Calcium
How much calcium do I need?
Adults aged 19 to 64 need 700mg of calcium a day.
You should be able to get all the calcium you need from your daily diet.
Calcium has several important functions.
These include:
- helping build strong bones and teeth
- regulating muscle contractions, including your heartbeat
- making sure blood clots normally
A lack of calcium could lead to a condition called rickets in children, and osteomalacia or osteoporosis in later life.
Sources of calcium
Sources of calcium include:
- milk, cheese and other dairy foods
- green leafy vegetables – such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, but not spinach
- soya beans
- tofu
- soya drinks with added calcium
- nuts
- bread and anything made with fortified flour
- fish where you eat the bones – such as sardines and pilchards