Healthy Eating: Calcium (1 page)¹

Linda B. Bobroff²

Why is calcium important?

Calcium is the major mineral found in our bones and teeth. Many older adults don’t get enough calcium from the foods they eat. This can lead to bone loss and the bone disease osteoporosis. Osteoporosis puts people at a high risk for bone fractures.

What foods contain calcium?

• iry products (milk, yogurt, cheese, and ice cream)

• le and many other greens

• maine lettuce

• occoli

• gumes, like kidney beans and lentils

• fu

• ts

Good sources of calcium!

Table 1.

Food	Calcium (mg/serving)*
Yogurt, low-fat, fruit, 1 cup	345
Soy milk, 1 cup, (fortified)	300
Milk, low-fat, 1 cup	290
Sardines, 3 ounces	300
Fortified orange juice, ¾ cup	200
Kale, frozen, cooked, ½ cup	90
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup	50
Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup	30
^{*(mg = milligrams)}

How much calcium do I need?

The recommended intake for men and women 51 years of age and older is 1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium every day.

If you are not getting enough calcium from foods, you may need to take a calcium supplement. Talk to your doctor or dietitian for more information.

Footnotes

La versión español de este documento es Alimentación Saludable: Calcio (FCS8561-Span). This document is FCS8561, one of a series of the Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida, IFAS Extension Services. Originally developed with funding from Florida Department of Elder Affairs, in partnership with state, county, and local agencies. First published: March 2000. Revised: March 2006; March 2010. Please visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultrual Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611. Leaflet design by Paulina Wittkowsky, MS, RD, formerly with the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.