Calcium

Calcium is an essential mineral for a healthy and active life. Calcium is the single most abundant mineral in the human body and is required for a number of functions including:

• Bone density
• Vascular contraction
• Muscle function
• Strong teeth
• Nerve transmission

These are just a few of the many areas of biochemistry that calcium plays a role in. The RDA for calcium depends on age and gender, but there are certain groups that may require more calcium in their diet. These groups include:

• Post-menopausal women
• Pregnant or lactating women
• Vegetarians
• People with milk allergies or who are lactose intolerant

Of course, calcium supplementation is often associated with osteoporosis, a condition in which bones become porous and fragile, and which afflicts more than ten million Americans (80% of whom are women).

Calcium is a vital mineral for maintaining a healthy life. These lists contain only a fraction of the roles calcium plays in our lives, but it is easy to see that this is one mineral that cannot be done without.