Calcium

There is a lot of hype about calcium.  Advertisers and doctors tell us to drink our milk.  Cereals, breads, and other packaged foods are being touted as "calcium fortified".  However, how much calcium should we consume and why?

Both men and women should strive for 1,000mg/day of calcium, and it is best absorbed if it is consumed as food and not a supplement.  Calcium provides strong teeth and bones.  It also aids in blood clotting, proper nerve transmission, triggering contraction and relaxation of muscles, disease prevention, and weight management.

Some good food sources for calcium are dairy, fortified soy products, sesame seeds, dark green leafy vegetables, and sardines.  Calcium is best absorbed with Vitamin D, so if you choose a supplement, be sure it also contains Vitamin D and keep in mind the body can only process a maximum of 500mg at a time.

Try tracking your calcium intake for 3 days and see if you are consuming around the 1,000mg/day mark.  However, avoid consuming more than 2,500mg/day as it becomes toxic to the system at those amounts.  Also, keep track of how much of your calcium is from fortified foods and how much is natural to the foods themselves; you want more to come from a food source than a fortified source.