Calcium for Kids

This is a tricky topic as every individual is different. It is tricky based on types of calcium you are taking because the bioavailability may be different. Everyone's bones are different and your needs can be different based on genetics but here are some guidelines:
7-12 month old: 260mg/day
1-3 years 700mg/day
4-8 years 1,000 mg/day
9-13 years 1,300mg/day

Some of my favorite calcium sources:
Kale
Broccoli
Collards
Bok Choy
Mustard greens
Turnip greens
Sesame seeds
Blackstrap molasses
Tofu
Chia seeds- high levels of calcium.
Salmon
Sardines

While spinach, beet greens and swiss chard are high in calcium, only about 5% of the calcium gets absorbed. This is due to the presence of oxalates as this is an anti-nutrient which inhibits calcium absorption. One way to reduce the presence of oxalates is to lightly sautee these greens. When consuming greens like Kale, Turnip, Mustard Green and bok choy about 50% of the calcium can be absorbed by the body.

One important thing to highlight with calcium absorption, you need enough vitamin D (specifically D3) in order for calcium to be absorbed. Did you see my post about vitamin d and kids? Additionally, cellulose (often found in pre-shredded cheese) has been found to hinder calcium absorption.

Some may find that dairy is a great source of calcium which it is but realize that you can only absorb about 30% of the calcium.

Questions about calcium?? ⤵️⤵️⤵️