Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Nearly 99% of it is stored in the bones, where it not only serves to formulate bone structure but functions as a bank which deposits calcium into the body fluids at the very slightest indication that blood calcium levels have dropped. It not only builds bone and teeth, but maintains bone density and strength.
Once bone is built it is not static; minerals of the bone are in constant flux, reforming and dismantling. The other one percent travels in the fluids that bathe and fill our cells. It’s a minute amount, but here is what it does
- It regulates the transport of ions across cell membranes and is particularly important in nerve transmission.
- It helps maintain normal blood pressure.
- It is essential for muscle contraction and therefore for the heartbeat.
- It is involved in the secretion of hormones, digestive enzymes, and neurotransmitters.
- It plays an essential role in the clotting of blood.
To be protected against osteoporosis in later years it is necessary to build solid bones during childhood and young adulthood up until about age twenty four.
That is the time when most bone growth takes place. After about age forty, bones begin to lose density regardless of calcium intake. It is done quietly without any overt indication. One can live on inadequate dietary amounts of calcium for years with no noticeable symptoms. It is thought that enough calcium during the young years will ensure that the skeleton starts out with enough mass to minimize bone losses later in life. Calcium deficiencies are suspected to be widespread due to losses in adulthood.
However, you will recall as mentioned earlier, that the body’s use of calcium is not reliant on dietary calcium alone, but on the interaction among several nutrients, including potassium, boron, magnesium, phosphate, protein, salt, and others.
Calcium Food Sources
- Green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, beet greens, mustard greens, kale, collards, watercress, and parsley. (Swiss chard, spinach, and rhubarb are also high in calcium, but they contain calcium binders which inhibit its availability. They are depositories of many other nutrients, but not as usable calcium sources.)
- Legumes and almonds
- Some processed foods such as tofu, canned tomatoes, stone-ground or selfrisingflour, and blackstrap molasses also are good sources because calcium was used in the processing.
- Calcium-enriched orange juice and soy milk are good sources.
- Milk and milk products