You're most likely familiar with the "Got Milk" campaign and the famous milk mustache associated with it. Because of those ads, it will forever be ingrained in my memory that, 1) milk is good for you due to its high concentration of calcium, and 2), that calcium is needed to strengthen your bones. Though these facts alone are reason enough to get in your daily dose of the mineral, I recently became curious as to how else calcium benefits our health.
As it turns out, nearly all of our bodies' cells are dependent on calcium. In addition to our bones and teeth needing it to maintain their strength and structure, our muscles need calcium to contract (this includes our heartbeat), our blood cells need it for clotting (which prevents excessive bleeding), and our nerves need it to transmit messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Summed up, without calcium, we wouldn't be able to function.
Like bears stocking up on food before going into hibernation, it's important for us to stock up on calcium throughout the years leading up to young adulthood. Aging affects the way we take in calcium, for as we grow older, less calcium is able to be stored by our bodies. Around the age of 30, we hit our peak bone mass, which is when our bones cease to grow in strength and density. The higher your peak bone mass, the longer bone loss can be prevented.
If you've already hit your peak bone mass, bone density loss can be minimized by consuming the daily recommended amount of calcium for your age group and partaking in regular physical activity, which includes both weight-bearing exercise (walking, running, etc.) and resistance exercise (planks, push-ups, lifting free-weights, etc).
A lack of calcium can result in osteoporosis, high blood pressure, and osteopenia. Women, especially, should be sure to take in plenty of calcium; the loss of estrogen following menopause expedites the rate at which bone loss occurs. Conversely, consuming too much calcium can be harmful. Taking in excessive amounts of calcium can lead to health problems such as constipation, and consuming immoderate amounts over a long period of time can result in kidney stones. You may find it helpful then to be cognizant of your calcium intake as you consume it throughout the day.
It's not just about getting your calcium, though. Calcium depends on vitamin D to be absorbed by the body; fortunately, getting your day's worth of vitamin D requires nothing more than soaking in the sun's rays. This gives you a great excuse to eat a meal out on the patio or to take a mid-day tanning break (if the weather and your schedule permit it, of course)!
It's well known that calcium can be found in dairy products, but you can also find it in soft-boned fish, such as salmon and sardines, as well as in beans, figs, almonds, sunflower seeds, broccoli, and kale. In addition, you can find calcium in fortified food products, such as soy and breakfast cereals, just be sure to check the nutrition labels.
So, the next time you see someone drinking a glass of milk with their Chinese food or baby-back ribs, don't be so quick to judge. That person is doing their body some major good.
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