Sunday, May 6, 2018

Calcium: A Core Secret of Good Heath


Hello Everyone,

As you’re likely aware that in the human body if there is one thing that almost every tissue and organ use then calcium has to be it.  I remember how my teachers in school kept emphasizing the importance of dairy products for the overall health and growth.  Being a kid, I actually never realized why they kept saying that over and over again.  Not until I found myself learning about it in my science and especially in my dietetic classes.


Calcium is absolutely an essential mineral that is required by our body for a variety of its important functions.  Not only it helps in maintaining teeth, joints, and bones strong and healthy, but it goes beyond that.  This mineral involved in building nails, maintaining healthy blood vessels, keeping the heart healthy, proper functioning of muscles to move and nerves to carry messages between the brain and every part of the body.  In addition, calcium plays a vital role in the secretion of hormones and enzymes that are essential for the human body to function efficiently.

Although calcium is widely distributed in the soft tissues in the body, it is primarily found in the bones and teeth.  About 99 percent of the calcium in the body is deposited in the bones and teeth and the remaining 1 percent is found in soft tissues.  Calcium is one of the minerals that are not produced by our bodies.  Thus, it is important to include this mineral in our diet.  When our food intake fails to meet our body's calcium requirements, body extracts the calcium from our bones and if this occurs over a period of time then it leads to weakness of the teeth; osteopenia, weakness of the bones and eventually osteoporosis.  Nonetheless, calcium deficiency (a condition resulting from inadequate amounts of calcium in the body) can also cause a number of other health problems including hypocalcemia, muscle cramps, confusion, memory disorder etc.

    Related Post:  Enhancing The Nutritional Value Of Foods     

You must have noticed that many people nowadays complain of having brittle nails and bones, muscle cramps, joint pain etc. isn’t it?  Well, this is just because people do not make a conscious effort to include calcium-rich foods in their meals.  In today’s world, people are so busy with their hectic lifestyle that they don’t even have time to look at their health.  Unfortunately, almost we all mostly eat whatever is available to us and hence, the calcium in our diet gets diminished.  Therefore, it is of utmost importance for us to include a certain amount of calcium in our routine diet.  But it is not just enough to have calcium in our diet because our body cannot absorb calcium alone properly.  It needs vitamin D along with it.  Vitamin D ensures that our body absorbs calcium effectively.  Daily ingestion and proper absorption of calcium, as part of a balanced diet, is essential for maintaining optimal health.  So it is imperative that along with calcium your diet must also include the foods that are rich in vitamin D too.

However, it is essential to maintain the right amount of calcium in your diet as an excess of calcium can also be harmful.  It may cause dry mouth, nausea, kidney stones, soft tissue calcification, and even heart strokes.

So let’s dive into the foods that are rich in calcium.

You're probably already familiar with the most well-known calcium contenders i.e. dairy products, but they aren’t the only sources.  There are a number of choices beyond dairy products.  Getting your calcium intake from foods that are rich in calcium may be the most beneficial way to do it.  It's true that meat and chicken are also a great source of calcium, but there are other different sources too.  Calcium can be derived from certain green and leafy vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, ladies’ fingers (okra), and spinach; legumes like beans and peas, fruits, oranges, nuts, some seafood like salmon, perch, and rainbow trout.  Breakfast foods, cereals, breads, snacks, soymilk and other fortified products also contain added calcium.


If you find it difficult to remember these foods all the time then there is a simple and easy way to add calcium to many foods recipes and that is to add a tablespoon of nonfat powdered milk which contains about 50 mg of calcium.  One can add about 2-4 tablespoons to most foods preparations.

And when it comes to vitamin D, the well-known source from where we can get it is sunlight.  Vitamin D is found in very few foods which include fatty fish like salmon and tuna; egg yolks, milk and other dairy products, orange juice, soymilk, and fortified cereals.

For certain people, dietary supplementation may also be necessary to get adequate calcium and/or Vitamin D, following a discussion with their physician.

So when there are plenty of sources to help you keep your calcium level up then there is simply no reason to let it dip too low.  No matter how you get it, taking in enough calcium is necessary for a strong and healthy body.

Stay Blessed, Be Happy...!! :-)
Preeti

17 comments:

  1. I was just trying to convince my son today to eat food and it all ended up being a lesson on calcium and vitamins.

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  2. I'm glad that I was able to read your blog as I'm currently on my fitness journey.
    Interesting tip here for simple and easy way to add calcium to many foods recipes by adding a tablespoon of nonfat powdered milk.

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  3. I have recently found out that I am lacking calcium, which made me choose more carefully what I now eat. Thank you for this..

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  4. calcium is very important especially with us women when menstruating I find then I crave milk all the time and anything dairy and its the calcium that my body is begging ofr

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  5. I'll keep these in mind. I probably need more calcium since I don't enjoy milk.

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  6. I had been wondering if you can overload on calcium. I didn't know it was good for cramps.

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  7. Calcium intake is so essential! Especially for bone health and development. I get most my calcium from vegetables and almond milk.

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  8. Agree calcium is so important in our daily diet. Had no idea peas were a rich source.

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  9. it is so important and often overlooked the importance of calcium. since i am lactose intolerant i do get my calcium from veggies and almond milk for sure.

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  10. Lack of calcium made me choose more carefully what I now eat. I get most my calcium from vegetables and almond milk.Thank you for this..

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  11. This is such a great awareness post about calcium. Some people ignore it. We should include it in our daily diet.

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  12. This is a bit scary for me. I don't know if I take enough calcium. I will have to make some blood test to see. My knees almost always hurt and this might be a reason why.

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  13. I have such horrible eating habits that i need to break ASAP! These are great tips!

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  14. I have such terrible eating habits at the moment! not sure i am intaking enough of anything save for fat ahah!

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  15. I love how you've been able to showcase the importance of calcium in the diet. It definitely comes in handy for your teeth and bones.

    -- Dana Peller

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  16. Such good information! I eat lots of broccoli, so hopefully my calcium is pretty good.

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  17. I love my legumes.... I just made a lentil, pearl barely, carrot, kale, zucchini, and squash soup! Full of all goodness nutrients. :) Thanks for the reminder

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