Your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones as well as to carry out many important functions. Calcium enables your blood to clot, muscles to contract, and heart to beat. Do you know that calcium can also prevent weight gain? Yes, adding more calcium in your diet can help you burn more calories.

A 2000 study suggested that the more calcium the fat cells have, the more likely they are to burn off as fuel. The study conducted on mice found that calcium from low-fat dairy products produced the best results in increasing body fat loss. High-fat dietary calcium can trigger obesity, said researchers from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

They have earlier shown that calcium stored in fat cells plays a crucial role in regulating how fat is stored and broken down by the body. In the mice study, they found that animals fed calcium via supplements had a 42% decrease in body fat. However, mice fed calcium from low-fat dairy products produced the best results. Mice given medium amounts of low-fat dry milk had a 60% decrease in body fat, while those on the “high-dairy” diet lost 69% body fat.

Recommended daily calcium intake

Your body needs vitamin D to effectively absorb calcium. So if you’re deficient in vitamin D, the calcium you take in may go waste. When your body doesn’t get enough calcium, it takes the nutrient from your bones. This leads to loss of bone mass, which can put you at risk for the bone disease osteoporosis.

At the same time, getting more calcium than your body needs can also cause adverse effects like kidney stones, frequent urination, belly pain, nausea/vomiting, and fatigue. However, it is less likely for anybody to get too much calcium from food alone. So, what is the ideal amount of calcium that people can take daily without developing problems. The tolerable upper intake level of calcium depends on your age, sex, overall health, among other factors. The following is the age-based tolerable upper intake levels:

• 1,000 mg per day (0-6 months)
• 1,500 mg per day (7-12 months)
• 2,500 mg per day ( 1-8 years)
• 3,000 mg per day ( 9-18 years)
• 2,500 mg per day ( 19-50 years)
• 2,000 mg per day ( 51 years and older)

Best sources of calcium

Your body doesn’t produce calcium on its own. So it’s important to include calcium-rich foods to your daily diet. Also, make sure you get enough vitamin D each day to help your body absorb the calcium. Non-fat and low-fat dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, and milk are good sources of calcium. For example, 2 ounces of nonfat cheese may give you 447 mg of calcium and one cup of skim milk contains 299 mg of calcium.

Fish with soft bones, such as sardines and salmon, are also good sources of calcium. For example, 3 ounces of pink salmon has 183 mg of calcium.

For vegetarians and vegans, calcium is found in plant-based foods like dried beans, kale, broccoli, spinach, and collard greens. Dried fruit and nuts (especially almonds) also contain smaller amounts of calcium.

If you’re not getting enough calcium from dietary sources, you can take a calcium supplement, but only after talking to your doctor.

 

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