Calcium, what is the first thought you come across after listening to this word?

For many of us, it’s about the bones and teeth health. You might remember your dentist asking you to drink milk to avoid calcium-rich deficiency or protect your teeth. In contrast, if you are an adult our experience must be different. You might think of your physician asking you to consume enough calcium to protect your bones from damage. When you visit this dentist in woodbridge, it’s bound to be one of the take-home tips you will get.

Calcium- An Important Food Component

No matter what your calcium story is, calcium is among the most important components in the human diet. Nutritionally speaking, calcium is a mineral component that is known to play many important roles and functions towards human health.

I remember when I was a child, my paediatrician who was the best child specialist in Islamabad, often used to tell me to drink milk calcium-rich but the struggle was real because I was born lactose intolerant. Be mindful that dairy isn’t the sole source of calcium and many other things can help to overcome calcium deficiency in your body.

Why is Calcium Important?

Before we dive deeper into calcium sources, here is all that you need to understand about the role of calcium in human health.

• Calcium is an important mineral that plays an important role in the development of bones.
• This essential mineral nutrient is important for our dental health.
• Calcium is known to regulate muscle contraction that is essentially important for mobility.
• Moreover, calcium is known to play an important role in blood clotting.
• Being an important enzyme co-factor, calcium aids the biological reactions in our body.

Calcium not only helps to regulate these important body functions but enough calcium is critically important in preventing the risk of diseases like colorectal cancer.

What Are Some Popular Calcium-rich Foods?

Whenever we use the word calcium, we are inclined to think about dairy products but that’s not always true. Other than dairy calcium is also present in many other foods. Here are the important calcium-rich foods that can help to improve several aspects of human health and ensure the presence of calcium in our bodies.

1- Cheese

Cheese as it’s the part of the dairy family is known to house good amounts of calcium in it. Many different types of cheese have variable nutritional value and one of their major ingredients is calcium. Remember that calcium coming from dairy sources is easier to absorb than any other product or source. 

However, while consuming cheese make sure that you are not consuming the ones with high-fat content as it can add up to your calories and pose harmful side effects.

2- Seeds

Seeds are essentially important for our health. They are nutritionally rich and contain many important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. Other than this, many seeds are a rich source of calcium such as poppy seeds and chia seeds. 

Chia seeds are quite popular due to high levels of calcium in these. So, adding these seeds to your diet can offer many health benefits but make sure you consider your allergies and sensitivities before consuming these seeds and discuss them with your physician.

3- Fishes (Sardines and salmon)

Some of the fishes such as sardines and salmon are also a rich source of calcium. Not only is this but the calcium coming from the seafood also comes with other healthy nutrients due to the exceptional nutritional profile.

4- Dark leafy vegetables

There has been a long debate on the health benefits of leafy green vegetables. One of these health benefits is the presence of calcium in these vegetables. You can include these vegetables in your diet and get your daily dose of calcium.  

5- Nuts

Nuts are also known due to the presence of important nutrients in them. Among nuts, almonds are quite high in protein and can be easily added to your diet. Depending upon your preferences you can add crushed almonds to your oatmeal or can consume these directly. However, whenever you are consuming nuts make sure that you don’t exceed your calories because these are quite high in calories and can affect your body weight.

Bottom Line!

Calcium is an important food component that is known to impact several aspects of our health. From infants to adults consumption of calcium is known to offer several health benefits. However, whenever you are working on calcium consumption, always remember your food allergies and sensitivities and consult a relevant physician. Be mindful, that no matter what food source you choose, moderation remains the key.