[Content and absorption of calcium in diets of Northwestern Mexico: a bibliographic retrospective]. / Contenido y absorción del calcio proveniente de la dieta del noroeste de México. Una retrospectiva bibliográfica.

Calcium is an essential mineral in humans for growth and development of bones and teeth. In adults, bone activity is limited to maintaining bone mass and in order to do this, an adequate intake of calcium is necessary. The objective of this study was to conduct a review of the information available in the literature on the content and availability of calcium in the diet in Northwestern Mexico. The diet studies show that the amount of calcium (1164 mg/d) in the diets in Northwestern Mexico meets the RDA for adults 25 or older and that the principal sources of calcium are corn tortillas, wheat flour tortillas and beans. Bioavailability of calcium in diets containing these foods increases when small amounts of dairy products are added to the diet. This same difference in the availability of calcium was observed in an in vivo study conducted in young women. We can conclude, based on the studies mentioned, that it is necessary to evaluate the effect of calcium in the diets of Northwestern Mexico directly in the general population taking into consideration factors that may play a role in maintaining bone structure such as exercise, age, sex.