Importance of calcium in pregnancy
Calcium is the most important mineral in the human body in terms of quantity. It plays a major role in building bones in the unborn child. This is why you should ensure that there is sufficient intake of this mineral during pregnancy and that you get it through your diet. You can meet your daily requirement with calcium-rich foods and also promote calcium absorption with vitamin D.
Calcium is important for building bones
About 99 percent of calcium in the human body is bound together with phosphorus in the skeleton and teeth. In a newborn, there are around 25 to 30 grams of calcium stored there.
- According to the DGE (German Nutrition Society), the daily calcium requirement during pregnancy is 1000 milligrams. Young pregnant women under the age of 19 in particular need a little more at 1200 milligrams per day.
- During pregnancy, the development of the unborn child in the organism always comes first. Deficiencies not only have a negative impact on the child's development, but also on the mother's health.
- If you take in too little calcium with food, the body falls back on its own supplies. In this case, the mineral is mobilized from the teeth and bones of the pregnant woman to meet the needs of the unborn child.
- A permanent lack of calcium during pregnancy can lead to dental problems. However, you can prevent this by consuming foods rich in calcium.
Calcium is an important building material for the human skeleton, which the body ...
Consume foods rich in calcium during pregnancy
To cover the daily calcium requirement in the pregnancy both milk and vegetables are suitable.
- There is plenty of calcium in milk and dairy products such as cheese, quark and yoghurt. Some types of cheese, such as Bergkäse, Emmentaler and Lindenberger, contain around 1100 milligrams per 100 grams, which is particularly high in calcium.
- In addition, you can enrich your menu with vegetables containing calcium and thus contribute to covering the daily requirement. Broccoli, kohlrabi, fennel, kale and leek are recommended. But parsnips, swede and black salsify also score points with this mineral.
Factors that promote calcium absorption
Substances that promote absorption are of particular importance during pregnancy. These include vitamin D and lactose, among others. Absorption is the absorption of nutrients from the chyme during digestion.
- Vitamin D significantly improves calcium absorption from the intestine. Vitamin D causes the formation of a specific carrier protein, which enables the active transport of calcium. In the case of a vitamin D deficiency, calcium is only transported to a limited extent.
- Let the sun shine on your nose to stimulate the formation of vitamin D with UV light - without overdoing it, of course. About 20 minutes a day is enough.
- In the seasons with little sunshine, you can also get the sun vitamin through food. Vitamin D is abundant in fish, avocado and mushrooms.
- Lactose also has a positive effect on the intestinal flora. In this way, lactose promotes the utilization of milk calcium.
During pregnancy, a sufficient supply of calcium from food is particularly important for your health and the structure of your unborn baby's bones. You should therefore consume milk, dairy products and vegetables that contain calcium.
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