If you don’t have enough calcium in your diet, your bones will become weak and brittle. Its an oft heard statement.
However, it is not just bones and teeth, calcium intake is important for muscle contraction, heart beat regulation, blood clotting, transmission of nerve signals, balance of fluid within cells, release of hormones etc.

Deficiency of calcium can lead to ailments including dental problems, various skin conditions, depression, chronic joint & muscle pain, fractures and so on. The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for adults range from 1000 – 1300 mg of calcium.

The best news is that you can get all the requisite calcium from your daily diet.
Let’s see how…
Here is the list of some of the food items which has high calcium availability for portions which can be easily taken on a daily basis.

Apart from these calcium rich foods, most seeds, grains, vegetables, fruits have some amount of calcium.
For example, 100 gms of poppy seeds and sesame seeds are known to have 1400 mg and 975 mg of calcium respectively. 100 gms each of savory, celery seed, sage contain more than 1000 mg of calcium. Out of all the cereals finger millet or ragi has highest calcium availability. 100 grams of Ragi contains 344 mg calcium. However, it is difficult to consume them in that proportion every day.

Dietary intake of calcium is better than supplements. Absorption is highest in doses ≤500 mg; therefore the intake should be calibrated accordingly. You need both vitamin D and magnesium to help in calcium absorption.

Dr. Vikas Kamath, Naturopath at Sri Sri Tattva Panchakarma recommends a diet that can provide you the daily value of calcium .

There are several factors that has impact on the calcium absorption. These include:

• Vitamin D improves calcium absorption. Adequate sun exposure is vital
• Phytic acid and oxalic acid bind to calcium and inhibit its absorption. They are found naturally in some plants
• High sodium intake increases urinary calcium excretion
• Excess caffeine intake increases calcium excretion

Medical conditions might require intake of calcium supplements as per the doctor’s advice. Ayurveda practitioners also recommend different bhasma preparations, purified guggulu, asthishrunkala or cissus quadrangularis etc. for calcium deficiency.

However, our daily requirement of calcium can be easily met with our food. Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy

Diet recommendations are integral to the treatments at Sri Sri Tattva Panchakarma. You can get your personalised diet plan from our naturopathy department. For any queries regarding your diet, you can connect with us.