Calcium

WHY DOES OUR BODY NEED CALCIUM? I think most of us know that our body needs calcium to form strong teeth and bones. But calcium is used in other parts of our body that many of us do not know about. For example calcium is also used for: muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, regulation of enzyme activity, and hormonal secretion to name just a few.

About 99% of our body’s calcium is used for our bones and teeth and about 1% of our body’s calcium is used for everything else. It is important to get the right amount of calcium because the older we get the less our body retains our calcium intake.  You might have heard that our bones acts as a calcium bank. Well this bank will only take calcium deposits until the age of 30 to 35. But that does not mean that it is pointless to take calcium after that point. Instead this just means one needs to make sure they get enough calcium every day. Remember that 1% of calcium I mentioned before?? Well if you don’t take enough calcium to satisfy that 1% your body will take calcium from your bones to maintain that 1%.

CALCIUM DEFICIENCY: If we don’t eat the proper amount of calcium that we need than our bones can get brittle, our children may be shorter than other children, we may have unhealthy teeth, we increase the risk of getting osteoporosis. Also if one doesn’t have enough calcium they may feel tired and have a hard time sleeping at night.

WHAT ARE OPTIONS FOR CALCIUM INTAKE?: Diary products are a good source of calcium. But they are not the only option we have. Other good sources of calcium (but not limited to) are  collards, bok choy, spinach, turnip greens, fortified soy milk, and tofu. Taking a calcium supplement is a good idea if you don’t believe you are eating enough calcium. If you are pregnant it is even more important for you to get extra calcium because the baby will need it to grow healthy bones. To check what foods have calcium check out this helpful link. http://www.whfoods.com/foodstoc.php

Eating enough calcium can help lower the risk of getting cataracts, colon cancer, high blood pressure, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney stones, osteoporosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, pregnancy induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and premenstrual syndrome.

For our body to absorb calcium, calcium needs to be taken with vitamin D. So when purchasing calcium supplements make sure the supplements also contain vitamin D.

Note: Always consult your doctor if you are on any medications or have any condition before taking any supplements. This is because there maybe certain supplements that you should not take with certain medications.

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