How much calcium does your body need?
The essential mineral calcium is vital: as the main component of bones, it gives our body stability, and it is also important for blood clotting and the function of muscles and nerves. Since the body cannot produce the mineral itself, it must be ingested in sufficient quantities with food.
How much calcium does your body need? Which foods provide particularly high amounts of calcium and are calcium supplements useful?
Recommended intake of the German Nutrition Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e. V.)
The German Society for Nutrition e. V. (DGE), together with the nutrition societies of Austria and Switzerland, publishes reference values for nutrient intake. These D-A-CH reference values exist for all nutrients and are continuously updated.
For an adult aged 19 and over, the reference value is 1000 milligrams of calcium per day. Growing adolescents have a higher requirement, while infants and children have a lower requirement depending on their age. The exact values can be found here [1]. In deviation from the DGE, the World Health Organisation WHO recommends an increased requirement of 1300 milligrams per day for women after menopause and men over 65 years of age.
Calcium intake via food
Calcium enters our bodies through food and is found mainly in milk and dairy products. Some mineral waters also have a high calcium content. With a healthy mixed diet you can easily cover your daily needs. For example, one glass of milk and two slices of cheese are sufficient to cover your daily needs.
... With the calcium calculator you can determine whether you are consuming too much or too little of the mineral. The WHO recommendations are used as the basis for the requirement.
Calcium content in food
Cheese, milk and other dairy products (with the exception of curd cheese) provide the largest amounts of calcium. But you can also find good sources of calcium among plant products, especially green vegetables, some seeds and nuts, herbs and spices. However, you should make sure that the oxalic acid content of vegetables is low, as oxalic acid hinders the absorption of calcium.
The following tables list calcium-rich foods [3].
Dairy products
| Produkt | Calcium mg /100g |
|---|---|
| Hartkäse Durchschnitt Gouda Ziegenkäse Camembert Schafskäse Mozzarella Joghurt Kefir Vollmilch Buttermilch |
1100 800 700 600 500 480 120 120 120 105 |
Seeds and nuts
| Produkt | Calcium mg /100g |
|---|---|
| Mohn Sesam,frisch Chiasamen Mandeln Haselnüsse |
1450 730 630 250 220 |
Vegetables
| Produkt | Calcium mg /100g |
|---|---|
| Grünkohl Rucola Spinat Bohnen,weiß Brokkoli Kohlrabi |
210 160 120 115 85 70 |
Drinks with a lot of calcium
According to the National Consumption Survey [2], men and women consume the largest amount of calcium through cheese, milk and other dairy products, but closely followed by non-alcoholic beverages. Mineral water in particular contains a lot of calcium, depending on the type. From a calcium content of 150 milligrams per litre, a mineral water may bear the label "containing calcium". Varieties that are particularly rich in calcium even contain more than 500 milligrams of calcium per litre. If you drink calcium-containing mineral water every day, you can cover part of your daily requirement. The natural calcium is dissolved in the mineral water and is well absorbed and utilised by the body.
Influence of special diets
Not everyone consumes milk and dairy products, either because of intolerance (lactose intolerance) or rejection of animal products (vegans). This eliminates the main source of calcium and conscious care must be taken to consume sufficient calcium. Good vegan sources are:
- Calcium-rich vegetables such as broccoli, kale, arugula.
- Nuts and seeds
- Calcium-rich mineral waters
- Calcium-enriched fruit juices
- Calcium-fortified milk substitutes made from soya or cereals
If you are lactose intolerant, you can use hard cheese, which contains little lactose and a lot of calcium.
If you also drink a lot of calcium-rich mineral water, you will be well supplied with calcium even if you do not eat dairy products.
In the vegan diet, powders made from green vegetables are often used, for example nettle leaf, moringa, grass, broccoli or parsley leaf powders. These so-called green powders can be mixed very easily into juices, shakes or smoothies and provide an extra portion of calcium.
Influencing calcium absorption
The daily intake of 1000 milligrams of calcium does not always guarantee an adequate calcium supply for the body. This is because various substances promote the absorption of calcium from food or worsen it. Calcium absorption is improved by:
- Vitamin D: The vitamin promotes the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood and its incorporation into the bones. It regulates calcium metabolism.
- Vitamin K2: this vitamin is responsible for the redistribution of calcium in the body. Only if there is enough vitamin K2 in the body can the absorbed calcium be transported into the bones and teeth.
- Lactose: the milk sugar promotes the absorption of calcium from the intestine. The lactic acid produced when lactose is broken down lowers the pH value in the intestine. The acidic environment improves the availability and solubility of calcium.
- Citric and ascorbic acid: organic fruit acids improve the bioavailability and thus the absorption of calcium.
These substances hinder the absorption of calcium:
- Phosphate: foods containing phosphates worsen calcium absorption from the intestine. Phosphates are found, for example, in processed cheese, sausages, soft drinks and convenience foods.
- Oxalic acid: Oxalic acid forms calcium oxalate, which is difficult to dissolve with calcium. If the body is supplied with high amounts of oxalic acid and low amounts of calcium at the same time, calcium is completely bound and is no longer available to the body. Foods with a very high oxalic acid content are, for example, amaranth, purslane, spinach or chard. Cooking significantly reduces the oxalic acid content.
- Phytic acid: The effect of phytic acid is similar to that of oxalic acid. It forms poorly soluble compounds so that the absorption of calcium is impeded. Cereals, especially their bran, have a high content of phytic acid. Phytic acid is broken down by sourdough fermentation or fermentation.
- Table salt: The sodium in table salt flushes calcium out of the body.
- High-fat foods hinder calcium absorption
- High-protein foods, alcoholic beverages, caffeinated beverages and black tea promote calcium excretion.
Calcium supplements and overdose
Healthy people can absorb calcium in sufficient quantities through food. Calcium supplements should only be taken in consultation with a doctor, because an overdose can have harmful consequences. Long-term intake of excessive calcium can lead to increased calcium concentrations in the blood and, in the long run, to urinary stones and impaired kidney function.
The European Food Safety Authority EFSA states 2500 milligrams of calcium per day as the total tolerable intake.
Calcium as a dietary supplement - very easy to make yourself!
The shell of an egg contains about 2 grams of calcium. Properly prepared, you can use it as a dietary supplement, whereby it is best to use the shells of organic eggs. Wash them out and then boil them in water for 10 minutes to kill the bacteria. Allow the shells to dry and then dry them for another 10 minutes at 90 °C in the oven. Now process them into powder in a blender or coffee grinder. You can store the calcium-rich powder in a closed container, such as a jam jar, for a longer period of time. With ½ teaspoon daily stirred into water or juice or sprinkled over a meal, you have already absorbed half of your daily requirement. You can also add the powder to bread, pizza or pasta dough. Be careful with the dosage, as overdosing is also unhealthy.
Conclusion
An adult should consume 1000 milligrams of calcium per day. For a healthy person, this is easily achieved through food. Dairy products top the list of calcium-rich foods, but seeds, nuts and green vegetables also contain a lot of calcium, and calcium-containing mineral water is also a good source. The absorption of calcium in the gastrointestinal tract can be promoted or hindered by various accompanying substances. Calcium supplements should only be taken if necessary in consultation with the doctor.
