Headlines News :
Home » , » 8 Health Benefits of Taking Foods Rich in Calcium

8 Health Benefits of Taking Foods Rich in Calcium

Written By Agent 737 on Monday, January 21, 2013 | 9:00 AM

8 Health Benefits of Taking Foods Rich in Calcium
You must have heard it so many times that calcium is good for strong bones and teeth. Don't take it lightly, it is true.

Without calcium in your body, you can be vulnerable to various health conditions ranging from weak muscles to heart disease.

Calcium is found in dairy products, fish, vegetables as well as grains and a variety of fruit juices.

Below are the benefits of taking foods rich in Calcium:
  • Weight control - Obesity significantly increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. In addition to eating a healthy diet, getting enough calcium can help prevent obesity. Healthy foods to help you reach your 1,000 mg calcium target include spinach, kefir, and milk.
  • Heart disease - Heart disease may be prevented by following a diet rich in ample amount of dietary calcium and low in saturated and trans fat. Calcium-rich food may block your body's absorption of fats, which can contribute to formation of plaque in heart arteries.
  • Cancer - A healthy antioxidant-rich diet has been touted as prevention for cancer, but research suggests that adequate calcium intake through dietary sources. Vitamin D is important because it helps your body absorb and preserve calcium in your body.
  • Strong bones and teeth - Calcium, along with phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D and other nutrients, is essential for bone health. A diet low in calcium results in low blood calcium levels - causing calcium to be "withdrawn" from your bones. This weakens bones and can lead to conditions such as osteoporosis.
  • Reduced blood pressure - Taking calcium supplements regularly can help reduce high blood pressure levels in those with chronic blood pressure problems. A diet low in calcium may worsen an existing case of hypertension.
  • Airway function - Calcium secretion by cells is a chemical reaction involved in airway function and it plays a beneficial role in helping to keep your airways open, even in exercise-induce asthma. The smooth muscle of your airway passage opening depends on calcium regulation for contraction.
  • Muscle contraction - Muscle fibers use calcium as a regulatory and signaling molecule. Calcium secreted by your cells causes the regulatory proteins to react with myosin, creating "on" and "off" stages of muscle contraction. This causes a tightening or a relaxing of the muscle fibers.
  • Blood clotting - Calcium in milk is an important factor in blood clotting. Every time you get a cut or wound, your blood reacts to protect itself against excessive blood loss by clotting. Blood platelets combined with calcium, vitamin K and fibrinogen, a protein, move to the area around the wound to stop the bleeding by forming a blood clot. In order for your blood to clot, vitamin K and calcium need to be present.
Calcium is good for you but you should consider taking more from food sources and less of supplements.
Share this post :

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
 
Copyright © 2013. Staying Healthy Plus - All Rights Reserved
Proudly powered by The Staying Healthy Plus Team