Calcium -a wonder mineral for women

2 mins to read

Naturopath Siobhan Jordan uncovers the many benefits of calcium for women of all ages. Read on to see why there's so much more to this mineral than just healthy bones.

Womens health

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and period pain relief

There appears to be an association between low dietary calcium intakes and PMS symptoms and out of all the nutrients investigated for the management of PMS, calcium as a supplement has shown the most promise. Calcium supplementation may offer relief to varying PMS symptoms including fluid retention, premenstrual pain and mood changes.

The findings in the area of calcium and PMS have led some researchers to hypothesise that part of the cause of PMS involves calcium dysregulation in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle (i.e. the time from ovulation to the beginning of the period) and highlight the strong similarities between the symptoms of PMS and symptoms of hypocalcaemia (low levels of calcium in the blood).

Calcium’s menstrual assistance doesn’t stop with the PMS stage of the cycle either. Thankfully calcium supplementation may also offer relief for dysmenorrhoea (i.e. period pain).

Post-menopausal osteoporosis

In case you’ve been isolated from civilisation in recent years, living under a rock perhaps (which, by the way, may contain calcium, although clearly not your most accessible source!) multiple studies have revealed the important role that calcium plays in the prevention of osteoporosis in post-menopausal females.

However, it is important to take a holistic view in the prevention of osteoporosis (i.e. don’t just consider calcium alone). Osteoporosis is a multifactorial condition with other areas to focus on including vitamin D levels and exercise, to name just two.

Pregnancy and breast feeding

The metabolism of calcium during pregnancy alters greatly, from as early as twelve weeks. There is a doubling of both calcium excretion and absorption at this time and additional calcium is lost when breast feeding which can result in reductions in maternal bone mineral content of 3-10%.

Calcium’s benefits during pregnancy appear to go beyond simply meeting the needs of the growing baby. Although more research is needed, this mineral may play a role in the maintenance of healthy blood pressure during pregnancy.

Did you know?
A study of 1045 Victorian women in 2000 found that at least 76% of the subjects consumed calcium at levels below the recommended daily intake (RDI).

Calcium – how much do I need and how much is in my food?

The recommended daily intakes (RDIs) of calcium for adult women are:

Adult Women	RDI
19-50 years	1000 mg
51 years and over	1300 mg
Pregnant women (14-18 years)	1300 mg
Pregnant women (19 years and over)	1000 mg
Breast feeding women (14-18 years)	1300 mg
Breast feeding women (19 years and over)	1000 mg

Food	Amount of calcium per 100g
Milk (skim)	117 mg
Milk (regular fat)	117 mg
Yoghurt (unflavoured, natural)	185 mg
Cheese (cheddar)	717 mg
Cheese (cow’s feta)	340 mg
Broccoli	33 mg
Tofu (firm)	320 mg
Almonds (raw, with skin)	250 mg
Brazil nuts (raw)	150 mg