As women, we always worry about whether or not we are getting enough calcium. It’s becoming fashionable to take calcium supplements after stepping into middle age. Do all women really need calcium supplements once they cross 40? No.
Traditional Indian diets included adequate calcium-rich foods and there was no need for calcium supplements in the form of tablets. Lifestyle changes over the last few decades have robbed calcium from our bones and supplementation has become common.
Some of the calcium ‘robbers’ are carbonated beverages, smoking, alcohol, caffeine, sodium and sedentary lives. If the ‘robbers’ can be eliminated (eg – smoking) or restricted (eg – sodium), we have a greater retention of calcium in our bones and reduced need for supplements.
Also, include calcium-rich foods like soybean, horse gram, chick peas (channa), ragi, dairy foods, green leafy vegetables, fish, sesame seeds (til), cumin seeds (jeera), almonds, regularly in your diet.