200 mg
• Pregnant and lactating mothers: 1000 mg.

Muscle contraction

Calcium  help’s to regulates muscle contraction, including the beating of the heart muscle.

Blood clotting

The process of clotting is complex with a number of steps; a host of chemicals are involved.

Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the earth crust.

Plant-Based, Calcium-Rich Foods #1 — Seeds

• ½ cup sesame seeds = 350 mg calcium
• 1 ounce chia seeds = 180 mg calcium

Plant-Based, Calcium-Rich Foods #2 — Beans

• ½ cup navy beans or baked beans = 60 mg calcium
• ½ cup kidney beans = 75 mg calcium
• ½ cup black beans = 160 mg calcium