The main health benefit of calcium in the body is to ensure strong bone and teeth. Calcium is the main substance that makes up our bone. This nutrient is not manufactured in the body, thus it has to come from our diet. Growth and development in all ages cannot occur without adequate amounts of calcium in the body.
The work of calcium in the body does not end when growth stops. It is required for other functions in the body and bearing in mind that you lose great amounts of calcium daily.
This loss has to be replaced by taking more calcium, otherwise the body will use the calcium reserved in the bones which might result to weak bones.
Note that when you consume enough quantities of calcium and vitamin D, you build enough bone mass which reduces your chances of bone loss that might occur later in life.
Research shows that calcium supplementation not only reduces bone loss and the incidence of fractures, but may slightly increase bone mass, even in the very old. It is also clear that supplements are very effective in increasing and maintaining your bone density.
Other benefits of calcium include prevention or reduction high blood pressure and childhood obesity. Calcium also lowers the risk of colon cancer. It is also essential for muscle contraction and nerve transmission.
An increasing calcium intake throughout the life span can benefit the skeleton. Where dietary sources are scarce supplementation has a significant positive benefit to the skeleton.
How to Increase Calcium Intake
Increasing your daily intake by 1000 mg per day may be accomplished by use of dietary supplements, consuming foods fortified with calcium, or ingesting more dairy products. All these three are roughly equal in terms of bioavailability of the calcium they contain.
Food sources are more expensive than dietary supplement sources, but they are great sources of other nutrients other than calcium alone.
The cost of adding 1000 mg of calcium to the diet would be less than a quarter a day for most calcium supplements.
Whether to change overall dietary habits to make room for more calcium foods or simply to add calcium supplement is your choice.
Many people today consider taking supplements to be the easier route. However, your most convenient option is the best for you thus it is worth spending money and other costs. Whichever source of calcium you prefer, ensure that you consume enough and soon than later, you will realize a healthy you!
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