We all heard our mothers emphasizing the importance of drinking two glasses of milk every day when we were children. Milk and dairy products contain a high quantity of Calcium, a mineral that is required for people of all ages. For children in their growing years, their bones need the right amount of Calcium to grow strong and healthy.
Why is Calcium important for children? What are the consequences of Calcium deficiency?
Calcium is one of the main building blocks of bones. Over 90% of the body’s calcium is found in bones. This mineral helps to build up strong and healthy bones, and therefore speeds up height. Calcium also boosts the release of the required quantity of enzymes and hormones, and contributes to children’s comprehensive growth and development. If you don’t get enough calcium, your body tends to “rob” it from your bones, leading to bone diseases. Weak bones might lead to a disease condition called osteoporosis, which negatively influences the bone health and height growth of a child. Lacking Calcium in children is one of the primary causes of stunted growth.
As calcium has a vital role to play in height growth, parents should notice that in the first few years of their children to ensure sufficient calcium intake. One way to do so is by investing in their children’s diet.
Calcium Requirements
Right from the time a child is born to the later years, Calcium intake requirements differ. It is also important to remember that too much Calcium can cause adverse reactions. Too much Calcium can lead to constipation, the formation of kidney stones, and increase the risks of heart diseases and prostate cancer.
Below is the recommended amount of Calcium intake age-wise:
| Age | Recommended Dose |
| Infants aged six months | 200 mg |
| Infants aged between seven and twelve months | 260 mg |
| Children between one and three years | 700 mg |
| Children between four and eight years | 1,000 mg |
| Children between nine and eighteen years | 1,300 mg |
| Adults aged between nineteen and fifty years | 1,000 mg |
What are the natural sources of Calcium?
- Dietary products contain the highest Calcium quantities and should be an essential part of your child’s daily diet. Milk is the hero product here, without a doubt. While there are many vegetables like spinach that contain an almost equal amount of Calcium, the absorbability of Calcium from milk is higher because of the presence of oxalic acid in spinach.
- Make sure to include cheese and yoghurt in the diet of your children.
- In vegetables, some of the superfood products are broccoli, cabbage, and kale.
- Fortified breakfast cereals are also a rich source of Calcium.
- Seeds like poppy, chia, and sesame contain Calcium too.
- Fishes like Salmon and Sardines are also stuffed with Calcium.
- Ensure that your child eats lots of lentils, pulses, and beans.
- Nuts like almonds are also loaded with Calcium.
- Edamame and Tofu are also viable sources of Calcium.
Can Supplements help?
The growing bodies require a good amount of calcium during their growing years – childhood and puberty. However, it’s hard to make sure if our daily diet contains the recommended doses of calcium. Children who are lactose intolerant are advised to take a Calcium supplement. Lactose intolerance, allergy to milk and milk products, and vegetarians who do not eat fish or eggs should consult with their doctors for advice on the right Calcium supplement. This helps children fill in the nutrient gaps to grow taller and stronger.
Choosing the right supplement is difficult because there are many supplements available in the market today. NuBest Tall is a premium supplement packed with an excellent source of calcium with highly absorbable capacities, which won’t cause side effects like kidney stones or constipation. This product is formulated by US medical doctors for children and teens to catch up their height growth. All NuBest Tall ingredients are naturally originated, non-GMO and gluten-free. NuBest has three products to fit the choices of customers regardless of their diet and preferences –NuBest Tall (for children aged 5 and above), NuBest Tall 10+ (for children aged 10 and above), and NuBest Tall Kids (for children aged 2 to 9). They are all manufactured in the US in an FDA-registered facility and have been certified by HACCP and cGMP for high quality and purity.