Calcium: Health Benefits, Food and it’s impact on Human Body

Hi friends, Calcium is a very vital nutritional element required by our body. Often, we come across multiple ads and medical tests that talk about the significance of the nutrition in our day-to-day life. Now Calcium is a mineral found in many different types of foods. Our body requires calcium to maintain and build strong bones and teeth. It is also required to carry out many important functions. Almost all calcium is stored in the bones and teeth itself, where it supports their structure and makes the hard.

Our body also requires calcium for muscles to move and grow and also for our nerves to carry on with messages between the brain and every other body part. In addition to this, calcium is used to help blood vessels move blood throughout our body. This eventually helps the release of hormones and other necessary enzymes that affect almost every function in the human body.

You must be wondering what is the Function of Calcium right?

A proper dose of calcium in the body over a person’s lifetime can help and prevent osteoporosis. So, we can say that Calcium helps our body with the following functions:

• It helps in building strong bones and teeth
• It also prevents any sort of blood clotting
• Calcium facilitates the sending and receiving of nerve signals
• Makes easy squeezing, contracting and relaxing of muscles
• Allows the release of hormones and other chemicals evenly
• Most importantly, it maintains a normal heartbeat and prevents cardiac arrests

Now that we know why Calcium is so very important, it is equally important know the key dishes or food items that provide us with the much-required calcium.

Calcium is an extremely common mineral which is found in many food items. You can get the recommended dosage of calcium by eating a variety of different kinds of foods. These include the following:

• Milk, yogurt, and cheese-based items. These are the main food sources of calcium for a majority of people all across the globe. In fact, these are most commonly available too.
• When it comes to vegetables, ingredients like Kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage are exotic and fine vegetable sources of calcium one must consider.
• Coming to non-vegetarian consumption, Fish with soft bones that you chew and eat, such as canned sardines and salmon, are some of the commonly available animal sources that are rich calcium.
• Now most of the everyday grains (such as breads, pastas, and unfortified cereals), although not that rich in calcium, still add significant amounts of calcium to the diet because we consumer them so very often. Sometimes we even consume them in large amounts.
• One can certainly not miss out that Calcium is added to some of our breakfast choices. These include cereals, mixed fruit juices, other soy and rice beverages, and even tofu. Please note that in order to find out whether these foods carry the required quantity of calcium, you must check the product labels.

We cannot rule out the fact that Calcium has a very significant impact on health.

Scientists have been studying calcium since generations to understand how it affects health. From multiple researchers and findings here are some of them:

Bone health and osteoporosis

As mentioned earlier also, bones require plenty of calcium and vitamin D starting right from childhood and adolescence to reach one’s peak strength and calcium intake just about by the age of 30.

High blood pressure

Alright so this is interesting. Some researchers have notably found that getting recommended intakes of calcium can eventually reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). A very extensive study in particular has observed that eating a diet high in fat-free and also low-fat dairy products, or vegetables and fruits have resulted in lower blood pressure (BP).

Weight loss

Raise your hand if you are someone who is extremely conscious about your weight- even if you just put on as less as 3-4 kgs. We very commonly hear our friends and family crib about gaining weight drastically even at the sip of water. Most of us reach out to strict diet routines and hit the gym to get a better physique. See now several researches have shown that exposing yourself to more calcium helps in lowering body weight or reduce weight gain over a period of time.

After such a long read you must be wondering “how much calcium do I require” for a healthy living?

Well you see, the amount of calcium you require each day depends on your age, body type and other factors. On an the average daily recommended amounts are listed below in milligrams (mg). But for a more accurate dosage you must consult you nutrition/ diet expert for a better impact.

Life Stage	Recommended Amount
Birth to 6 months	200 mg
Infants 7–12 months	260 mg
Children 1–3 years	700 mg
Children 4–8 years	1,000 mg
Children 9–13 years	1,300 mg
Teens 14–18 years	1,300 mg
Adults 19–50 years	1,000 mg
Adult men 51–70 years	1,000 mg
Adult women 51–70 years	1,200 mg
Adults 71 years and older	1,200 mg

So, friends, now that you have read quite a lot about Calcium and its working, you are in a better position to understand how vital it is for us humans. Of course, there are various supplements available too in the market. These supplements are easier to take and give active results if consumed regularly.

Disclaimer

The above given data and information have been sourced from the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). The information should not take the place of medical advice. We politely request you to talk to your healthcare providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) about any possible question that you might have regarding the use of dietary supplements and what may be best suited for your overall health.