Minerals are organic elements present in soil. Plants absorb the minerals from their growth medium. We need very small amounts of each mineral in our diet, but they are essential to maintain all nerve and muscle function, teeth, bones and body cells. Minerals are insoluble in water and need to be bonded with a soluble compound before they can be properly utilised. That is why foods are the very best sources.
Functions of Calcium:
Strong bones and teeth
Aids in nerve impulse transmission
Required for blood clotting
Helps with iron absorption
Helps prevent osteoporosis
Sources of Calcium:
Dairy products
Green vegetables
Prunes
Nuts and seeds
Figs
Dates
Tinned fish
Meats
Oatmeal
Deficiency symptoms:
Soft bones
Brittle nails
High blood pressure
Muscle cramps
Rickets
Osteoporosis
Increased sensitivity to cold
Supplements are unnecessary provided the diet includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Always check with your doctor before taking supplements of any kind. An excess of any mineral can have unpleasant side effects. Minerals are insoluble in water.
Showing posts with label calcium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calcium. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Growing needs
Babies and toddlers have a high proportion of body fat which begins to decrease once they reach about five. During adolescence the fat increases again – by the end of adolescence boys have lost some of that fat, but girls retain it for the rest of their lives. Isn’t this a good reason to teach your children healthy eating habits from an early age?
Another interesting fact is that, during puberty, girls double their muscle mass, while boys triple theirs! This is the reason men and boys require a greater number of kilojoules/calories per day than women and girls. And now you know why your teenage sons have voracious appetites and seem to eat you out of house and home.
Infancy and adolescence are both times of accelerated growth, so there is a greater need for calcium and iron (particularly for girls). We all think of calcium as coming from dairy products, and yes, it does. But dairy is not the only source – seafood, green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, soybeans, oatmeal, meat and fish all supply bio-available calcium. And for iron, eat eggs, whole grains, broccoli, spinach, raisins, dates, figs, prunes and apricots.
Another interesting fact is that, during puberty, girls double their muscle mass, while boys triple theirs! This is the reason men and boys require a greater number of kilojoules/calories per day than women and girls. And now you know why your teenage sons have voracious appetites and seem to eat you out of house and home.
Infancy and adolescence are both times of accelerated growth, so there is a greater need for calcium and iron (particularly for girls). We all think of calcium as coming from dairy products, and yes, it does. But dairy is not the only source – seafood, green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, soybeans, oatmeal, meat and fish all supply bio-available calcium. And for iron, eat eggs, whole grains, broccoli, spinach, raisins, dates, figs, prunes and apricots.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Dairy products
Labels:
calcium,
dairy,
food groups,
healthy eating
Milk, cheese and yoghurt are some of our main dietary sources of calcium, a mineral essential for healthy teeth and bones. Butter, cream and most cheeses (as well as full cream milk and yoghurt) are high in saturated fats, so the semi-skimmed (low fat) is better and the skimmed (fat-free) versions are best.
I occasionally use low-fat cheese spread, and I always buy fat-free cottage cheese. I have tried the fat-reduced cheddar, but I didn’t find it very palatable. I would rather use less of a strong flavoured full-fat cheese, such as Black Crow, for cooking.
Dairy products also supply us with phosphorous and magnesium, as well as good quality protein. Just because the fat has been removed doesn’t mean that the products are any less nutritious. 250ml of low fat milk contains almost 20% of your daily protein and calcium needs.
Cow’s milk is, of course, designed for calves and not for people. The digestive enzyme required for the proper digestion of milk – rennin – is only produced in humans up to the age of about two years. Some children initially suffer with lactose intolerance, though they often outgrow this. Soy milk is a convenient substitute, it has about the same amount of protein as cow’s milk but has very little in the way of digestible calcium. To overcome this, most manufacturers now enrich soy milk with calcium carbonate. Soy milk has little saturated fat (about 2%) and no cholesterol.
The South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 400-500ml of milk per day (for adults). 250ml of milk is equivalent to 30gm cheese or 175ml yoghurt. Without even realising it, you probably use at least 125ml of milk in your tea and coffee throughout the day, and another 125 – 250 ml on your breakfast cereal.
I occasionally use low-fat cheese spread, and I always buy fat-free cottage cheese. I have tried the fat-reduced cheddar, but I didn’t find it very palatable. I would rather use less of a strong flavoured full-fat cheese, such as Black Crow, for cooking.
Dairy products also supply us with phosphorous and magnesium, as well as good quality protein. Just because the fat has been removed doesn’t mean that the products are any less nutritious. 250ml of low fat milk contains almost 20% of your daily protein and calcium needs.
Cow’s milk is, of course, designed for calves and not for people. The digestive enzyme required for the proper digestion of milk – rennin – is only produced in humans up to the age of about two years. Some children initially suffer with lactose intolerance, though they often outgrow this. Soy milk is a convenient substitute, it has about the same amount of protein as cow’s milk but has very little in the way of digestible calcium. To overcome this, most manufacturers now enrich soy milk with calcium carbonate. Soy milk has little saturated fat (about 2%) and no cholesterol.
The South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 400-500ml of milk per day (for adults). 250ml of milk is equivalent to 30gm cheese or 175ml yoghurt. Without even realising it, you probably use at least 125ml of milk in your tea and coffee throughout the day, and another 125 – 250 ml on your breakfast cereal.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
