7 Ways To Get More Calcium In Your Diet

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Calcium plays a crucial role in the health and functioning of muscle tissues and nerves. Not only milk, but other vegan foods are a good source of calcium. Not getting enough calcium in the body will lead to calcium deficiency leading to osteoporosis and other bone disorders. In this article, you will come to know the different ways to get more calcium in your diet.

What Does Calcium Do?

Calcium is necessary for maintaining strong bones and teeth and also helps in maintaining healthy blood vessels and regulates blood pressure and can even prevent insulin resistance. It is said that adults should consume 1,000 mg of calcium per day.

People who are lactose intolerant can't consume dairy foods, so it is important to know how else can you get calcium in your diet.

These are the ways to get enough calcium in your diet:

1. Ensure To Get More Of Vitamin D
2. Choose Calcium Fortified Foods
3. Avoid Carbonated Drinks
4. Choose Non-Dairy Foods
5. Non-dairy Milk Alternatives
6. Add More Cheese In Your Sandwiches
7. Green Leafy Vegetables

1. Ensure To Get More Of Vitamin D

It is essential that you include lots of vitamin D foods into your diet. Because vitamin D aids in better absorption of calcium and this vitamin helps facilitate the absorption of calcium from the intestines and slows down the rate at which calcium gets excreted. To get a good amount of vitamin D, try adding a healthy portion of mushrooms or tofu to your meal.

2. Choose Calcium-fortified Foods

To ensure that you are getting plenty amounts of calcium into your diet, you should supplement your diet with calcium-fortified foods and drinks. Aside from dairy products, you can get calcium from breakfast cereals and other green leafy vegetables that have been fortified with calcium.

3. Avoid Carbonated Drinks

It is believed that consuming carbonated drinks in larger quantities could interfere with your body's ability to absorb and retain calcium. The phosphoric acid present in carbonated drinks may prevent the adsorption of calcium from the stomach into the bloodstream.

Consider replacing carbonated or fizzy drinks with freshly squeezed orange juice, grapefruit juice, guava juice as they are all packed with vitamin C.

4. Choose Non-dairy Foods

There are numerous non-dairy foods that are high in calcium and when consumed can provide you with a daily intake of calcium. Nuts are rich in calcium like almonds and Brazil nuts which are believed to contain around 100 mg of calcium per serving. Canned salmon and oatmeal are also a great source of calcium which should be added into your meals to boost your calcium intake.

5. Non-dairy Milk Alternatives

There are many non-dairy milk alternatives like rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk, etc. which are also excellent sources of calcium. But make sure that you choose a milk alternative that is high in nutrients. For example, soya milk has similar nutrients to cow's milk such as protein, carbohydrate and fats. Check the label and see the calcium content to see which milk alternative works for you.

6. Add More Cheese In Your Sandwiches

Add small portions of cheese in your salads, sandwiches and pizza to get an extra boost of calcium. A serving of cheese has 100 calories on an average and as much calcium as a half a cup of milk.

7. Green Leafy Vegetables

A cup of cooked leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard can provide with 25 per cent of calcium daily. These leafy greens are also loaded with vitamin K that will help in strengthening bones.

Tips On How To Include More Calcium In The Diet

• Sprinkle sesame seeds over vegetable salads as they are high in calcium.
• Reduce the intake of caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks as they all stop the absorption of calcium and should be consumed in moderate quantities.

How Much Calcium Is Too Much

According to the Institute of Medicine, the daily allowance of calcium for women aged 19 to 50 is 1,000 milligrams per day and the upper level (safe) limit is 2,500 milligrams per day.

And What Happens If You Have Too Much Of Calcium?

Getting too much of calcium can lead to constipation and it may also interfere with the body's ability to absorb iron and zinc. In adults, too much calcium from dietary supplements but not food might elevate the risk of kidney stones.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.