Calcium Deficiency: What You Need to Know

By David Mark


The average adult's weight is made up of about 2% calcium. It's the most abundant mineral in the body, yet calcium deficiency is relatively common in Australia. According to the Australian Nutrition Survey, about 90% of women and 70% of children don't achieve the recommended dietary intake (RDI) for calcium. Get calcium supplements today!

Calcium is primarily recognised as a vital nutrient for the formation of strong bones and teeth. However, it's also crucial for the following reasons

* Transmission of nerve impulses and maintenance of regular heartbeat.

* Cardiovascular disease prevention by lowering cholesterol levels.

* Muscular growth is impossible without this substances and it helps with muscle cramps. Calcium improves muscular growth!

* Helps bone growth and bone mineral density.

* Calcium prevents bone loss from osteoporosis.

Calcium deficiency can therefore lead to the following problems; aching joints, brittle nails, eczema, elevated blood cholesterol, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, insomnia, muscle cramps, nervousness, numbness in the arms and legs, a pasty complexion, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, hyperactivity, convulsions and tooth decay.

What's the best way to avoid this deficiency? Foods like seafood and dairy contain calcium. Non-animal sources include silver beet, spinach, kale, almonds, asparagus, brewer's yeast, broccoli, cabbage, carob, figs, oats, prunes, sesame seeds, linseeds, soybeans and tofu. For this purpose, several herbs and nutritional supplements can be used as well.

It's especially important that people from the following groups meet their calcium needs to avoid deficiencies

* Children: Since their skeletal tissue is always growing, younger children have higher requirements of calcium.

* Pre-teens and teenagers: In order to build peak bone mass, teenagers need more calcium as well. Even the risk of osteoporosis later in life can be reduced when children are given proper nutrition at this age.

* Pregnant women : A mother's bones is where a baby takes it calcium from.

* Female athletes & menopausal women : In order to counter high estrogen levels, these women need more calcium intake than others. By promoting the deposition of calcium in bone, estrogen protects the skeletal system.

* People with a poor diet : Consuming alcoholic beverages, coffee, junk foods, excess salt and white flour leads to the loss of calcium by the body.

* Elderly people : Five to ten years around their menopausal age, women tend to lose more calcium. Bone mass is lost by men and women both. This process can be slowed down by a high calcium diet even though it cannot reverse the process entirely. Shop for calcium supplements!




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