Calcium and milk go together like toothpaste and fluoride, you can’t find one without the other. For a lot of people, milk makes up for the bulk of their intake of calcium. However, there are those people who are lactose intolerant. How should they be getting their intake of calcium? We speak more about this in the information below.
How Calcium Benefits Your Oral Health
Calcium is what helps strengthens our teeth and bones as we are growing and continue to grow throughout our lives. Calcium is also essential to helping muscular components of the mouth to function properly. Nerves, blood vessels, and muscles all rely on calcium for functioning to some extent.
How Much Calcium is Needed
To a degree, the amount of calcium we need to consume is dependent on our age, size, and even gender. Children need around 700 mg of calcium per day while some adults need roughly 1300 mg of calcium. If you consume less than 500 mg you are at risk of gum disease. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the daily recommended dose of calcium and can suffer from dental issues as a result. There are non-dairy calcium sources you can in-take.
Non-Dairy Calcium Sources:
- Canned fish with bones – these small bones of canned fish are enough to provide a significant source of calcium.
- Dark leafy vegetables – These vegetables should be green in color such as spinach, kale, and collar greens.
- Calcium-fortified beverages – fortified orange juice is a good source of calcium.
- Tofu – most tofu has calcium added to it.
- Dried figs – figs are a great source of calcium and can even serve as a sweet treat.
- Almonds – almonds have the most calcium than any other type of nut.
Incorporating these foods in your diet can ensure that you have a boost of calcium and avoid the side effects of consuming dairy-based products.