鈣。感謝國中的健康課程、乳品委員會多年的廣告，甚至可能是這樣 校舍搖滾影片 看著戴著平頂帽跳舞的骷髏，您可能知道鈣的重要性，尤其是對女性而言。
What you might not know is why calcium is so important, or that you don’t have to eat a lot of dairy (or even any) to get it.
請繼續閱讀，了解鈣的好處、為什麼從飲食中獲取鈣勝過依賴補充劑，以及有關這種重要礦物質及其在身體中的關鍵作用的其他資訊。
鈣的好處
儘管它的主要作用是建造強壯的骨骼和牙齒， 鈣是必需的 也有助於肌肉、神經和心臟的正常功能。如果沒有足夠的鈣，兒童可能無法達到正常身高，成年人可能面臨骨質疏鬆症的風險——骨質疏鬆症是一種以多孔、脆骨為特徵的疾病。
Calcium may even play a role in preventing cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Though the jury’s still out on those benefits, getting the right amount of calcium certainly can’t hurt.
飲食與補充劑
在我們繼續討論鈣補充劑和飲食來源之前，我們應該提到，服用鈣補充劑可能會有一些風險 太多了 鈣。當飲食是您主要或唯一的鈣來源時，這種情況幾乎不會發生，這是嘗試主要從飲食中獲取鈣的原因之一。避免鈣補充劑的另一個原因是它們可能會帶來您可能想要避免的副作用（例如便秘和腹脹）。
對於那些可能無法透過飲食攝取足夠鈣或鈣需求較高的人，仍然建議補充鈣。你 可能需要補充鈣質 如果你：
- 遵循純素飲食
- 吃大量的蛋白質或鈉，這會導致你的身體排出更多的鈣
- 有骨質疏鬆症
- 接受皮質類固醇的長期治療
- 患有腸道或消化系統疾病，例如發炎性腸道疾病或乳糜瀉，會降低您吸收鈣的能力
- 是否患有乳糖不耐症並限制牛奶和乳製品的攝取量
對我們大多數人，尤其是女性來說，每天服用一粒或多種維生素中適量的鈣並不會讓你感到超強。但如果您認為自己可能有攝取過多的風險，請諮詢您的醫生。
乳製品以外的鈣
For the many of us who are cutting out dairy, getting enough calcium is perhaps the chief concern. Fortunately, there are lots of other delicious, healthy ways you can get your calcium.
種子
種子是超緊湊的營養發電機。其中一些鈣含量很高，包括罌粟、芝麻、芹菜和奇亞籽。種子還提供蛋白質和健康脂肪。例如，奇亞籽是 omega-3 脂肪酸的重要植物來源。光是一湯匙芝麻就含有每日建議鈣量的 9%。它還含有銅、鐵和錳。
Sardines or canned salmon
沙丁魚和罐頭鮭魚的骨頭可以食用，因此富含鈣質。一罐 3.75 盎司的沙丁魚可提供每日建議鈣量的 35%。三盎司帶骨鮭魚罐頭含有 21%。這些油性魚類提供優質蛋白質和 omega-3 脂肪酸，對您的心臟、大腦和皮膚有益。
Beans and lentils
Beans and lentils are high in fiber, protein, and micronutrients, and contain plenty of iron, zinc, folate, magnesium, and potassium. Some kinds of beans have a fair amount of calcium. White beans are a good source, with a cup of cooked white beans providing 13 percent of your recommended daily calcium. Most other varieties of beans and lentils have less than half of that, but can still be a significant part of your calcium intake.
杏仁
Of all the nuts, almonds are the highest in calcium. An ounce of almonds, or about 22 nuts, delivers 8 percent of your daily calcium. Almonds also provide 3 grams of fiber per ounce, as well as healthy fats and protein. They’re a great source of magnesium, manganese, and vitamin E, and eating nuts may help lower blood pressure and body fat.
Dark, leafy greens
Greens like collards, kale, and spinach are incredibly healthy, and some of them are high in calcium. For instance, one cup of cooked collard greens has 266 mg of calcium, which for most is a quarter of the amount you need in a day. Note that some varieties of greens, like spinach, are also high in oxalates, which reduce the amount of the calcium your body takes in. Kale and collard greens are low-oxalate greens, so you get more of the good stuff.
大黃
Another high-oxalate plant, rhubarb, provides a lot of calcium—but only some of it is useable by your body. Still, a cup of cooked rhubarb has almost 9 percent of your daily calcium requirement. Rhubarb also has a lot of fiber and vitamin K to offer, and can help promote healthy gut bacteria.
莧菜
「偽穀物」（如藜麥）莧菜是葉酸的極佳來源，並且某些礦物質含量非常高，如錳、鎂、磷、鐵和鈣。一杯煮熟的莧菜籽粒可滿足您日常需求的 12% 左右。
毛豆和豆腐
Edamame are soybeans in the pod, and tofu is made from soybeans. One cup of edamame has 10 percent of your recommended daily calcium. It’s also a good source of protein and delivers all your daily folate in a single serving. Tofu that’s been prepared with calcium has exceptionally high amounts of calcium. You can get 86 percent of your daily calcium in just half a cup.
無花果
無花果乾含有大量的抗氧化劑和纖維，而且比大多數乾果還含有更多的鈣——一盎司的鈣含量就相當於每日鈣量的 5%。它們還提供適量的鉀和維生素 K。
別忘了D
無論您如何獲得鈣，請記住，如果沒有維生素 D，您的身體就無法吸收任何鈣。維生素 D 的最大天然來源是皮膚吸收的陽光，因此您可能需要考慮享用一些鈣來源野餐式。但您也可以從帶骨魚和蛋黃等食物以及維生素 D 強化食品中獲得一些維生素 D。
將這些關於鈣的「鐵證」放在手邊，您的身體將感謝您數十年。
