Vitamins & Minerals – Calcium

Calcium

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 curly kale, okra and spinach
• soya drinks with added calcium
• bread and anything made with fortified flour
• fish where you eat the bones – such as sardines and pilchards

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.

What happens if I take too much Calcium?

Taking high doses of calcium (more than 1,500mg a day) could lead to stomach pain and diarrhoea.

Vitamins and minerals – NHS (www.nhs.uk)  [1]