3 simple ways to help children absorb calcium better

Calcium plays an important role in building strong bones and teeth and supporting height development. This mineral also participates in many essential functions of the body such as nerve transmission, muscle contraction, heart rate regulation and blood clotting.

According to Healthline, children’s daily calcium needs according to age: under 6 months about 300 mg, 1-3 years old 500 mg, 4-6 years old 600 mg, 7-9 years old 700 mg, and 10-19 years old about 1,000 mg. Below are ways to help increase calcium supplementation for children.

Eat foods rich in calcium

To develop optimal bone and height, children need to be supplemented with calcium from diverse, easily absorbed nutritional sources. Good calcium-rich food groups include milk and dairy products, seafood, green leafy vegetables (amaranth, spinach, kale), fruits (citrus, kiwi, dried figs…).

Sesame seeds, almonds, and chia seeds are rich in easily absorbable calcium. Parents should feed their children pureed nuts to help them absorb calcium well. Parents can mix sesame seeds, sprinkle chia seeds into smoothies or add them to milk for their children to drink.

Sunbathe

Theo Times of India, Sunbathing helps children synthesize vitamin D under the skin. Vitamin D acts as a “key” to help the body absorb and metabolize calcium effectively, thereby preventing rickets. However, to achieve good results and safety for the baby, mothers need to clearly understand how to do it.

Adults let children sunbathe early in the morning before 9am or late in the afternoon. Children should not be exposed directly to harsh sunlight after 9am because there are many ultraviolet rays that are harmful to children’s skin.

Babies under one month old should only bathe 5-10 minutes a day. Older children can gradually increase to 10-15 minutes. Parents should not sunbathe through glass doors because glass will block UVB rays, making the skin unable to synthesize vitamin D.

Limit carbonated soft drinks

Many soft drinks (especially carbonated water) contain a lot of phosphoric acid. When this substance enters the body, it increases the rate of calcium excretion through urine.