Calcium content of common food items in Chinese diet

Summary It has been shown that the amount of calcium consumed in childhood and adolescence has a role in determining the bone mass in later life. We recently showed that the daily calcium intake among Hong Kong Chinese is only 300–500 mg, which decreases with age. An investigation was thus made into the calcium content and other constituents of common food consumed by the local population. Test items included vegetables, rice, cooked food, and seasoning paste. The samples were first digested to remove organic constituent, and the mineral content was then analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The results show that egg, beancurd, and sesame paste contain a high calcium content and, if consumed in sufficient amount, would provide a good source of calcium. In view of the high incidence of lactase deficiency and thus the difficulty in increasing intake of milk and milk products, increased consumption of other types of food with high calcium would be useful in improving the daily calcium intake.