Calcium

 It is very important to get enough calcium in our diet to maintain good bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.  For women 50 and older it is recommended to get 1200 mg per day along with Vitamin D to help with the absorption.  For me eating a plant-based diet, my calcium comes from leafy greens like kale, tofu, tempeh, chia seeds, beans, legumes, and nuts.  I started eating a little cottage cheese for a snack, but I have to take Lactaid pills since I have some lactose intolerance.  I downloaded an app from the Playstore (My Net Diary) to help me track my calcium and protein intake (we will talk about protein another day).  Needless to say,  I am only getting about 800 mg of calcium from my diet, which is not enough.  I do supplement with Citralcal Maximum Plus daily which contains 650 mg of calcium, vitamin D 1000 units, Zinc 5.5 mg, Copper 0.45, Maganese 1.15 mg.  I also take Vitamin K2 100 Mcg daily.  Vitamin K2 helps directing calcium to the bones and teeth and preventing it from accumulating in soft tissues like the arteries.  So taking a 650 mg supplement and getting 800 mg from food would equal 1450 mg in day, which would be over the recommended amount of 1200 mg per day.  One thing to consider with taking supplements is the amount of calcium that is actually absorbed by the body.  If you take the full recommended dose of Citracal Maximum Plus, you can expect to absorb around 40 to 50% of that, or approximately 252 to 315 mg of calcium.  Now, if you add the 800 mg calcium from food to maybe getting 315 mg from the supplement I take, it only equals 1115 mg intake for the day.  For me, it is still a work in process getting my daily calcium.  I am hoping that I may be absorbing more from my supplement.  I think there is a good chance that I am given that my last Bone density scan showed some improvement in my bone health.   I believe you should only take supplements if you need them. Calcium also plays a role in muscle function and blood clotting. Always try to get you calcium from your food first. Here is a link to an online calcium calculator.  It may not have a complete list of foods, but it can give you a general idea of daily intake.