Are you getting enough calcium? Calculate it with this handy calculator
It is essential for building strong bones and keeping teeth healthy.
But calcium is also essential for heart, muscle and nerve function.
And thanks to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), you can see how much of the mineral is in your diet.
To calculate your daily calcium intake, the charity has an online tool – which you can try yourself click here.
And now, thanks to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), you can see how much of the mineral is in your diet
By adding up the servings of different foods you eat each week and their calcium content, the IOF’s calcium calculator will determine if you’re getting enough.
The calculator bases the findings on the US guidelines of 1000 mg per day.
However, the NHS says 700mg is enough for people in the UK.
You will be asked about your gender, age, location, and whether you have ever been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia – conditions that weaken the bones.
You then enter how many servings of different foods you eat in a typical week.
Based on your answers, the calculator calculates how much calcium you consume each day.
The food options range from low-calcium foods, such as an apple, which contains only 6 mg, to high-calcium foods, such as sheep’s milk, which contain 380 mg per 200 ml.
Other low-calcium foods include white bread (6 mg per slice), red meat (7 mg per 120 g serving), and cooked rice (4 mg per 180 g).
In comparison, milk (240mg per 200ml), natural yogurt (206mg per 150g), and fortified soy drinks (240mg per 200ml) are the best foods to pack your calcium into.
While it’s important to make sure you eat foods high in calcium, you also need vitamin D, which can be obtained through frequent but safe sun exposure so that it can be absorbed into the body.
Professor Nicholas Harvey, Chair of the IOF Committee of Scientific Advisers, said: ‘The IOF Calcium Calculator is a simple tool for estimating your approximate daily calcium intake based on the foods you have eaten during an average week.
“We encourage people of all ages to meet their calcium intake needs by consuming a variety of calcium-rich foods, such as milk, yogurt and cheese, leafy green vegetables, calcium-rich tofu, or fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and alternative milk drinks.”