Calcium

Calcium is essential for your health because it is an important building block of the body. The mineral is particularly well known as a component of bones and teeth. Especially with your children, you should make sure they always take in enough calcium as they grow.

Calcium – What is it really?

To stay healthy, your body needs a regular supply of vitamins and minerals.
There is no other mineral in the body that occurs in such large quantities as calcium:

The body contains 1 to 1.5 kilograms of the so-called "bulk element". This is needed to maintain teeth and bones – accordingly, 99% of calcium present in the body is stored here.

You probably know that dairy products, like milk, cheese and yogurt, are main sources of calcium. Quark is an exception because it contains much less calcium than other products. So, you can quickly cover your calcium requirements with a balanced diet. Many types of cheese and yogurt are popular with children since they can easily be integrated into their diet. If you or members of your family are lactose intolerant or vegan, you can try calcium-rich vegetables, pulses, nuts, mineral-water or juices. The following foods have a particularly high calcium content:

These are just a few examples – many more foods contain calcium. Unlike vitamins, minerals are not heat-sensitive. They are not destroyed by cooking and baking. Nevertheless, take care while preparing food to make sure large amounts of calcium are not wasted in cooking water, since some of the calcium is transferred into the water during the cooking process. If you are on a diet, eating dark-green leafy vegetables such as kale or spinach is worthwhile. 
One advantage is the calcium intake is better than with dairy products and you will not exceed your personal calorie target too quickly. Some vegetables, like spinach, contain substances that inhibit calcium absorption (called oxalates and phytates), however, these substances can be reduced by blanching the vegetables first.