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You should eat foods rich in calcium and iron. Calcium and iron are two essential elements in your daily nutritional intake. They participate in numerous activities and functions of the body, including strengthening bone, teeth, and supporting the immune system.
1. Why should you consume foods high in calcium and iron?
Calcium and iron are two essential nutrients to help protect your health. They participate in many processes involved in the formation and development of the body.
- Calcium is crucial in building and maintaining the foundation of bones, teeth, and tissues. It can also help prevent bone and joint diseases such as osteoporosis and gout.
Calcium is an essential nutrient for maintaining bone and teeth health.
Calcium is an important nutrient for your bones and teeth. It helps repair damaged cells, especially in older individuals. Calcium also helps keep bone cells strong and resilient. Consuming enough calcium daily will help you avoid bone-related diseases such as arthritis, height loss, and hormonal disorders.
- Iron plays a crucial role in the blood formation process and immune system development for the body. It also ensures the normal functioning of cells, organs, and body systems.
Iron is another crucial nutrient necessary to support your immune system. Iron also ensures that your body receives enough oxygenated blood and enhances your immune system.
Iron supports red blood cell formation and oxygen transportation in the body
Therefore, consuming calcium and iron-rich foods is very important to help protect your health. Especially for groups such as children, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and the elderly. Pregnant women need iron and calcium-rich foods to maintain a healthy pregnancy. If there is a lack of iron or calcium, the baby in the womb may not develop fully and may suffer from diseases such as anemia, osteoporosis, etc.
2. Listing Calcium and Iron-Rich Foods Beneficial for the Body
Considerations when supplementing iron and calcium
Foods rich in iron and calcium are abundant around us. However, for some specific groups, these sources of iron and calcium may not be sufficient. In such cases, using supplements to boost iron and calcium intake is essential. However, during supplementation, you need to be aware of certain considerations regarding iron and calcium.
Is it okay to supplement iron and calcium together?
If you take 1 calcium tablet and 1 iron tablet together, competition may occur. As a result, your body may not fully absorb the iron and calcium you are supplementing. Studies have shown that calcium can interfere with iron absorption. This occurs not only with tablets but also with liquid forms or dairy products. Therefore, you should supplement iron and calcium at least 2 hours apart to ensure effective absorption.
For optimal absorption, take calcium and iron supplements at least 2 hours apart.
Iron is best absorbed on an empty stomach, so take your iron supplement before a meal. After eating, you can then take your calcium supplement. Additionally, consider drinking orange juice to enhance absorption.
How much calcium and iron is sufficient?
While healthy adults can usually meet their calcium and iron needs through diet alone, certain groups such as picky eaters, pregnant women, individuals on restrictive diets, and the elderly may require supplementation. Supplementation should be tailored to individual nutritional needs. For example:
- Children:
Calcium: Children aged 1 to 3 should consume about 700 mg of calcium per day. Children aged 4 to 8 should consume about 1000 mg of calcium per day. Iron: Children aged 1 to 3 should consume about 7 mg of iron per day. Children aged 4 to 8 should consume about 10 mg of iron per day.
- Elderly Individuals:
Calcium: Elderly individuals should consume about 1200 mg of calcium per day. Iron: Elderly individuals should consume about 8 mg of iron per day.
- Pregnant Women:
Calcium: Pregnant women need to supplement with about 1000 mg of calcium per day, an increase of 200-300 mg compared to normal needs. Iron: Pregnant women need to supplement with about 27 mg of iron per day, an increase of 9-10 mg compared to normal needs.
- Breastfeeding Women:
Calcium: Breastfeeding women need to supplement with about 1000 mg of calcium per day, similar to pregnant women. Iron: Breastfeeding women need to supplement with about 9-10 mg of iron per day.
In summary, foods rich in iron and calcium are plentiful and should be added to your daily diet. If diagnosed with iron or calcium deficiency, you may consider using functional products. However, consult your doctor and thoroughly read about dosages before use.
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