Everyone is well acquainted with the fact that calcium has a major role to play in maintaining bone health and teeth strength. However that is only a superficial understanding of the role of calcium. It pays to realize that as a person gradually grows up the mass of his bones undergo various changes. Till a certain age, which is usually considered as thirty, the density of the bone will keep on increasing till it reaches its peak. The duty of a person who wishes to live a healthy and ailment free life is to ensure that the body is supplied with the optimum amount of calcium because after one crosses the age of thirty five the process of weakening of bones begin to set in. It is believed that the more calcium one takes before the age of thirty the more will one’s chances of bone loss lessen as one steadily ages.
Benefits of Calcium:
Calcium is one of those vital minerals without which the body will not even be able to stand straight. Read on to know more about the benefits of calcium
Prevents the Occurrence of Osteoporosis:
The inclusion of adequate amounts of calcium among young adults and children is crucial because the body till the age of thirty will absorb all that it can and store it as very soon the calcium drainage process will begin where the body will steadily lose its calcium. This drainage of calcium is known as osteoporosis. This deficiency has been found more on women than men and one reason could be that women lose more amounts of calcium from their bodies because of their regular menstrual cycles. Whatever the reason may be the fact remains that everyone must store the body with proper amounts of calcium because the body will soon require it once a certain age is reached.
Great for Keeping in Shape:
Calcium will help those who have been trying very hard to stay slim and trim because it has been found by latest studies that upon the consumption of calcium the body begins to burn the existing fat instead of storing it. So this is one easy way of burning fat without having to work out much.
Effective Protection from Cancer:
It is believed that Calcium might have a lead role to play in the prevention of cancer because of the antioxidants that it releases. Dieticians suggest a regular intake of calcium through dairy sources is an excellent way of meeting one’s daily calcium needs. So include dairy products religiously in the diet to ward off the encroachment of cancer.
Healthy Heart:
The mineral calcium has a lot to do with healthy heart as it strengthens the pulmonary veins and cardiac muscles. So remember to include a lot of calcium enriched food in the diet if one has heart diseases in one’s family. However it must be remembered that too much of it might have an adverse effect on the heart so it is important to consult one’s doctor before adding calcium to one’s diet mindlessly.
Learn How to Increase one’s Calcium Intake:
Once the health benefits of calcium has been explained it is time to discuss how one increase the level of calcium intake in one’s diet can.
- Vitamin D: Calcium will not be of any use to the body if there is not enough vitamin D within to make any use of it. Supply the body with vitamin D so that the calcium that is taken gets rightly absorbed by the body. A good, natural and most important free source of Vitamin D is the sun so go ahead and spend some quality time outdoors.
- Calcium Supplements: Many find it difficult to incorporate dairy products regularly in their diet so there are many calcium supplements available in the market for them. Just a word with one’s physician before beginning the course is all that is required.
- Multivitamins Will Help: Taking multivitamin tablets will help because they are pretty much loaded with all the vitamins required by the body along with sufficient quantities of calcium. The calcium that it contains is incorporated into the body directly because of the vitamins present in the tablet.
- Dairy Darlings: All dairy products are calcium friendly so the ones in doubt about their bone density or the strength of their teeth must gorge on all sorts of dairy products on a regular basis. So go ahead and increase the intake of milk, curd, yoghurt and cheese. Mix milk with chunks of banana and make a delicious milk smoothie out of it. Drink it in one go before going out for work. For those who have a sweet tooth, opting for yoghurt after meals is a healthier option than having other forms of desserts that have no traces of calcium in them. Try making rice pudding at home by boiling milk and rice together, it is easy to make and is rich with calcium.
- Cut Down on caffeine: Loads of caffeine never did any good to anyone. The damage it does is even more for the ones with weak bones because caffeine hinders the body from absorbing calcium. So even when is regularly having calcium supplements or calcium enriched food products it will be of no use to the body because the body will not be able to assimilate it. If one avoids all sorts of alcoholic beverages then it will be highly beneficial for one’s bones because alcohol strips calcium out of one’s body.
- Say no To Sodium: Salty food or foods full of sodium will tend to take calcium away from the body and pass it through urine. This is a serious drainage of calcium form the body and it must be stopped immediately otherwise when one reaches an old age there will hardly be any strength left in one’s bones.
- Include a variety of Fruits and Vegetables: Including a lot of fruits and vegetables in the diet will enable the body in absorbing high amounts of calcium. So make it a point to include green and leafy veggies in the diet to keep calcium deficiencies at bay.
Those who wish to increase the calcium level in the bodies have to keep a few vital things in mind before planning a diet chart. One has to maintain a healthy lifestyle, where one exercises frequently, and has food according to a diet which is rich in dairy products and contains sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables with it as well. Get into the habit of including calcium rich food into the pallet, the internet is full of new innovative ideas that will turn everyday recipes into nutritious and healthy food. However it must be remembered that calcium should always be consumed in moderation because as one already knows, too much of anything is bad.
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