Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and it is vital for your bone and teeth health. Your body stores more than 99 percent of its calcium in the bones and teeth, according to a U.S. government health site, MedlinePlus. Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by weak bones which is more common in women than men. It is therefore especially important for women to consume enough calcium to help prevent osteoporosis and stay healthy and strong.
Calcium helps keep your bones and teeth strong, which can prevent bone fractures and breaks. Calcium also helps to reduce bone loss that occurs with aging. Your blood vessels and muscles use calcium to help contract and expand, and nerves use calcium for transmitting signals between the brain and other parts of the body. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as other foods such as salmon, tofu, spinach, turnip greens, kale and fortified orange juice and breakfast cereals.
Recommendations
Women should consume a certain amount of calcium each day to maintain strong teeth and bones and carry out basic body functions. Teenagers and pregnant or lactating women need high amounts of calcium to sustain development and provide nourishment for developing fetuses or nursing infants. Women ages 9 to 18 and pregnant or lactating women should consume 1,300 mg of calcium daily, advises the National Institutes of Health. Women ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 mg of calcium a day and older women, ages 51 and older, who are more prone to having brittle bones, need 1,200 mg of calcium a day.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis affects an estimated 200 million women worldwide, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, and it affects about one-tenth of women aged 60, one-fifth of women aged 70, two-fifths of women aged 80 and two-thirds of women aged 90. Women with osteoporosis often experience bone loss, weak and brittle bones, height loss, back pain and curvature of the spine. If you sustain a bone fracture or break with osteoporosis, recovery will take longer and be more painful than for other women. Consuming the recommended amount of calcium each day can keep your bones strong and prevent osteoporosis.
Warning
Consuming excessive amounts of calcium in the form of supplements can lead to health problems such as constipation and kidney stones, according to the National Institutes of Health. Getting too much calcium from food is rare, NIH advises, but taking too much calcium in supplement form can have negative effects. If you do not get enough calcium from your diet, seek your doctor's approval before taking a calcium supplement to determine a healthy amount.
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