Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body. Did you know that 99% of calcium is found in our bones?!?!?! While we all know that calcium is important for a child's growth, a calcium deficit in adults can lead to osteoporosis, a bone crippling ailment.
In addition to our bone health, calcium is essential for muscle contraction...including our heart! It is also needed to maintain a normal blood pressure and transmission of nerve impulses.
It is such an important component to healthy living, yet many, MANY adults do not get enough calcium in their daily diet. The average adult between ages 19-50 needs 1,000 mg/day. This is equivalent to 3 glasses of milk. We are told to actually ingest more than the daily requirement because diets higher in protein, as is the American diet, cause an increase in calcium excretion.
Calcium can be found in milk products, in green leafy veggies, and shellfish. Lots of food products available today are fortified with calcium. Milk has the most calcium per serving.
If you are unsure of how much calcium to take, particularly you women out there, PLEASE talk to your physician. Stop osteoporosis before it starts.
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