What Does Calcium Do For The Body?
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, and it plays a vital role in many important bodily functions, including:
- Bone and teeth health:Â Calcium is essential for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. It helps to make bones hard and dense, and it also helps to prevent tooth decay.
- Muscle function:Â Calcium is needed for muscles to contract and relax. It helps to transmit nerve signals to muscles, and it also helps to regulate muscle tone.
- Blood clotting:Â Calcium is necessary for blood to clot properly. It helps to activate clotting factors, which are proteins that help to stop bleeding.
- Nerve function:Â Calcium is needed for nerve cells to transmit signals throughout the body. It helps to regulate the electrical activity of nerves, and it also helps to maintain the structure of nerve cells.
- Heart health:Â Calcium helps to regulate heart rhythm and blood pressure. It also helps to prevent the buildup of plaque in the arteries.
- Hormone function:Â Calcium is needed for the production and secretion of certain hormones, such as parathyroid hormone and vitamin D.
In addition to these essential functions, calcium may also play a role in other health conditions, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and colon cancer.
Good Sources of Calcium
There are many good sources of calcium in the diet, including:
- Dairy products: milk, yogurt, cheese, kefir
- Dark leafy green vegetables: kale, collard greens, bok choy
- Fortified foods: orange juice, cereal, tofu
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, sesame seeds
How Much Calcium Do You Need?
Below are the values of Calcium recommended by NIH based on life stage.
| Life Stage | Recommended Amount |
|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 200 mg |
| Infants 7–12 months | 260 mg |
| Children 1–3 years | 700 mg |
| Children 4–8 years | 1,000 mg |
| Children 9–13 years | 1,300 mg |
| Teens 14–18 years | 1,300 mg |
| Adults 19–50 years | 1,000 mg |
| Adult men 51–70 years | 1,000 mg |
| Adult women 51–70 years | 1,200 mg |
| Adults 71 years and older | 1,200 mg |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding teens | 1,300 mg |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding adults | 1,000 mg |
Can You Take Too Much Calcium?
Yes, it is possible to take too much calcium. The upper limit for calcium intake for adults is 2,000 milligrams (mg) per day. If you consume more than this amount of calcium, it can build up in your bloodstream and cause a condition called hypercalcemia.
In severe cases, hypercalcemia can be life-threatening.
It is important to note that most people do not get too much calcium from their diet alone. However, it is possible to get too much calcium from calcium supplements. It is also possible to get too much calcium if you eat a lot of calcium-rich foods and take calcium supplements at the same time.
Here are some tips to help you avoid getting too much calcium:
- Do not take more than 2,000 mg of calcium per day.
- If you are taking calcium supplements, take them with food. This will help your body to absorb the calcium more slowly.
- Avoid taking calcium supplements at the same time as other medications, such as some diuretics and antacids. These medications can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb calcium.
- Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of calcium-rich foods, such as dairy products, dark leafy green vegetables, and fortified foods.
Calcium in Microgreens by Variety
These values are based on 100 grams of microgreens. Much more than you would eat of any one variety per meal. Be sure to remember the purpose of this course and the values presented.
| Microgreens Variety | Daily Value by % per 100-grams |
|---|---|
| No value = | No data from reliable source |
| Amaranth | 21% |
| Arugula | 6% |
| Basil | 14% |
| Beet | 9% |
| Bok Choy | 8% |
| Borage | 8% |
| Broccoli | 11% |
| Brussel Sprouts | 3% |
| Buckwheat | 3% |
| Cabbage | 17% |
| Carrot | 3% |
| Cauliflower | 2% |
| Celery | 4% |
| Chervil* | 3% |
| Chives, Garlic* | 7% |
| Cilantro | 5% |
| Cress, Upland* | 6% |
| Dill* | 16% |
| Endive | 4% |
| Fennel* | 4% |
| Fenugreek* | 4% |
| Kale | 20% |
| Kohlrabi | 22% |
| Leek | 5% |
| Lettuce | 3% |
| Lovage | Reported to have. |
| Mustard | 9% |
| Nasturtium* | 9% |
| Onions | 4% |
| Parsley | 11% |
| Pea | 3% |
| Radish | 5% |
| Shungiku* | 9% |
| Sorrel | 3% |
| Spinach | 5% |
| Sunflower | 13% |
| Swiss Chard | 5% |
| Tat Soi | 16% |
| Tokyo Bekana | Reported to have. |
| Turnip* | 6% |
Calculate the %DV based on Your Serving Size
You can use the calculator below to estimate the %DV of Calcium based on your average serving size. If you weighed your microgreens in ounces, you can use the first row to calculate the weight in grams and then enter that value into the lower calculator.
For More Information on Calcium
Click here for more information on Calcium from the National Institute of Health.
