Calcium

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			Benefits Sources Deficiencies People At Risk

Get in the Zone for Stronger Bones

Bone-Afide Body Benefits
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and
provides three important benefits:

It provides a strong lift for bone growth and
It strengthens the skeleton during childhood and beyond.
It contributes to healthy teeth

Calcium is also found in the bloodstream and helps
provide the power for:

Normal Heartbeat
Blood Clotting
Muscle Function

…all of which which keep the body pumped up and ready to perform.

	Benefits: The Big Lift
	The body "lifts" (withdraws) the Calcium it needs from bones to maintain blood levels which explains why children need sufficient amounts of Calcium every day.
		Calcium Counts For Kids! How much Calcium is enough? What is the Calcium comfort level? According to the Institute of Medicine, the group that determines nutrient needs, kids' daily needs for Calcium vary by age: 1- to 3-year-olds need 500 milligrams 4- to 8-year-olds require 800 milligrams 9- to 19-year-olds need 1,300 milligrams And, how about this extra Calcium "Bone-anza": A Journal of the American Dietetic Association study linked higher Calcium intake from milk and dairy foods to lower body fat levels in children aged 2 to 8. Now, that's Calcium cool!

	Sources: The Calcium Crowd!
	Dairy products: Yogurt, Cheese, Fluid Milk (flavored, reduced fat and non-fat, lactose free, soy) Non-Dairy: Fortified RTE Cereals, Soy beverage, Sardines, Tofu, Pink Salmon, Collards, Spinach, Soybeans, Turnip Greens, Ocean Perch, Oatmeal, Cowpeas, White Beans, Kale, Okra, Soybeans, Blue Crab, Beet Greens, Clams, Rainbow Trout and Broccoli.

	Deficiencies: Get Peak, Not Weak!
	Being in peak shape means peak performance and a more enjoyable, balanced lifestyle. However, insufficient Calcium intake can turn bodies from peak to weak and cause a Calcium-deficiency crisis.Calcium deficiency can really weigh you down. Deficiency Symptoms include:


Skeletal abnormalities (a major symptom of Calcium deficiency)
Osteomalacia A failure to mineralize the bone matrix, causing reduced mineral content of the bone. In children, this is known as rickets. When children have rickets, their bones become soft and flexible, bending in ways normal bones would not. Signs of rickets include:
- Bowed legs - Large foreheads	- Beaded ribs - Sunken chests		- Protruding chests - Hyperextendable joints
Osteopenia
A condition that results in having less than the normal amount of bone. Left untreated, it may result in Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis occurs when bone composition is normal, but bone mass is reduced. The result: The skeleton loses its strength and is unable to support the body. In this case, fractures may occur due to minor falls and bumps, or bones may even break under their own weight. People with Osteoporosis may have:
- A hump in their backs - Loss of height		- Scoliosis (Curvature of the spine) - Kyphosis (Rounded shoulders)
These conditions may be caused by the buckling of weakened spines, no longer strong enough to hold the body upright. Bones act as a reservoir for Calcium. Think of them as a Calcium collection center. When Calcium in the blood supply dips too low, Calcium is borrowed from the bones Calcium-rich foods return the needed Calcium to the bones where it is collected However, when diets are low in calcium, there may not be sufficient amounts available to be returned to the bones. And, over time, this net loss can lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis.
Curb Calcium Overload
Toxicity: It's true! Too much Calcium is a concern too. Although it’s rare, excess Calcium from any dairy or non-dairy source can collect in the body and cause other serious and/or long term health issues.

People at Risk: Calcium Concerns

Children and teens who replace Calcium-rich beverages with alternatives such as juice, water, or soda
Teenage girls who are watching their weight and think dairy products are too fatty

Sources:
USDA - Nutrient Data Lab (Sept. 1996)
USDA School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children
US Dept of health and Human Services, Guidelines for School health programs to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating, June 1996
CNN.com, Food Resource Planner
2004 President and Fellows of Harvard College.
AHA Science Advisory: Stanol/Sterol Ester-Containing Foods and Blood Cholesterol Levels, #71-0201 Circulation. 2001;103:1177
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, School Lunch Report, August 2004
WebMD Health
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
AHA Conference Proceedings: Summary of the Scientific Conference on Dietary Fatty Acids and Cardiovascular Health, #71-0200 Circulation. 2001;103:1034-1039
Journal of Epidemiology (May, 1992)
The Vitamin and Nutrition Center, 2004