Calcium helps our teeth and bones to be strong, well, at least that’s what we remember from our school biology lessons. Calcium does so much more than that though so let’s learn a little bit more about it.
Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and plays a role in many vital functions in keeping us healthy. It is stored in our bone tissue and helps in keeping our bones strong. Calcium also helps with blood clotting and is released from the bones to the body when blood calcium levels fall low. It is not only a way of keeping your bones and teeth healthy but plays an important part in the way messages are sent from the body and brain, it plays a key part in keeping our spinal column healthy and helps to regulate muscle contractions around the body which also includes the action of our hearts beating too.
A lack of calcium (Hypocalcemia) can cause rickets in children and can be a cause of Osteomalacia (softening of the bones) or osteoporosis (brittle bones) as we age causing instability within our bone structure and leading to bending or breaks in our bones. So, as you can see it is important to keep our calcium levels up. The U.K. recommended daily amount for adults (including pregnant women) is 700mg per day.
So, how can we make sure that we have enough in our diets? Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yoghurts, tend to be the main way we can get calcium into our body although that can be a bit difficult for people who are lactose intolerant. There are many calcium fortified foods about for those who must avoid dairy but also fish, tofu, nuts, seeds, and many vegetables are also rich in calcium. Additionally, there are always calcium supplements which will help to keep your levels normal.
Next time you are shopping then bear this in mind and check the calcium levels on the foods that you are buying and aim to keep those calcium levels up. If you are interested in finding out more about how vitamins and minerals help the body, then book an appointment with one of the Everyone Health Nutritionists or Health Trainers.
