By: Andrea and Marissa

 Calcium is the most plentiful mineral in the human body and one of the most important. This mineral at the most takes up 2% of our body weight. 1% is in our teeth, and the rest is located in our circulation and other tissues.

 Bones- It is required for the formation of our bones. Knits new bone tissue. Keeps bones strong.  Muscles- Helps our muscles contract. Helps them remain flexible and not stiff.  Blood- Helps our blood clot. Keeps the blood flowing through our body.  Overall- Helps release hormones and enzymes that affect many bodily functions. Fuels important functions in your body like knitting new bone tissues, and helps nerves send messages. Regulates heart and muscle contraction and nerve conduction.

Life StageRecommended Amount of Calcium Birth – 6 months200 mg Infants 7 – 12 months260 mg Children 1 – 3 years700 mg Children 4 – 8 years1,000 mg Children 9 – 13 years1,300 mg Teens 14 – 18 years1,300 mg Adults 19 – 50 years1,000 mg Adult men 51 – 70 years1,000 mg Adult women 51 – 70 years1,200 mg Adults 71+ years1,200 mg

2 oz Swiss cheese- 530 mgs Jack cheese 2 oz mgs Cheddar cheese 2 oz- 400 mgs Other cheeses 2 oz.- 300–400 mgs Yogurt 6 oz mgs Broccoli, cooked 2 stalks- 250 mgs Sardines (w/bones)2 oz mgs Goat milk 6 oz.-240 mgs Cow’s milk 6 oz.-225 mgs Collard greens, cooked 6 oz.-225 mgs Turnip greens, cooked 6 oz.-220 mgs Almonds 3 oz.-210 mgs Brazil nuts 3 oz.-160 mgs

CheeseCalcium (mg) Parmesan336 Romano302 Gruyere287 Swiss224 Mozzarella, part skim milk222 Provolone214 Monterey211 Edam207 Cheddar204 Muenster203

 Parmesan Cheese- 336 milligrams of calcium.

MilksCalcium Per 1 Cup (mg) Goat327 Cow300 Soy200 Rice150 Almond175 Hemp20

 Goats milk or Cow milk milligrams of calcium per cup.

Calcium is an important part of our health. It affects most functions in our body. To stay healthy, you must have a certain amount each day according to your age group. Our age group (13-14) should be consuming around 1,300 mgs. It helps our bones, heart, blood, and muscles stay strong. There are many foods and drinks that can give you large amounts of calcium, but we limited it down to one food and one drink that is high in calcium. We researched the different types of milks and cheeses to see which ones are the best sources for calcium. We discovered parmesan cheese is a food high in calcium, and goats milk or cow milk is a drink high in calcium. We recommend you eat/drink some of these options to keep yourself healthy as you get older.

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