Calcium
Calcium is one of the most important minerals in your body and is essential for maintaining its structure — the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth. The strength of your bones depends directly upon the calcium and other minerals like silicon and magnesium that you absorb, particularly during your years of growth and development. Calcium is also important for nerve conductivity, for muscle contraction (including normal heartbeats), and for cell division. Also, the cells of your body require calcium, along with magnesium, to properly transmit nerve impulses.
Key uses of calcium:
- May promote a sound night's sleep when taken before bed.
- Supports bone health, especially if you are a woman during and after menopause, for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis (the increased porosity of bones common during aging).
- Reduces muscle cramps and menstrual cramps.
- Prevents tooth decay.
Osteoporosis commonly leads to fractures and even mortality. The risk increases in women, especially during the first ten years after menopause. We recommend consulting your doctor to determine your bone strength and begin a complete bone-strengthening supplement program.
Where you can find it: Good calcium sources, some of which are shown in Figure 4-1, include cheese and yogurt, sardines (with bones), broccoli, peas, leafy greens (such as kale), almonds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds, tofu, soymilk, blackstrap molasses, dried figs and apricots, and corn tortillas (with added lime).
How much to take: You can take 800-1,000 mg, whether you're a man or a woman. For pregnant, lactating, or postmenopausal women, the suggested daily dosage is 1,200 mg.
Calcium is absorbed and utilized better when taken with vitamin D and magnesium, when your stomach has an adequate acidity level, when accompanied by regular exercise, and after protein intake, as well as when taken at bedtime along with some ascorbic acid, such as vitamin C.
Calcium supplements are available in many forms — tablets, capsules, chew-ables, powders, and liquids — many in the form of mineral salts, such as calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, and calcium citrate. Some, such as calcium citrate, are absorbed better than others, so check the label or ask an employee if the product you're buying contains calcium citrate.
Too little or too much: Toxicity is most likely to occur when you have magnesium and/or phosphorus deficiency. Calcium toxicity can lead to increased calcification, which is a factor in atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries and the cause of most cardiovascular disease), kidney stones, and other stone formations. Calcium deficiency is more common than an overdose of calcium, and a deficiency can cause weak and porous bones, decay and loss of teeth, abnormal heartbeats, and rickets (a disease affecting children, in which a calcium deficiency results in soft, porous, and deformed bones).
