Calcium is the most common trace element in the human body. This suggests that it is very, very important for ensuring life processes.

HEART, BONES, MUSCLES NEED CALCIUM

First, calcium is constantly required for the formation of bone tissue structure. It is no secret that thousands of biochemical reactions take place every second in the human body, old cells die, new ones are formed. Bone tissue is no exception. Its cells and the structures formed by them are constantly updated and, of course, require calcium. If it is not enough, there is a threat of developing diseases of the spine and joints: osteoporosis, osteochondrosis, arthritis, arthrosis, and the risk of fractures also increases.
Calcium also plays an important role in the functioning of the heart. Under its influence, the nerve impulse is extinguished, due to which the heart muscle relaxes. Since the heart works all its life without stopping, the rest phase is very important for it.
Calcium also provides relaxation of skeletal muscles, blocking the possibility of overstimulation of nerve endings. That is why calcium salts are used to relieve seizures.
One of the most important functions of calcium in the body is blood clotting. If there is too little calcium in the body, then it takes much longer for the wound or scratch to close with a blood clot. During this time, you can not only lose more blood, but also infect the wound, which will slow down its healing.
Calcium activates a number of enzymes and hormones, has anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects.

SIGNS OF CALCIUM DEFICIENCY

– Increased nervous excitability, insomnia, irritability.
– Cramps in the calf muscles, tingling in the arms and legs, nervous tics.
– Pain in the joints, tenderness of the gums, worsening pain tolerance.
– Profuse menstruation.
– Increased heart rate and high blood pressure.
– Brittle nails, hair loss, dental problems.

MAIN SOURCE OF CALCIUM

Based on the foregoing, it is unnecessary to talk about the importance of eating foods high in calcium. But when compiling your daily menu, you need to know some very important nuances, namely: which foods are really rich in calcium. The fact is that in the medical literature, for some reason, far from being the richest in calcium are popularized. products are dairy. And for some reason, they are silent about those that actually contain a huge amount of calcium.
In the first place in terms of calcium capacity is poppy. No wonder our ancestors used it with many dishes. My mother told me that in her childhood they prepared a very tasty dish – boiled potatoes with poppy seeds. Since childhood, I remember a dish that my grandmother and I loved, which my grandmother cooked for us – cakes with poppy seeds. There are many other “culinary masterpieces” in the Ukrainian national cuisine: dumplings with poppy seeds, pies with poppy seeds and beans with poppy seeds.

We bring to your attention a list of calcium-rich foods and herbs: poppy – 460 mg / 100 g, sesame 670-975 mg / 100 g, nettle – 713 mg / 100 g, large plantain – 412 mg / 100 g, sunflower seeds – 367 mg /100 g, rosehip – 257 mg / 100 g, almonds 252 – 273 mg / 100 g, parsley – 245 mg / 100 g, hazelnut – 226 mg / 100 g, amaranth, seeds – 214 mg / 100 g, watercress – 214 mg / 100 g, hard cheese – 600 mg / 100 g, cow’s milk – 120 mg / 100 g, cottage cheese – 80 mg / 100 g.

The World Health Organization recommended daily allowances for calcium are:

Children under 3 years old – 600 mg, from 4 to 10 years old – 800 mg, from 10 to 13 years old – 1000 mg; adolescents from 13 to 16 years old – 1200 mg, youth from 16 and older – 1000 mg, adults from 25 to 50 years old – from 800 to 1200 mg, women over 50 years old – 1000 mg, men over 50 years old – 1200 mg.

RECIPES RICH IN CALCIUM

Cheesecake with poppy. Cottage cheese – 1 kg, flour – 3 cups, sugar – 500 g, butter – 250 g, eggs – 5 pcs, apples – 4-5 pcs, poppy seeds – 1 cup, dark chocolate – 100 g, cocoa – 3 tbsp. l., sour cream – 2-3 tbsp. l., starch – 2 tbsp. l., soda – 0.5 tbsp. l., vanilla sugar – to taste, lemon juice, vegetable oil.
Divide 3 eggs into yolks and whites. Put the proteins in the refrigerator, and beat the yolks with 100 g of sugar until they turn white. Add soft butter and beat well with a mixer. Soda extinguish with lemon juice. Add to the oil mixture soda and 1 tbsp. l. cocoa. Gradually add the sifted flour and knead a soft dough. Divide it into 2 parts and wrap each in cling film. Place in refrigerator.
Skip the cottage cheese twice through a meat grinder. Add 2 eggs, starch and vanilla sugar. Mix thoroughly. Beat 3 proteins with a mixer until a stable foam is formed. Continuing to churn, gradually add 300 g of sugar. Add the protein mass to the cheese and gently mix everything with a spoon.
Rinse poppy seeds, steam with boiling water and grind in a coffee grinder. Wash and peel apples, grate. Mix poppy seeds with apples, vanilla sugar and 100 g of sugar. If the poppy seed filling turned out to be too liquid, then you can add 1 tbsp. l. starch.
Cover the baking dish with parchment, grease with vegetable oil. Grate one part of the dough evenly on a coarse grater. Place cheese on top. Smooth out and put the poppy seed filling on top. Grate the second part of the dough on top. Place in an oven preheated to 180 C and bake the cheesecake until tender, about 45-50 minutes.
Break the chocolate into pieces. Add sour cream and melt everything until smooth over low heat, stirring constantly. Cool slightly and pour the finished cheesecake with chocolate icing. Place in refrigerator until completely cooled.
Cakes with poppy. Рецепт теста № 1: 3,5 стакана муки, 1 стакан минеральной воды, 1 ч. l. salt, 1 tbsp. l. сахара, 0,5 ч. l. soda. Dough recipe number 2: 3.5 cups of flour, 1 cup of kefir, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. l. сахара, 0,5 ч. l. соли, 0,5 ч. l. soda. Dressing: 200 g poppy seeds, 1 glass of sugar. 0.5 l of boiled water.
Knead the dough, divide into 4 parts, roll out circles as thick as a finger, pierce with a fork in several places, fry the cakes in a dry frying pan on both sides. Let cool. Or you can bake it in the oven if you like.
Grind the poppy in a coffee grinder and pour boiling water, add sugar. It’s even better to grind poppy seeds with sugar in a clay mortar with makogon, it’s tastier, almost like grandmother’s.
Break the cakes into small pieces, you can cut them into rhombuses or squares 2 by 2 cm. Pour the cakes with syrup, mix and let it brew for at least half an hour.
Potatoes with poppy seeds. 1 kg potatoes, 3 tbsp. l. poppy, 1 tbsp. l. butter, a third of a glass of milk, sour cream. Peel and boil potatoes in salted water, mash them until smooth. Pour poppy seeds with boiling water, let it swell, squeeze it through a double layer of gauze and carefully grind with a rolling pin or makogon (or pass through a meat grinder). Add butter to poppy seeds, pour hot milk, mix with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle parsley on top. You can drizzle with sour cream before serving.