We are often told by health specialists to introduce calcium-rich foods to our diet if we want to develop strong bones and teeth. Calcium not only helps in developing a strong skeletal system, but it also helps in protecting it from various diseases including degenerative disease. Calcium sources are broadly categorized as animal and plant sources.

Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, mustard greens, and Brussels are rich plant sources of calcium. One of the widely-known animal calcium sources is milk. Doctors normally advise to intake more vegetables than dairy products because in addition to useful nutrients, they also contain some contaminants, cholesterol and fat.

These substances might be dangerous for obese people and those who do not like to exercise on a regular basis. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid animal sources of calcium as much as you can. Red meat, eggs and other dairy products are rich in protein and may cause calcium loss in your body.

Another source of obtaining calcium is to consume supplements rich in coral calcium. Coral calcium is essentially a salt mainly composed of calcium carbonate and has many health benefits associated with it.

If you have adequate amounts of calcium in your body you will be at a reduced risk of developing osteoporosis. Since calcium sources in food are hard to find and consume, doctors now suggest taking calcium-rich supplements. These are easy to consume and provide all the benefits of developing strong bones, and improving posture and strength. These products also contain other minerals and vitamins, for example vitamin D and K2 for the enhancement of your bone health. They are easily available online and most of the time these products don’t require a doctor’s prescription as they have already been approved by health specialists.

Some rich and easily digestible calcium sources are orange juice, spinach, oatmeal, beans, sweet potato, sesame seeds and raisins. In addition to increasing your intake of calcium you also need to reduce your consumption of protein-rich food, especially the ones that come from animal sources. Proteins tend to increase calcium loss through urine just like sodium. That’s why health experts tell us to reduce our intake of salt as much as we can.

Exercise is mandatory for proper absorption of calcium in bones. Don’t let proteins and other substances cause calcium loss in your body. If you are not used to doing physical exercise a lot, then take a walk or simply indulge yourself in household chores. Don’t sit idle for long periods of time. Vitamin D helps in controlling the amount of calcium in our body, therefore introduce vitamin D supplements to your diet after consulting a physician.

By: John Gibb

Why should you take calcium magnesium supplements? The answer is that maintaining good physical health involves a number of factors, one of which is a biochemical balancing act. The human body requires numerous minerals in the proper amounts in order to function properly. Sodium and potassium are two of these; too much of the former can result in hypertension, while two little can cripple the electrochemical processes that allow our cells to live. Likewise, calcium magnesium supplements are important to the proper functioning of bone and muscle function.

About Calcium

As you are probably aware, calcium is the mineral that makes up most of our bone structure. What you may not know is that the calcium in our bones is also used for many other bodily functions, such as regulating the circulatory system. Calcium is the most abundant element in the human body, and all but 1% of it is stored in our bones.

As we get older, our need for calcium increases. If the body does not receive sufficient calcium from food sources, it will start to leech calcium out of our bones. This is especially true in the case of older women, whose bones are prone to becoming brittle for want of calcium. This condition is known as osteoporosis (literally, “holes in the bone”).

About Magnesium

In its natural state, magnesium is a hard, silvery-white metal. In the body, this element is necessary for healthy cell function and reproduction, as it acts as a catalyst in the synthesis of DNA. Most importantly however, it allows our bodies to metabolize calcium; without sufficient magnesium, our bodies cannot absorb or make use of calcium as well as ascorbic acid (vitamin C).

Magnesium deficiency is also responsible for kidney stones, muscular spasms as well as overall nervousness and impaired brain function.

Do You Need calcium magnesium supplements?

If you are not getting sufficient magnesium or calcium from the food you eat (and admittedly, this can be a challenge as we get older), nutrition supplements such as a womens multi vitamin may be helpful in osteoporosis prevention and other maladies.

By the time we pass age 50, all of us should be taking in at least 1200 milligrams of calcium each day. Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt are the most common sources of calcium, however soy-based foods and leafy vegetables such as turnip greens and mustard greens are excellent alternatives.

If for some reason you cannot ingest enough calcium from food sources however, you should definitely take calcium magnesium supplements to make up the deficiency. If you can determine how much calcium you are getting from your food, it’s relatively easy to figure out which calcium magnesium supplements provide the correct amounts for you.

By: Anne Harvester

Calcium is not only important for strong bones and teeth but it is also required by many other systems of the body to perform their functions in a healthy environment. Calcium deficiency causes weak bones, brittle and yellow teeth, muscle cramps and a lot of other complications. Calcium dietary sources are very important to know if you want to prevent or overcome calcium deficiency.

Milk and dairy products are well-known calcium dietary sources. However, many of us are found complaining that we can’t digest milk or are allergic to it or do not like its taste and so on. What we don’t realize is: if milk is not a regular constituent of our diet we are at high risk of developing bone disease in old age.

So, what’s the solution? A possible solution is to add green vegetables to your diet like broccoli, spinach, kale, mustard greens and turnip greens. Fish and seafood are also good calcium dietary sources. Salmon, sardines, mackerel and shrimps are rich sources of calcium. In fruits, oranges and dates provide optimum levels of calcium and many other important minerals.

Yet another solution is to consume calcium-fortified food materials like calcium-fortified orange juice and cereals. Eating a whole bowl of oatmeal in breakfast is a good way to ensure that you are receiving adequate quantities of calcium everyday.

Other calcium dietary sources include pinto beans, soy beans, navy beans, hazelnuts, walnuts, sesame seeds and tofu. You can make a diet plan and include 2 or 3 of the above-mentioned calcium sources to fulfill your daily calcium needs. However, people who are already calcium deficient may want to try something else in addition to a proper diet.

The solution is to use calcium-rich supplements. Normally, 1000 – 1500 milligrams of calcium are required by an average, healthy person. It is recommended that you buy coral calcium supplements instead of normal calcium carbonate because coral calcium gets readily absorbed and helps in overcoming calcium deficiency fairly quickly.

In addition to a well-balanced diet and a daily dose of high-quality calcium tablets, avoid junk food, soft drinks, coffee, tea and too much sugar. Coral calcium supplements will be more effective if you also exercise on a regular basis and avoid smoking. If possible, try to find those supplements that contain other vitamins and minerals in good quantities to assist in maximum calcium absorption by the blood.

By: John Gibb