Calcium

Calcium is one of the many minerals that our bodies need for good health. Calcium is well known for its importance in keeping our bones healthy.

Calcium large

Calcium is one of the many minerals that our bodies need for good health. Calcium is well known for its importance in keeping our bones healthy. However, calcium is also needed to help our blood to clot, to keep muscles working properly and to help release energy from food.

"Where can I find Calcium?

Dairy foods like milk, cheese and yoghurt are all good sources of calcium. You can also find calcium in almonds and sesame seeds as well as fortified soy milk. Butter and cream have almost no calcium. The Department of Health recommends that we have 3 servings of milk, hard cheese or yoghurt everyday to get enough calcium.

Did you know?

Soft cheeses have less calcium than hard cheese. Cheddar cheese has seven times more calcium than feta cheese.

Calcium – Benefits at a glance:

Helps to release energy from food
Needed for strong bones
Essential for healthy teeth
Helps digestive enzymes to work
Needed to help blood to clot
Important for healthy muscle function

How much Calcium do I need everyday?

The RDA or Recommended Daily Amount for Calcium is 800mg per day.

Calcium in Food	Need per 800mg day

200mls Skimmed milk	44mg
200mls Full fat milk	240mg
200mls Goats Milk	200mg
200mls Calcium-enriched Soya milk	188mg
50g Cheddar Cheese	369mg
50g Feta Cheese	48mg
1 Pot Yoghurt	250mg
100g Almonds	40mg
100g Brazil Nuts	170mg
100g Hazelnuts	40mg
1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds	160mg

Did you know?

Full fat, low fat and skimmed milk all have almost the same amount of calcium so you are not missing out if you choose low fat or skimmed milk instead of full fat.