Nutrition Composition of Flour and Bread

Vitamin and Minerals, Calcium and bone health

Flour, particularly white flour, is rich in calcium, essential for strong, healthy bones and teeth. Six slices of white bread every day will provide around 20% of the recommended daily calcium intake. Bread is one of the best value sources of calcium in our diet.

Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is vital for the structural integrity of the bones and teeth. It also has a role in numerous metabolic processes within the body. A lack of dietary calcium can lead to osteoporosis in which the bones become porous. Osteoporosis usually affects the whole skeleton, but it most commonly causes breaks (fractures) to bones in the wrist, spine and hip. After the age of 35 years bone loss can increase as part of the natural aging process. It is extremely important that women at risk eat a calcium rich diet, take plenty of exercise and also make sure they are eating enough vitamin D (assists in the absorption of calcium into the bone).

The fortification of flour contributes to 14% of the total calcium intake for adults and almost 20% of the total calcium intake for children. In the absence of this fortification it would be assumed that these intakes would fall below the recommended nutrient intake (RNI). The current RNI for calcium is 600mg a day for children and 1000mg a day for adult