You know calcium helps build strong bones and teeth. What a lot of people don’t know is that calcium is also important for brain functioning. Calcium provides links between important proteins that enable electrical signals within the brain. Without it, your brain would shut down.
Of course, calcium does a lot of other important things in your body. It works in conjunction with vitamin D, phosphorus, and fluoride to help promote strong and healthy bones. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium in the body. Low levels of calcium intake can lead to osteomalacia (softening of the bones) and an increased risk of osteoporosis. Calcium has a UL (upper limit) set at 2,500 milligrams per day for adults and children. When consuming supplements up to this amount, no adverse effects are likely. However, higher doses over an extended period of time may cause kidney stones and poor kidney function as well as reduce the absorption of other minerals, such as iron and zinc.
Some of the best sources of calcium are foods in the dairy group, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. In addition, some dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, kale, and collards, are good sources. Other good sources include fish with edible bones, such as sardines and salmon, as well as calcium-fortified soymilk, tofu made with calcium, shelled almonds, cooked dried beans, calcium- fortified cereals, and calcium-fortified orange juice.
In a review of twenty-two studies, calcium supplementation was found to moderately reduce blood pressure in adults with hypertension, or high blood pres- sure, but had little effect on people with normal blood pressure. Take a minimum of 1,000 and a maximum of 2,000 milligrams a day. Experts recommend a two-to- one ratio of calcium to magnesium. If you regularly supplement with extra calcium, be sure to increase your magnesium intake too.