Pregnant, postmenopausal, and dairy-intolerant women are not the only ones who need to pay attention to their calcium intake. It’s also crucial for individuals, especially older adults, to consume adequate amounts of calcium to maintain healthy bones and prevent diseases such as osteoporosis. Calcium is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in bone health, supporting heart, muscle, and nerve function.
There are four main food groups that provide calcium and other nutrients that benefit bone health. Milk and dairy products like whole milk, nonfat milk, yogurt, and cheese are excellent sources of calcium that also provide protein and other vitamins essential for overall health. Leafy green vegetables like collard greens, kale, spinach, broccoli, dried figs, chia seeds, sesame seeds, almonds are all rich in calcium and other nutrients important for bone health. Beans and bean products like lentils, soybeans white beans tofu are also rich in calcium protein minerals that support bone health. Fish such as pilchard salmon are good sources of calcium protein omega-3 fatty acids that support overall health.
As we age our bodies lose more calcium making it harder for us to maintain strong bones. To keep bones healthy we need to consume foods rich in calcium daily. A balanced diet including all the above food groups will help us achieve this goal