The Importance of a Calcium Rich Diet

The Importance of a Calcium Rich Diet

Calcium is essential to normal functioning in a healthy individual; this only leaves the question of where to get it. There are many sources available to meet daily requirements, two of which are dairy products and supplemental vitamins. Both of these options have qualities that make them appealing, so choosing might be difficult or even come to a middle ground. Some of the considerations to be made are: what calcium is, the types of calcium in each source, how much should be ingested daily, the body’s ability to absorb and tolerate calcium from the chosen source, and the interactions that might occur with other medicines and required daily nutrients. In both cases a decent nutritional diet still needs to be incorporated. It may seem like a simple choice between a couple of pills a day or 3-4 glasses of milk, but there is quite a bit more

involved.

Calcium is a mineral found in many foods that the human body cannot produce itself (National Osteoporosis Foundation). According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation it is used in the regulation of heartbeat, stimulation of hormone secretions, conduction of nerve impulses, stimulation of blood clotting, and maintenance of a healthy skeleton. They also state that we lose calcium every day through shed skin, nails, hair, sweat, and other bodily functions. Bones are also constantly being “remodeled” by removal of older pieces of bone and replacement with new bone. These losses make a daily source of calcium invaluable. Calcium has traditionally been thought of in conjunction to milk, but this connection is slowly being broken.

Not only is calcium usable in the lactic form found in dairy products, but in forms such as calcium citrate and calcium carbonate (Calcium Supplement Guidelines). These two sources are the most common types of calcium found as supplements, and are usually in the form of a pill. Calcium citrate contains by mass 21 percent calcium, while calcium carbonate contains by mass 40 percent calcium. Calcium Carbonate can be found naturally in sources such as bone-meal, oyster shell, and dolomite, but these are all capable of containing toxins such as lead or mercury and should be avoided (Got Calcium?). Even when being careful to avoid such sources it is still important to check for a United States Pharmacopeia symbol to ensure purity of the source. When used to a source such as milk this may seem like extra work but it prevents toxins and other unnecessary ingredients from being accidentally ingested.