Why Eat Calcium?

This is why we should eat a Balanced amount of foods containing Calcium:

What Calcium Does

Calcium is used by the Skeletal System to form our bones and teeth.  99% of the Calcium in our bodies is found in and therefore needed by the bones and teeth.

It's used to regulate blood pressure and and blood clotting in our Cardiovascular System.

It is used by our Muscular System in muscular contraction.

Our Nervous System uses it in cellular nerve impulse communication.

The Endocrine System uses it in hormone secretion.

It also helps regulate water balance, metabolism, growth and development which probably can be summarized into the Digestive System.

 

 

 

 

Calcium Deficiency 

When we don't get enough Calcium in our diet, our Endocrine System stimulates the OSTEOCLASTS (Bone breaking down crew) to break down our bone in order to harvest the Calcium for our general body's needs.  

If this happens continuously over time, our bones become less dense.  They become brittle and more susceptible to fractures.  Chronic Calcium Deficiency leads to osteoporosis.  There are not many warning signs over the years that have been identified so if we don't crunch the adequate intake of Calcium numbers for our gender and age, we may not be getting enough Calcium and end up with osteoporosis

 

 

Calcium Toxicity

When there is too much Calcium in the blood metabolic processes and nerve communication become imbalanced.  Over time we can develop kidney stones and other Chronic Imbalanced States.

 

 

 

 

Calcium Sources

The main source of Calcium is dairy products.  

 These other foods are also high in Calcium.

The Numbers

Adults ages 19-50  1000 mg/day

Adult women ages 51-70  1200 mg/day*

Adult men ages 51-70 stays at 1000 mg/day

Adult men over 70  1200 mg/day

*Women need more because we generally have less bone mass than men AND we lose it at a faster rate in the 5-10 years surrounding menopause.

All information for this post was obtained from:  Visualizing Nutrition, Everyday Choices, 2nd edition by Mary B. Grosvenor and Lori A. Smolin