Calcium - More Than Just Healthy Bones!

Most people know that calcium is required for strong and healthy bones. But calcium has a range of other vital roles in your body besides maintaining your bone health.

Calcium is a mineral that is essential for the body. It aids the following bodily functions:

• Bone growth and turnover
• Muscle contraction
• Regular heartbeat
• Blood clotting
• Nerve impulse transmission

Almost all of the body’s calcium is stored in bones, and the rest is stored in the muscles, blood, and other body tissues.

The recommended dietary allowance for calcium is 1,200 mg a day for adult women and 1,000 mg a day for adult men. For women above the age of 51 and men above the age of 71, the RDA is 1,200 mg.

Calcium can be found in a range of different foods. Most people know that there is lots of calcium in milk, but it’s also abundant in lots of other foods, including:

• Cheese
• Yogurt
• Salmon
• Almonds
• Leafy green vegetables
• Edamame beans

When the body is low on calcium, a hormone known as parathyroid hormone (PTH) will send a signal to the bones, causing them to release some of their stored calcium into the bloodstream. PTH can also activate vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption from the foods you ingest through the intestines.