Calcium Requirements

Faryal Shah · #1 Monday, November 26, 2007

Calcium is important in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth, helping cells function properly and in regulating the heartbeat. Milk and milk products are major sources of calcium in the diet.

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Calcium

Infants 600 mg.
Children (1-10 yrs.) 800 mg.
Males (11-24 yrs.) 1,200 mg.
Females (11-24 yrs.) 1,200 mg.

16 oz. of milk gives roughly 600-800 mg

The following is a list of non-milk foods which contain significant amounts of calcium:

Food Amount of Calcium
Tums Ultra (2 ) 800 mg.
Regular Anti-acids (rolaids, tums etc.) 250-300 mg.
Tofu, firm, 1/2 cup 258 mg.
Orange juice fortified w/calcium 200 mg.
Salmon, canned w/bones 185 mg.
Rhubarb, cooked, 1/2 cup 174 mg.
Oatmeal, fortified, 3/4 cup 163 mg.
Spinach, frozen, cooked, 1/2 cup 138 mg.
Tofu, regular, 1/2 cup 130 mg.
Baked beans, white, 1/2 cup* 64 mg.
Frankfurter, turkey* 58 mg.
Orange, 1 medium 52 mg.

Another chart for calcium requirements for age are:

0-6 months old 200-400
6-12 months old 300-600
1-3 years old 500-800
4-8 years old 800
8-10 years old 800-1200
11-18 years old 1200-1500

Food
Amount
Calcium

Yogurt, plain, low fat
8 oz
415

Collards, frozen, boiled
1 cup
357

Skim milk
12 oz
500

Spinach, frozen, boiled
1 cup
291

Yogurt, plain, whole milk
8 oz
275

Cheese food, pasteurized American
1 oz
162

Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat
1 cup
138

Baked beans, canned
1 cup
154

Iceberg lettuce
1 head
97

Canned salmon
3 oz
181

Oranges
1 cup
72

Trail mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips)
1 cup
159

Almonds
1 oz (24 nuts)
70

Blackeye peas, boiled
1 cup
211

Green peas, boiled
1 cup
94

So milk intake should be 12-24 oz a day by one year old and stay there for many years. Too much milk and they get anemic and will not eat a proper solid food diet. The children usually are in that range of 12-24 oz where their height/weight is on the growth curves. For example if they are at the 50% then they would usually take in about 18oz a day. If they are big and at the 90% height/weight, then they would be taking in 24 oz a day. Then they get the few hundred mg of Calcium from cheese, ice cream, and other foods that have calcium. IF they are allergic to milk then they can drink SILK (non-dairy milk) or the Orange Juice with calcium. Or they can take a 500 mg chewable calcium from the stores.

By 8-10 years requirements increase and it goes higher at puberty. When they go into puberty, the recommendations are 1500 mg of calcium for females and 1200 for males. That is a lot of milk (three 8 oz glasses) so I recommend calcium supplements (and multiple vitamins) for most teens….usually 1000 mg supplement a day plus the milk and ice cream that they do eat. The average teen only gets 300 mg a day.

We can load up their bones with calcium during their rapid growing years and prevent Osteoporosis in their later years.

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The Following User Says Thank You to Faryal Shah For This Useful Post:
Sureshlasi (Monday, November 26, 2007)