According to the recently launched global map of dietary calcium intake by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), Indian adults consume only half the amount of calcium required for healthy bones. The average calcium intake is only 429 mg per day against the requirement of 800 to 1000 mg per day. Calcium is a major component of bones, accounting for about 30% to 35% of the mass and strength. low calcium intake has been linked to lower bone-mineral density, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.
The calcium intake of a person varies at each stage of life. The requirements are especially high in the teenage years due to the rapid growth of the skeleton, and at older age, when the body's ability to absorb calcium declines. In older adults, there is bone loss at the rate of about 1% per year, resulting in calcium loss of approximately 15 g per year. Bones are empty and in a typically adult male, the whole skeleton weighs less than 3 kg. Everyone builds bone up to the age of 30, and then, the process of bone resorption begins. It is, therefore, important for children to build strong bones so that they are not susceptible to fractures when they grow old.
Adequate calcium intake comes from milk, curd & paneer. Ideally, one should take a glass of milk in the morning & evening and curd & paneer in the afternoon for adequate calcium intake. Calcium is also present in black gram (urad daal) & sesame seeds