Calcium Supplements
Calcium is a vital nutrient for the body since it is necessary for many bodily functions which include nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and functioning of many enzymes. An adult requires about one gram daily of calcium for bodily functions. A shortage of vitamin D and calcium in infants and in children will cause a bone disease called rickets and for adults the disease is called osteomalacia. Calcium and vitamin D go hand in hand because while rickets may be caused by vitamin D, the damage is from the calcium shortage which must have vitamin D to increase absorption of calcium from the intestine.
Calcium is derived principally from dairy products which include all milk and milk products, from eggs, meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables.
Soy milk is also a good source of calcium. There are also supplements that can provide calcium. Calcium's most important functions are bone and tooth formation, normal heart rhythm, and muscle and nerve functions.
Recent research has shown that adequate calcium will help control weight. Adults who get 255 milligrams per day are 84% more overweight than ones who are getting 1346 milligrams per day according to statistics from the government's Health and Nutrition Survey. In a Harvard University study over a ten year period, 3000 people from l8 to 30 who had three servings a day of dairy food had a 60 percent lower risk of being overweight than those who had less than three servings per day The indications are that calcium from food is more effective than from supplements.
