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

When choosing which calcium supplement or antacid is right for you look at the quantity and type of calcium compound that is present in the product. There are several types of calcium compounds used in vitamin supplements. Calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the most common. Calcium aspartate, calcium phosphate and calcium lactate also appear. In the case of calcium carbonate, multiply by 40% to determine the amount of elemental calcium available to your system. Calcium citrate conversion is about 21% and is lower for other calcium compounds. For example, 500 mg (milligrams) of calcium carbonate yields 200 mg of elemental calcium. Calcium carbonate is the most common antacid and its breakdown in the stomach into its component parts, elemental calcium and carbonate, depend upon the acidic environment there.

Calcium plays an important part in your diet because it contributes to muscle function, and what most people think of regarding calcium, it helps prevent osteoporosis. If your body determines there isn’t enough calcium in the blood stream then it will be scavenged from the bones in the skeletal system leading to the osteoporosis condition.

An important consideration in your choice of a calcium supplement is whether it also contains any vitamin D. Vitamin D enhances the uptake of calcium. Remember, vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine vitamin” because you can ‘get’ some simply from being outside in the fresh air and sunlight so it’s not absolutely necessary that it be included in the ingredients list, but it does help.

Like many things in life, more is not always better. Over 2,500 mg of calcium is usually considered the threshold of “too much” and possibly as low as 1,200 mg. Too much calcium can lead to serious medical problems.

Sources of calcium include dairy products (like milk, cheese or yogurt), many vegetables (the green leafy kind, like spinach) and some nuts (like almonds). “Hard” water is also a source for calcium and other minerals. Seashells and eggshells are also natural calcium sources but other more palatable delivery forms are recommended. Another of the more famous sources of calcium is on the coast of England. The famous White Cliffs of Dover is an enormous geologic calcium carbonate formation but the Queen might object if you showed up and began eating away at the southern end of Britain.

By: Paul Buck

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