Nowadays, a lot of people are becoming more and more health conscious. Many foodstuffs go flying off the shelves in the supermarkets all because of the various health benefits they offer. Food with added vitamins and minerals, with anti-cancer components like lycopene, with anti-oxidants are selling like hot cakes due to the fact that consumers are more health conscious. This is a debt we owe to the media.
However, before anyone heard of things like anti-oxidants and lycopene, there is one mineral that has always been emphasized as an easily available and greatly needed nutrient in the human body, this nutrient is Calcium.
Why do we need calcium? Enough calcium equals healthy bones. This is common knowledge… so what else does calcium do for our body? Well, it is also needed to keep your muscles and nerves working properly. Calcium also helps your blood to clot and keeps a watch on your heart functions.
To better appreciate the importance of calcium, let’s look into what will happen to the body if it does not get enough calcium:
- First in the list is Osteoporosis, this is a disease that affects the older people. Osteoporosis makes the bones go thin and brittle.
- For children, calcium is essential for bone growth.
- Pregnant women need increased calcium intake along with other nutrients to sufficiently supply the baby’s needs for growth.