You are likely familiar with calcium and its role in building and strengthening healthy bones and teeth. However, it is also vitally important for maintaining normal heartbeat and regulating blood pressure. Calcium is essential for the healthy functioning of the nervous system. In addition, some studies suggest calcium supplements relieve PMS and may be able to reduce colon polyps.

Most people know about dairy containing foods, but the truth is that a large majority of the population is not consuming enough dairy to give their body all the calcium it needs:

“Growing up, we always had milk at the table during meals. Soda was a special treat. At today’s tables though, it seems soda is replacing the traditional milk, with concerning results. In a recent survey of the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA), eighty-three percent of the 674 members cited calcium as the single nutrient most lacking in kids’ diets today. Almost 30% of boys and 10% of girls are consuming the recommended daily intake of calcium.” (From World Dairy Diary)

It’s not just children who are missing out on their calcium, though. The average adult requires at least 1000mg of calcium daily, while menopausal and postmenopausal women require up to 1500mg per day:

“During menopause you can lose bone density at a rapid rate, making you at greater risk for osteoporosis. It is very important to incorporate calcium into your diet…” (From Menopause Symptom)

Dairy consumption has been declining since the 1950s, when total fluid milk consumption was approximately 36 gallons per person to less than 23 gallons per person in 2001. Given these statistics, you likely are not consuming enough dairy products to meet your daily requirements; a calcium citrate supplement is good insurance to protect your bones and heart. Calcium citrate is the most beneficial format of calcium as it makes the most calcium available to the body and is highly absorbable.

If you are like most of the population, you need a calcium supplement to ensure your body is getting all of the calcium it needs. Purchase calcium citrate from your local health store or click here to purchase from Physician’s Preference.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 18th, 2006 at 1:19 pm and is filed under Health & Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.