8 important facts about calcium.

 1- What is the importance of calcium for the body?

Calcium plays a role in many major functions of your body, as your body uses calcium for circulation, muscle movement, and hormone production.

Calcium is an important element for the health of bones and teeth as well, as it makes your bones strong and dense, and bones are the storehouse of calcium in the body, so if you do not get enough calcium from food, your body will replace the bone deficiency.

2- Your body does not produce calcium

Your body depends on food to get enough calcium. Calcium-rich foods include:

 Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.

 White Beans.

 sardine.

 Calcium-fortified bread.

 Grain.

 Soy products.

 Orange juice.

8 important facts about calcium - Calcium plays a role in many of your body's main functions - blood circulation, muscle movement and hormone secretion

3- Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium

Your body's use of calcium-rich foods is very limited if your vitamin D levels are low. You can get it from some foods such as salmon, egg yolks and some types of mushrooms, and milk contains calcium and vitamin D together.

 

The best source of vitamin D is sunlight, as your body produces it naturally when exposed to the sun. Dark-skinned people do not produce vitamin D in sufficient quantities, so they need supplements containing vitamin D to avoid deficiency.

4- Calcium is especially important for women

Studies show that calcium relieves PMS symptoms. Women who do not get enough calcium and magnesium suffer from PMS more than others.

5- How do you know if you are getting enough calcium?

According to experts from the National Institutes of Health, adults need to consume one gram of calcium daily, and 1.2 grams in the case of women over 50 years of age or during pregnancy and lactation.

One cup of light cream or whole milk contains 300 mg of calcium. You can check out the University of San Francisco's guide to see the amount of calcium in many popular foods, here

6- Calcium deficiency leads to serious health problems

Calcium deficiency in adults increases the risk of osteoporosis, as the bones become weak and easy to break, which is a more common condition in women, so experts recommend eating calcium-rich foods for women more than males.

 

Calcium is necessary for growing children, and its deficiency leads to a lack of growth than the expected normal height, in addition to other health problems.

7- The importance of dietary supplements containing calcium

Not everyone gets enough calcium through food, if some suffer from lactose intolerance, in addition to vegetarians and non-dairy lovers, they find it difficult to get what their bodies need from calcium. Here comes the importance of calcium supplements, as they help add calcium to your diet. Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the two most recommended calcium supplements recommended by doctors.

Calcium carbonate is cheaper and more common and is found in antacid medications, and it must be taken with food for it to work well. Calcium citrate is not necessary to be taken with food, and is better absorbed in the elderly and those with low levels of stomach acid.

However, dietary supplements containing calcium have some side effects, such as constipation, gas and bloating, and they may interfere with your body's ability to absorb some foods or drugs, so consult your doctor before using any of these supplements.

8- Damages of excess calcium

Like any mineral or food item, it is important to get the right amount for you without a decrease or an excess, as an excess of calcium leads to negative side effects. Symptoms such as constipation, gas and bloating indicate an increase in calcium in the food, and an excess of calcium may increase the risk of developing kidney stones, and in rare cases calcium deposits in the blood, which is known as hypercalcemia.

Some doctors think that taking calcium-containing supplements may increase the risk of developing heart disease, and others disagree, which needs further study in order to understand the effect of calcium-containing supplements on heart health.

Conclusion

Calcium is essential for your overall health, and you can get the calcium you need from many food sources, and when necessary, you can use calcium supplements.

Calcium works with the help of vitamin D, so it is important to maintain a balanced diet. Like any mineral or food item, you should monitor your calcium intake so that it is not too much or too little.