A woman sits on a tree trunk and smiles with a bottle of Gerolsteiner in her hand.

Calcium in mineral water

Quick Facts: Calcium

Definition

Calcium is a mineral, and its chemical designation is Ca²⁺. It must be consumed daily as the body cannot produce it.

Function

Calcium is quantitatively the most represented mineral in the body. 99% of calcium is stored in bones and teeth (approx. 1 kg).

Daily requirement

Adults: 800 mg. Increased requirement for adults over 50 years of age, pregnant and breast-feeding women: up to 1,200 mg.

The significance of calcium

All minerals play important roles in your body. However, calcium has several particularly important roles. 99 percent of calcium (approx. 1kg) is stored in your skeleton – it is quantitatively the most important mineral in your bones and teeth enamel.

Our bodies are not able to produce the mineral nutrients we need, which is why it's necessary for us to obtain them from our food and beverages. Mineral Water contains mineral nutrients like calcium in a dissolved form - this increases its bioavailability, enabling our bodies to absorb and use this vital nutrient more readily.

Recommended daily requirement

Your body cannot produce calcium and so you need to consume it daily via food and beverages. For the average adult, the recommended daily calcium requirement is 800 mg per day. Children and adolescents need somewhat more while they are growing. Both pregnant and breast-feeding women also have a higher requirement. For these groups, a daily calcium intake of up to 1,200 mg is recommended. It is recommended that calcium intake should not exceed 1,500 mg of calcium per day.

Expert Questions

A total of approximately 1 kg of calcium is stored in the body, 99 percent of which is in bones and teeth. With an average of more than 50 mg per kg of body weight, calcium is quantitatively the most important mineral in the human body. Like all major minerals, your body cannot produce calcium on its own and therefore your diet should be providing your recommended daily requirement.

The daily requirement of an adult is 800 mg of calcium per day. Growing children and adolescents, however, have an increased daily requirement as do people over 50 years of age and pregnant and breast-feeding women. For these groups, the German Association for Nutrition, in keeping with international standards, recommends a daily intake of up to 1,200 mg.

Because your body cannot produce calcium, you must consume it daily via food and beverages. In addition to most mineral waters, dairy products, like milk, cheese, and yoghurt are the most common sources. It’s also available from some vegetables, like kale and broccoli and selected canned fish. Incidentally, your body can process the dissolved calcium in mineral water more readily; the bioavailability of calcium from mineral water is at least as good as that of calcium in milk.

Gerolsteiner Sparkling Mineral Water contains 348 mg of calcium per litre. This means that just one litre of Gerolsteiner satisfies more than a third of the recommended daily calcium intake.