Everyone knows that our bones require calcium to stay strong. Older adults, especially women, are vulnerable to calcium loss and weakened bones, which means they are at greater risk for osteoporosis and bone fractures.
So, keeping optimal calcium levels into adulthood and then retirement years is crucial. Experts agree this means getting at least 1,000 mg a day. Researchers have suggested that older adults should try to seek calcium in food, as it will benefit them more than supplements will. Supplements are always handy, but they should be regarded as complementary to finding the mineral in food.
Studies have found that people getting calcium through their diet had greater bone mineral density than regular supplement users. Bone mineral density is the measurement that illustrates how strong or weak one’s bones are. In older women, the hormone estrogen plays an important role in bone strength. And calcium plays a role in how a woman’s body creates estrogen. So, the more active estrogen there is in the body, the more bone building is going on.
The effect of calcium on bones in the body is widespread. It improves bone mineral density in many different places in the body. One reason is that high-calcium foods could be a source that’s easier for the body to digest, break down, and use. Also, people who consume high-calcium foods are simply healthier because these foods are for the most part very nutritious.
In truth, there could be many reasons why calcium in food builds bones better than calcium in pill jars. There is no harm in using supplements, but adults need to pay attention to their diets with calcium in mind.
Here are your main sources of calcium, in the items we eat and drink. Some main groups emerge: dairy, fortified foods, and leafy salad greens.
— Low-fat yogurt
— Milk
— Cheese
— Sesame seeds
— Sardines
— Tofu
— Calcium-fortified orange juice
— Salmon
— Spinach
— Fortified breakfast cereal
— Kale
— Turnip greens
— Mustard greens
— Swiss chard
— Broccoli