The Calcium Factor

Calcium is one of the important mineral that’s needed for any organism with blood and bones. It’s estimated that more than 90 percent of the calcium we intake, is used by our body to maintain the structure of our bones. But now a day, too many things were said and heard about the role of calcium in the life of a woman. Let’s take a brief…

Why women:

Though calcium is important for any person, it is said to be of much prominent for a woman. Women need much calcium during pregnancy. Though studies found that their body can cope up with the increased craving for the calcium during pregnancy, it’s always better to talk with the doctor regarding the need for calcium supplements. The blood pressure of a pregnant women and the bone development of the child in her womb can be severely affected by low calcium levels.

The Estrogen effect:

With an advancing age, the levels of estrogen hormone in women would drop down. This has a direct affect in lowering the density of their bones- a condition called Osteoporosis.  The onset of Osteoporosis is so silent that most of the patients get to know of their ailment only after a fracture. According to International Osteoporosis Foundation, one in every three women might face the risk of an Osteoporosis fracture, while it is limited to one in every five in case of men!  Intake of calcium is supposed to lower the risk of Osteoporosis.

For muscles and heart:

Women keep working for hours together without bothering to relax and rejuvenate. They don’t even bother to have a glass of water while they work. Working continuously and without enough fluids would result in muscle cramps.  Muscle cramps though occasional can be severely painful. Having enough calcium levels in our body would reduce the risk of muscle cramps, because calcium has an important role to play in muscle contraction. It would let our muscles to move smoothly. Calcium even found to have a positive effect on the muscles of the heart thus reducing the chance of a heart stroke. It is even found to reduce the risk of blood clotting which is good news for patients with cardio vascular diseases.

Intake of calcium:

Having said enough about the role of calcium, the question now arises is about its intake. Various studies prove varied points regarding the sufficiency of calcium. It might change according to our age and lifestyle. So it’s better to leave for our physician, to determine the quantity of calcium required according to our age and ailments. But it’s always good to remember that the natural and most sought out source of calcium is MILK. Other natural sources include beans, nuts and leafy vegetables. However vitamin D is also essential along with the calcium. It helps our body to absorb the calcium we have consumed. As we are aware that sunlight is the natural source of vitamin D, let’s give our body a chance- to look at the sun once in a while!

--Nirjara