Optimize your absorption of Calcium and Iron.

Do you know of two kingpins in your society or two co-workers in your organization that are very smart and have the potential of orchestrating tremendous development and growth but somehow neither of them wants to work with the other for reasons best known to them?

Well, #Calcium and #iron can perfectly represent these two giants.

Calcium(Ca) is a mineral most often associated with healthy bones and teeth, and it plays an important role in blood clotting, helps muscles to contract, and regulates normal heart rhythms and nerve functions. About 99% of calcium is stored in bones. 1% is found in blood, muscle, and other tissues. Calcium is widely available in many foods, not just milk and other dairy foods. Fruits, beans, nuts, Leafy greens ( mustard, turnip, kale, spinach),? Calcium-fortified orange juice, and some starchy vegetables. In some foods, calcium is absorbed #faster (high bioavailability) than in others. For example, dairy foods have a bioavailability of about 30% absorption. If a food label on milk lists 300mg Ca per cup, about 100mg will be absorbed and used by the body. Plant foods like leafy greens contain less calcium overall but have a higher bioavailability than dairy. For example, bok choy contains about 160 mg of calcium per 1 cup cooked but has a higher bioavailability of #50%.

About 70% of your body's iron(Fe) is found in a protein in red blood cells called hemoglobin. Fe is essential in making hemoglobin. Hemoglobin helps carry oxygen throughout your body. 6% of iron can also be found in other essential proteins; another 25% is stored in your body in a blood protein called #ferritin. Iron is also vital for a fully functioning immune system. There are two types of iron in foods: heme iron and nonheme iron. #Heme iron is found in red meat, poultry, and pork and is most easily absorbed. #Non-heme iron is not as easily absorbed, but is still a good source of iron and essential if you don’t eat meat. Foods that are high in this type of iron include greens, breakfast cereals fortified by iron, bread and pasta, tofu, beans, dried fruits, and eggs. Eating foods that are high in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, oranges, pineapples, citrus fruits, and bell peppers, helps with Iron absorption.

Your body cannot make these two essential nutrients. The body only gets the calcium and iron it needs through the food you eat, or from supplements. #However these nutrients are always at loggerheads with each other. #Taking foods that are rich in iron #alongside those that are rich in calcium prevents the absorption of either of these nutrients to our bodies. (Calcium inhibits iron absorption). Therefore, you should not mix them or take them in close proximity to ensure that your body absorbs these two nutrients for #optimal #nutrition.?

By;

Valentine Idah Chepngeno

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist(RDN)

Editor- Primus Nutrition

[email protected]