FOODS RICH IN CALCIUM

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Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body.

Like phosphorus, most calcium resides in the bones, where it also plays a structural and reserve role for the body.

Only 1% of body calcium is dissolved in soft tissues (inside cells, matrices, blood, etc.) and about half constitutes the functionally active portion (nerve conduction, muscle contraction, enzymatic activation, etc.).

The need for calcium varies according to sex, age, particular physiological conditions (gestation, breastfeeding) and the possible presence of specific diseases.

Being a mineral necessary for the formation and maintenance of the skeleton, the need for calcium is greater (in a relative sense in the infant and absolute in the older age groups) during development and in the period in which bone metabolism becomes precarious.
Using a very large reserve (skeleton), calcium deficiency rarely occurs with acute and early symptoms (except for infants); on the other hand, however, the protracted deficit, as well as the low concentration of vitamin D (involved in the metabolism of the mineral), can induce various osteopenic complications of the bones (rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis).
The "excess of calcium in the diet is almost impossible and, in the eventuality, can" only "alter the absorption of other minerals; if associated with the pharmacological excess of vitamin D, the excess of calcium can give rise to various problems. renal in nature.

Calcium in Food Groups

Starting from the assumption that, in Italy, the average calcium intake is insufficient (820mg / day), let's try to better understand what are the food sources that should contribute to earning the recommended ration.
In the diet of the Bel Paese, calcium is provided for as much as 65% by the II fundamental group of foods, namely milk and derivatives.

In second place we find vegetables (VI and VII groups - but not fruit) which provide about 12% of it. This is followed by cereals (group III - but not potatoes) which contribute 8.5%. Meat and fish (group I - but not eggs) provide only 6.5% of the total.
In this ranking there are still various foods which, if taken individually, have no statistical significance; on the other hand, all together cover the remaining 8%.Among these we mention legumes (IV group), seasoning fats (V group) and fruit (part of VI and VII groups). To tell the truth, the latter set has an average concentration of calcium that is almost zero; just think that butter, or the condiment that contains the most, barely reaches 25g / 100g. On the contrary, some legumes are frankly rich in it. and related flours; however, their average consumption in the Italian diet has decreased to the point of making them an almost obsolete food.
There is also "another category of food which is foreign to the previous classification and which, on the other hand, provides good levels of calcium; these are oilseeds, i.e. dried fruit (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia, peanuts, pistachios, pine nuts, Brazilian nuts, etc.) and other smaller seeds (flax, poppy, sesame, chard, psyllium etc). Also in this case, the average consumption in the Italian diet is quite low, which is why they play a marginal role.
Contrary to legumes - of which the research bodies suggest increasing the portions - dried fruit cannot be eaten in equally generous doses; this recommendation is due to the very high lipid intake which, despite being distinguished by the excellent quality of fatty acids (basically polyunsaturated and monounsaturated), denotes a very high caloric potential.