Major Food Sources of Calcium are explained in this article. We hope you find the information herein helpful to your findings and research.
Food Sources of Calcium
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When we see bones in the butcher’s shop, they are dead. In the living body, the bones are alive and, like all living matter, are constantly changing.
When a baby is born, its bones are soft, but there harden as the number of calcium increases on the framework. A newborn baby is about two feet long. An adult person is five to six feet.
During the years between birth and the pausing or ceasing of growth, the bones have grown in length, thickness, and strength.
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For this growth calcium and phosphorus from food are required. Teeth also are composed of calcium and phosphorus.
These minerals are required for the formation of the first teeth, the replacement of these by the second teeth, and their maintenance throughout life.
Experiments on animals have shown that a low level of calcium intake leads to small stature, low vitality, short prime of life, and early death. A low intake of calcium in human beings may result in poor teeth, stunted growth, and fragile bones.
Furthermore, before the calcium, contained in the foods we eat or drink, can be used for making bones and teeth, it has to be we eat or drink, can be used for making bones and teeth, it has to be digested or changed into a soluble form, absorbed into the bloodstream, and carried to the tissues.
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Some substances in foods, for example, phytin in cereals, combine with calcium to form an insoluble compound and reduce its absorption.
Other nutrients assist in the absorption of calcium such as vitamin D, protein, ascorbic acid, and a moderate amount of fat. Phosphorus is also necessary for the effective use of calcium to form good bones and teeth.
A shortage of any of these nutrients in the diet, particularly a shortage of calcium, may affect the formation of the bones and teeth.
Even children who are growing rapidly need a good supply of calcium and will suffer most from a shortage of any or all of these nutrients.
In the extreme, these children will not grow as much as they should. Even children of normal height and weight may not have enough calcium, and this shortage will show up when their bodies are subjected to stress or strain.
When calcium alone is short there may be stunted growth, but there may be no malformation of the bones such that if vitamin D is short in supply, rickets may result in accompanying malformation of the bones.
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This is important to know that only 30 percent of the calcium eaten may be utilized by the body, so the amount supplied in the diet should be large enough to allow for a daily allowance of calcium.
Conclusively, some vegetables have a high calcium content and can be a very good source if served regularly and in large enough amounts. Other good sources of calcium are beans, milk, finger millet, and so on.
Some individuals can adapt to a habitual low level of calcium, but some may need more than the average daily allowance of calcium.
