November 24, 2007 by Kavit Haria
How to get all the calcium your bones need daily
Calcium is a mineral we need daily for building strong bones and teeth, and for preventing osteoporosis. The amount of calcium needed over a lifetime change with age. During the years a child is actively growing, a lot of calcium is important. The mid-life years require a bit less, just to maintain strong bones. However, later in life, the need increases once again to prevent bone loss.
Ninety-nine percent of the body’s calcium stores are in our teeth and bones. The other 1% resides in the blood and soft tissues of the body. Osteoporosis is a serious disease and a result of the body pulling from it’s own stores of calcium within the body. Bones become very fragile and are more likely to break. This is why we need to either eat plenty of calcium or take supplements to ensure we get enough each day.
Calcium also has several other seldom known benefits. Calcium plays a role in nerve conduction, blood clotting, muscle contraction, cardiac action, and milk production (for young nursing mothers). It is a key player in the metabolizing hormones and enzymes. Calcium has been shown to bind free fatty acids and bile acids, which could help to prevent certain types of cancers.
It plays an essential role in the transformation of light to electrical impulses in the retina (eye). Calcium combines with phosphorus in the bones to lend strength to the skeletal structure. Studies have shown also that those who are well-supplied with calcium in their developmental years tend to live longer and avoid more serious illnesses later in life.
We can get our required amount of calcium daily by eating foods rich in calcium. Such foods would include milk, cheeses, broccoli, kale, eggs, fish, kefir, peas, potatoes, lentils, soybeans, yogurt, collard greens, calcium-fortified breads, strawberries, fruit juices, oranges, rice, some seafood such as salmon and some cereals. Drinking water may also contain calcium.
Now, in order for the body to absorb calcium, it needs Vitamin D. Food sources of Vitamin D are egg yolks, liver, cod liver oil, multivitamins, and milk fortified with Vitamin D. It is also recommended we get 15 minutes a day in the sunshine to help us get our daily dose of Vitamin D. If for some reason you are unable to get enough calcium through food each day, supplements are a viable substitute.
As you read the label, make sure to check the amount of calcium contained in each dose. The recommended dose of calcium per day is about 2500 mg between food and supplements. Avoid taking calcium and iron supplements at the same time, as they interfere with each other’s absorption.
Calcium is essential for development, resisting diseases, and for staying healthy, so try to eat a balanced diet or take supplements to get the much-needed daily amount.
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Bulletin News says:
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December 11, 2007 at 10:15 am
Pigmentation of Skin says:
Calcium and vitamin D is very important for bones. But normally people use tanning beds and too much sun bath for gaining more vitamin D. This thing is not better for health.
Too much tannin and being exposure to the sun cause many pigmentation disorder in skin.
Like the skin condition that causes white patch in skin
November 25, 2008 at 10:19 am