Benefits of Calcium

How Calcium Helps You?

Calcium is vital for strong bones, teeth, and healthy gums. Calcium salts make up 70 percent of bone's weight; they also give bone it's strength and rigidity. These are the main benefits.

But a healthy supply of calcium leads to more than that. A lot more.

Calcium Deficiency Symptoms

1. Calcium helps you manage your weight. If you don’t get enough calcium, it signals your body to go into “starvation” mode.

   Your body will hold onto fat (even when you’re on a diet) to protect itself. However, if you have a high calcium intake, your body will store less fat and break down the fat you have.

2. Calcium protects the heart. Researchers say, “low calcium equals high blood pressure”. A shortage constricts blood vessels.

   Calcium has been shown to help the heart beat smoothly. And it also helps the nervous system control pressure in arteries.

3. Calcium eases premenstrual symptoms. It suppresses hormones that cause cramping, irritability, cravings, mood swings, and depression. Women who get PMS typically have a high level of hormones during their menstrual cycle.

4. Calcium may reduce your risk of colon cancer. Researchers believe that as calcium goes through your intestines, it binds to cancerous “free radicals”. This allows them to pass through your colon and out of your system together.

Food Sources of Calcium

• yogurt

• sesame seeds

• milk

• spinach

• mozzarella cheese

Yogurt also helps your body shed fat.

Calcium in a Supplement

You can get supplemental calcium in two forms: calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. I recommend taking calcium citrate supplements---they are the best absorbed by the body.

Beware, calcium carbonate supplements are widely available and cheap.

Best Absorbed Calcium Supplement

Tips to ensure you get the strongest benefits of calcium:

• Get enough vitamin D. It helps transport calcium through the body.

• Don’t consume more than 500 mg of calcium at one time.

• Take calcium before bed. You lose calcium while you sleep.

• Don’t smoke. It reduces calcium absorption.

• Limit sodium and caffeine. Both reduce calcium absorption.

• Take a multi-nutrient supplement that contains many minerals.

To expand on that last point, why should you take calcium as part of a multi-nutrient supplement? It's because of the synergy between all nutrients. Nutrients work best and are best aborbed when taken together.