Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the body. It supports so many functions that in cases of deficiency, any number of problems can occur. Here are five basic facts about calcium that you should have at your fingertips: (click here fore more information on calcium)

1. Adequate calcium intake (in the presence of adequate vitamin D status) has been shown to reduce bone loss in peri- and postmenopausal women and reduce fractures in postmenopausal women older than age 60 with low calcium intakes. Calcium strongly enhances the bone-protective effects of estrogen/estrogen combined with a progestogen in postmenopausal women. Adequate calcium is considered a key component of any treatment regimen for patients with established osteoporosis. (1)
2. Calcium, like most nutrients, has beneficial effects in many systems. In addition to protection of bone mass and reduction of excessive bone remodeling, calcium is associated with small reductions in the risk of colorectal cancer, hypertension, renal calculi, and obesity.(1)
3. Occasionally, hypercalcemia develops in people with peptic ulcers if they drink a lot of milk and take calcium-containing antacids for relief. The resulting disorder is called the milk-alkali syndrome. An overdose of vitamin D can also affect the calcium level in the blood by greatly increasing the absorption of calcium from the digestive tract.(2)
4. Adequate calcium intake is vital for a baby to develop healthy bones and teeth. A full term baby accumulates about 30 g of calcium in bone mass. A pregnant woman’s diet should include three to four calcium-rich foods per day, including low fat milk and milk products, and dark green leafy vegetables. Many women do not get enough calcium in their diets and a pregnant woman will most likely need to consciously increase her intake. Adequate calcium is especially important for pregnant women aged under 25 as their bones are still increasing in density.
5. Researchers suggest that women who take calcium supplements in pregnancy have children with lower blood pressures. (4)

Are YOU getting enough calcium?
If you’re a typical American, studies say “no,” you and your family are not getting enough calcium in your diets. “Many Americans—particularly men, ethnic minorities, and the socially disadvantaged—are not meeting the current recommendations for adequate calcium intake through diet alone or with supplements.” (3)

SOURCES:
1. The North American Menopause Society. The role of calcium in peri- and postmenopausal women: 2006 position statement of the North American Menopause Society. Menopause 2006 Nov-Dec;13(6):862-77; quiz 878-9. [117 references]‘
2. merck manual online
3. Jun Ma, Rachel A Johns and Randall S Stafford,” Americans are not meeting current calcium recommendations.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 85, No. 5, 1361-1366, May 2007
4.Matthew W. Gillman, MD, SM, Sheryl L. Rifas-Shiman, MPH, Ken P. Kleinman, ScD, Janet W. Rich-Edwards, ScD, and Steven E. Lipshultz, MD, Maternal Calcium Intake and Offspring Blood Pressure; epartment of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (M.W.G., S.L.R.-S., J.W.R.-E., K.K.), Harvard Medical School, and the Departments of Nutrition (M.W.G.) and Maternal and Child Health (J.W.R.-E.), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass; and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami, Miami, Fla (S.E.L.); pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1989665

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