Calcium requirements without dairy products

Calcium

Calcium is a major mineral: the average adult is made up of just over a kilo (around 2% of total body weight). 99% of this is found in the bones and teeth, and the remainder is used for the contraction of muscles, nerve function, enzyme activity and blood clotting.

The UK Department of Health?s Reference Nutrient Intakes (the daily amount that is enough for 97% of people: similar to RDAs used previously in the UK) are as follows.[1]

Age/Sex Calcium requirement (mg/day) 0-12 months 525 1-3 years 350 4-6 years
450 7-10 years
550 Teenage girls 800 Teenage boys 1000 Adult men & women 700 Breast-feeding women
no increase

Good plant sources of calcium include:

• Green leafy vegetables: spring greens, kale, broccoli, parsley.
  It is important to note that spinach is not a good source of calcium. It is high in calcium, but the calcium is bound to oxalates and therefore poorly absorbed
• Fortified foods such as soya milk
• White flour (as calcium is added by law) and white flour products
• Calcium-set tofu
• Oranges
• Ground sesame seeds (tahini)
  The calcium content is high but variable and absorption of calcium from tahini is not proven so tahini should not be relied upon as a main source
• Figs and black molasses
• Drinking hard water can provide 200mg of calcium daily, although soft water contains almost none[2]

Imran

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