Food for Thought: calcium on a vegetarian diet 

Calcium is perhaps one of the best-known minerals. From a young age, we are encouraged to get enough calcium to help build strong bones and teeth, and to maintain our calcium intake as we age to help prevent the loss of bone mineral density.

Did you know that calcium is also essential for healthy muscle and nerve function? Ensuring you get enough calcium in your diet is therefore very important. Our calcium requirements change over time. Everyone aged 19 and over should aim to consume more than 700mg of calcium each day, with particular emphasis on breastfeeding women and post-menopausal women, who should aim for 1,250mg and 1,200mg per day respectively.

Additionally, if you are living with Coeliac disease, your calcium requirements almost double, to between 1,000mg and 1,500mg per day. Similarly, people with inflammatory bowel disease should aim for 800–1,000mg per day.

We all know that calcium is readily available in dairy products, but that’s not the only source. It is entirely possible to get enough calcium on a plant-based diet. In the UK, most plant-based dairy alternatives are fortified with calcium. However, it is always worth checking the nutritional label, as some brands, particularly organic products, may not be fortified.

Calcium can also be found in spinach, dried fruit, beans, seeds and nuts. However, the calcium in these foods is less well absorbed by the body due to their high levels of oxalates and/or phytates. These naturally occurring compounds are antioxidants that can inhibit calcium absorption. This is why it is beneficial to include a variety of calcium-rich foods in your diet. That said, kale is a low-oxalate vegetable with excellent calcium bioavailability. Just 100g of boiled kale contains around 150mg of calcium.

Finally, vitamin D enhances calcium absorption, so making sure you get enough vitamin D will help your body make the most of the calcium from the foods you eat.