Who needs calcium and how much is required?
| Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Calcium | ||||
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnant | Lactating |
| 0–6 months* | 200 mg | 200 mg | ||
| 7–12 months* | 260 mg | 260 mg | ||
| 1–3 years | 700 mg | 700 mg | ||
| 4–8 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | ||
| 9–13 years | 1,300 mg | 1,300 mg | ||
| 14–18 years | 1,300 mg | 1,300 mg | 1,300 mg | 1,300 mg |
Reference: Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2010.
Are we consuming enough calcium?
Take a look at the bar on the right. Ages 70 and over are the most deficient in calcium. Women need more calcium than men to maintain strong bones. Clearly, women over the age of seventy need more cheese!
Top 4 calcium-rich cheeses
Size: 1 ounce
Parmesan 336 mg
Romano 302 mg
Gruyere 287 mg
Goat (hard) 254 mg
| Cheese | Type | Calcium (mg) |
| Blue | Semi-Soft | 150 |
| Brick | Semi-Soft | 191 |
| Brie | Semi-Soft | 52 |
| Camembert | Semi-Soft | 110 |
| Neufchatel | 33 | |
| Colby | Semi-Soft | 194 |
| Cream | Fresh | 28 |
| Cottage | Whole | 23 |
| Edam | Semi-Soft | 207 |
| Feta | Fresh | 140 |
| Gouda | Hard | 198 |
| Gruyere | Hard | 287 |
| Roquefort | 188 | |
| Monterey | Semi-Hard | 211 |
| Mozzarella, part skim milk | Fresh | 222 |
| Mozzarella, whole milk | Fresh | 143 |
| Muenster | Semi-Soft | 203 |
| Parmesan | Hard | 336 |
| Provolone | Semi-Soft | 214 |
| Ricotta, whole | Fresh | 60 |
| Romano | Hard | 302 |
| Swiss | 224 | |
| Goat | Semi-Soft | 84 |
| Goat | Hard | 254 |
| Goat | Soft | 40 |
| Queso Anejo | 193 | |
| Cheddar | Sharp | 199 |
| Fontina | 156 | |
| Gjetost | 113 | |
| Limburger | 141 | |
| Port de Salut | 184 |
Reference: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search