Healthy Muscles & Healthy Bones Need Calcium

Calcium is a naturally-occurring mineral that is vital to life for most organisms. In humans, it is needed for both healthy muscles and healthy bones.

This mineral is one of the major components of the human body and is required to keep the body operating efficiently. Still, scientists say that more than half of Americans do not get enough calcium.

Calcium is a major component of teeth and bones. Teeth and bones also store calcium for the rest of the body. If the body does not get enough calcium long-term, it will rob calcium from the storage compartments in the bones and lead to osteoporosis. Short-term effects of a calcium deficiency can include muscle-cramps and bone and tooth damage.

Most people are familiar with the concept of calcium in milk and dairy products and in supplements and vitamin or mineral fortified foods like cereal and orange juice, but there are also a wide variety of natural sources for calcium. But keep in mind, the body cannot properly use calcium without Vitamin D. Good sources of Vitamin D include sunshine and dairy products.

Many fruits are very good sources calcium but among the best are dried fruits such as raisins, figs, and dried apricots. Dark green vegetables, like broccoli, are good sources of calcium, as are dried beans and legumes.

Citrus fruits, lemons and oranges are naturally high in calcium as are soybeans and tofu. Most forms of meat are natural sources of calcium, but not in as significant quantities as fruits and vegetables. Fish, especially salmon and sardines, are very good sources of calcium often offering as much as three times as much calcium as the same sized portion of beef or pork.

Other good sources of calcium include almonds and other nuts and of course dairy products. Aged cheeses tend to be even better sources of calcium than cow”s milk, with Parmesan cheese and cheddar cheese among the best sources of calcium available.

In addition, some herbs and seasonings are also good sources of calcium. Among the best are sesame seeds, curry powder and dried mustard.

The benefits of naturally occurring calcium can be endangered by the consumption of food that restricts the body”s ability to absorb it. Caffeine, salt and phosphoric acid are all hindrances when it comes to absorbing calcium. One of the biggest offenders in providing these inhibitors is carbonated beverages, both regular and diet soda.

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HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

Bigmusclesbuilding.com
11. February 2010
Bigmusclesbuilding.com
11. February 2010
Really good information there. As a competitive athlete I rely a lot on good bone strength to keep me going. Calcium is the best nutrient to keep them bones healthy. Even though there are many tablets and pills that can give a lo of calcium, I think the best is to get them via a balanced diet, naturally rather than pills and tablets.

Person critic
1. June 2009
Person critic
1. June 2009
I dont think you have enough infomation it just raves on about calcium and teeth it doesn't sauy anything about muscles or anything like it said on the introduction thing on the website link at google if you dont talk about things you say you are your just "conning" people into your website ,it wasn't very infomational at all.

Adrian
14. December 2008
Adrian
14. December 2008
Thanks for promoting a healthy life style. I think it is so important. Keep up the informative articles. Adrian

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Written by HealthStatus Team
Medical Writer & Editor

HealthStatus has been operating since 1998 providing the best interactive health tools on the Internet, millions of visitors have used our blood alcohol, body fat and calories burned calculators. The HealthStatus editorial team has continued that commitment to excellence by providing our visitors with easy to understand high quality health content for many years. Our team of health professionals, and researchers use peer reviewed studies as source elements in our articles. Our high quality content has been featured in a number of leading websites, USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, Live Strong, GQ, and many more.

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