Calcium is one of the most important building blocks that your body requires. Everyone needs a steady replenishment of calcium, but it is especially important for children in order to help them build healthy teeth and bones.
It is necessary for pregnant mothers so that the baby gets all the calcium that it needs without having to steal it from Mum and older people need it to stave off osteoporosis, to which elderly women are particularly liable.
Most people rely on milk to provide their calcium, but there is growing proof that most individuals cannot derive calcium from milk. A great deal of children can but not all and very few adults. Some races of human beings are better at acquiring calcium from milk than others. Red meat is a good source of calcium and so is cheese, but this does not help vegetarians and vegans.
If you cannot take dairy products or eat meat, then you should be consuming calcium supplements to be certain of the health of your bones and teeth. There are a number of sorts of calcium tablets: some are solid and can be soluble or not and some are chewable.
Whichever sort you choose to take you should eat them before or after a meal but not during and you ought to not take them in conjunction with any other tablets in case they react with them.
As always, you should check with your GP before taking calcium supplements because there are some conditions that calcium or too much calcium can aggravate. Pregnant women ought to mention that they take calcium tablets too, because the doctor might also be prescribing calcium in a general concoction of vitamins.
Too much calcium can be a problem for some individuals under some conditions particularly those with some stomach issues, kidney stones and diarrhea. If you eat meat and cheese, you might not need calcium and if you take supplements and already get enough that might cause you long term worries too.
Symptoms of taking too much calcium include constipation, vomitting, dizziness, nausea, dry mouth and a loss of appetite. If you experience any of these things you ought to stop taking calcium supplements and visit your GP.
It is simple for most individuals to get enough calcium in their regular diet. Those with the biggest problem in this matter are vegetarians, but calcium tablets are cheap enough. Calcium is often included in general purpose vitamin tablets too, so getting your RDA ought to never become a problem.
In Asia, people do not eat much dairy produce and lots of rural Asians eat the bones of fish, small birds and small reptiles in order to ensure that they get enough calcium in their diet. Most Westerners would baulk at eating bones, but it is not unpleasant and helps keep teeth and gums strong as well.
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