Why Calcium and Iron Are Vital to the Body

Calcium and iron are essential minerals in the harmonious development of the body. If you know how to choose the right foods, you can ensure the amount needed to maintain your health.

A daily serving of iron

Iron is a mineral substance with multiple roles in the body, the most important being to ensure the transport of oxygen through the blood. The main natural sources of iron are whole grains, beans, spinach, beef, and egg yolk.

Cereals are one of the main sources of iron in the daily diet.

A 30 g serving of cereal provides 8 mg of iron - the recommended requirement for children aged 9 to 13 years. Large quantities (slightly harder to assimilate) contain parsley root, figs, raisins, dried apricots, nettles, boiled potatoes, almonds, etc.

Research shows that iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional problem in the world. Specialists recommend daily consumption of iron-fortified foods, such as cereals.

The Role of Iron in the Body

• It is an antioxidant and ensures the transport of oxygen in the body.
• It intervenes in the process of energy production.
• Regulates oxygen deficiency at high altitudes or for people with lung disease.
• Helps with DNA synthesis.
• It is involved in vital functions for the body, including growth, reproduction, and immune function.

What is the recommended amount of iron?

The body's daily iron requirement varies mainly depending on age, sex, and nutritional level. The body's ability to assimilate and use iron depends on the needs of each person, at various stages of life.

Iron is absorbed more efficiently when it comes to body growth or pregnancy. An extra iron intake is important for pregnant and lactating women.

Iron Deficiency Causes Anemia

This is manifested by fatigue, rapid heartbeat, palpitations, rapid breathing on exertion, athletic performance, and limited work capacity; the ability to maintain a normal body temperature when exposed to cold is also affected.

Severe iron deficiency can cause brittle nails, swelling in the corners of the mouth, atrophy of the taste, and a loaded tongue, and in extreme cases, there may be difficulty swallowing, due to the formation of formations in the throat and esophagus. In children, iron deficiency causes delays in cognitive and social development, reduces school performance.

The Body Regulates the Assimilated Quantity of Iron

The body has a very well-developed system to regulate iron levels. If the reserves are low, the absorption of iron increases, and when the iron level is high, the body absorbs less.

As such, it rarely happens that there is too much iron in the body (for example, when a lot of iron is consumed from medicines or nutritional supplements).

Sources of calcium

A Bowl With Cereals Is the Best Source of Calcium

These are an important source of calcium for everyone: a bowl of cereal with milk provides about a third of the daily requirement. Breakfast cereals are rich in vitamins, calcium, and iron, providing an adequate amount of calcium for any age and vitamin D, necessary for calcium fixation.

The assimilation of calcium from cereals also allows the assimilation of the other nutrients in their component. In the body, calcium is found in 99% in bones and teeth and 1% in blood and other fluids. Calcium is involved in the functioning of the skeletal, nervous, circulatory, muscular, reproductive, and hormone secretions.

Portion of calcium

Calcium is found mainly in milk, dairy, and cereals. A serving of 30 g of cereal provides 10% of the recommended daily dose of calcium for children between 9 and 18 years, and a bowl of cereal with milk - almost 30% of this dose.

Calcium Required

• Between 1 and 3 years - 500 mg / day
• Between 4 and 8 years - 800 mg / day
• Between 9 and 18 years - 1,300 mg / day
• Between 19 and 50 years (including pregnant women) - 1,000 mg / day
• Between 51 and 70 years and more - 1,200 mg / day.

The Role of Calcium in the Body

• Helps in the growth and development of the bone system.
• Reduces the risk of fractures.
• Prevents osteoporosis.
• Coordinates blood circulation and helps blood clot.
• It transmits impulses to the nervous system.
• Contract and relax muscles.
• Regulates hormone levels.

It facilitates the assimilation of nutrients and the elimination of acidic residues, following the metabolic process.

Increases the immunity of the reproductive system.

Childhood is crucial for the assimilation of calcium into the body

Foods rich in calcium (cereals, dairy products) contribute, in childhood, to the establishment of calcium reserves for later. Almost 90% of an adult's bone mass is between 9 and 18 years old.

The total amount of calcium in the bone system decreases every year by 1%, so that at the age of 50 there is a decrease of the amount by 30%.

Therefore, it is very important to focus on very good assimilation of calcium in the body since childhood, so that this mineral is already fixed in adults and to reduce the risk of deficiencies.

Lack of calcium in the body leads to minor effects, such as lack of energy, back pain, restlessness, joint pain, predisposition to colds or spondylosis, to the appearance of conditions such as osteoporosis, deficient dentition, kidney stones, or gallstones.