Got calcium?
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We are all aware of the importance of calcium in our body, yet most women do not meet their daily recommended dose of calcium. It is not only needed for stronger bones and teeth but also prevents osteoporosis (a condition where your bones become fragile and are more likely to fracture), reduces risks of heart disease, colorectal cancer, helps in blood clotting and prevents symptoms of PMS.
For women especially, it is imperative to intake the recommended dosage of calcium.
Osteoporosis is estimated to affect 200 million women worldwide - approximately one-tenth of women aged 60, one-fifth of women aged 70, two-fifths of women aged 80 and two-thirds of women aged 90 (WHO technical report, University Of Sheffield). It is also important to note that while milk is the best source of calcium, 1 out of 4 South Asians are found to be lactose intolerant (NIH 2010) which is why many people are unable to consume milk and dairy products. Also, many women in Bangladesh do not necessarily have access to milk due to cultural biases of giving women less food in the households. Within these realities, women must still find ways of taking in a certain dosage of calcium for long term well being.
Let's look at what we can do to meet our requirements of calcium.
Calcium for teenagers
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The growth spurts during pre-teen and teen years. It's important to strengthen your skeleton now so that you are less likely to suffer from diseases like osteoporosis later in life.
Girls between 9-18 years of age need 1300 mg of calcium a day. With enough calcium in your diet and physical activity through your teen years and beyond, you can ensure strong bones for life.
Try exercises like jumping rope, running and walking. Avoid fizzy sodas and caffeinated drinks. Firstly, you are drinking sodas in place of milk and depriving yourself of the calcium. Secondly, sodas have phosphoric acid which removes calcium from bones.
Caffeine increases excretion of calcium and reduces its absorption. But caffeine intake (3 or more cups a day) causes weakened bones in women with low milk or low calcium intake.
Calcium for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers
To build the fetus's skeleton, calcium is taken from the mother's blood. During pregnancy the calcium absorbing capacity of the intestine doubles to meet the need. If enough calcium is not available, it is taken from the mother's bones.
The oestrogen hormone, which is at its peak during pregnancy, protects your skeleton from bone-weakening effects. Calcium also prevents pre-eclampsia, where you have such high blood pressure, that proteins leak in your urine giving rise to serious other complications.
If you are breastfeeding most of the calcium in your milk comes from your bones, and usually returns to normal within 6-12 months after you have stopped weaning.
In the last trimester of pregnancy and during lactation, there is a fall in the bone density of the mothers. Pregnant and nursing mothers need around 1200-1500 mg/day. If your diet is insufficient, you will need calcium supplements.
Postmenopausal women
Bone mass begins to decline from 35 years of age and during menopause the process accelerates. Oestrogen protects bones and as the hormone levels fall after menopause, the chance of developing osteoporosis rises. This is why bone fractures are common in peri- and postmenopausal women.
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Postmenopausal women who are on hormone replacement therapies need only 1000 mg/day of calcium and those without hormone therapies need 1500 mg/day.
Vitamin D
It is useless to take calcium without Vitamin D, a vitamin that helps absorb calcium from the gut into the blood. Our body creates most of our vitamin D from direct sunlight on our skin. In countries like Bangladesh and other Muslim majority countries where many women wear a burqa or “full hijab”, women do not receive the required sunlight that has natural Vitamin D. This usually leads to complaints of lower backache, knee pain and body ache. If you wear a hijab all the time, find a way to sit in the sun for 10-15 minutes, exposing your hands and feet. The most effective time of the day is between 11am till 3pm.
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Here is a list of commonly found food and their calcium content:
Sources Amount of calcium: 1 cup of milk 300 mg½, cottage cheese140 mg, 3/4 cup plain yoghurt(150g), 250 mg, 1 cup broccoli (cooked)60 mg, 1 cup boiled spinach 245 mg,1 cup okra125 mg 1 cup boiled green peas 100 mg, 1 cup whole almonds 350 mg, Pomfret 348mg/ 100g of raw clean parts, Mola fish776mg/ 100g of raw clean parts, Puti 784mg/ 100g of raw clean parts1 orange 60 mg 1 date30 mg 100mg chana daal 200 mg100 mg moong daal125 mg
If you want to know more about women's health and well-being, visit www.maya.com.bd. Also, if you want medical advice for your specific health needs/concerns, leave us a question on the “Maya Apa Ki Bole” application on our website.
Dr. Kazi Mashfia Fardeen, Medical Specialist, maya.com.bd
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