Calcium
is a mineral popularly known to prevent osteoporosis in women.
This disease is characterized by a gradual thinning of the bones
resulting in a curved back and possible hip fractures. What
actually happens is that blood is absorbing calcium from the
bones because there isn’t enough calcium in the blood. To prevent
this, women must obtain calcium from food sources. But why does
the blood need to have calcium? This is because calcium plays
important roles in many other aspects of health.
Calcium helps in
controlling blood pressure. This has been proven by the 13-year
study of James Dwyer at the University of Southern California
School of Medicine. His study showed that a daily intake of
1300 milligrams of calcium reduces the risk of hypertension
by 12 percent.
In another study
by Dr. Margo Denke at the Center for Human Nutrition at the
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, calcium has
been found to reduce levels of total cholesterol. A high-calcium
diet can reduce the levels of bad LDL cholesterol by 11 percent.
While the good HDL cholesterol was left unchanged.
Calcium can also
prevent strokes. According to a Harvard study, this mineral
protects middle-aged women from strokes. Women who take at least
400 mg of calcium have a 12 percent lower risk of ischemic stroke.
This illness is caused by a build up of plaque in the walls
of the blood vessels.
Calcium protects
people from colon cancer. This mineral prevents growths that
eventually become malignant and cause colorectal cancer. A professor
of Cornell University, Dr Martin Lipkin, showed this link between
calcium and colon cancer. He suggests that both calcium-rich
foods and calcium supplements will give health benefits.
Calcium keeps the
pregnant woman and her baby healthy. According to Barbara Levine
at the Rockefeller University, calcium makes sure that the fetus
stays healthy. This mineral also increases the bone mass of
the mother. With vitamin D, the mother avoids bone-related diseases.
The most surprising
of all uses of calcium is that this mineral helps in weight
loss, especially for women in their middle age. A study conducted
by dr. Robert Heaney at Creighton University showed that women
with high calcium intake did not gain weight while those with
low calcium diets gained weight. This was supported by a study
of Dr. Michael Zemel at the University of Tennessee. His study
revealed that calcium releases a certain hormone that stimulates
the body’s fat cells to lose weight.
If you are interested
in this particular effect of calcium, you can obtain this mineral
from milk products, dark green leafy vegetables, shrimp, clams,
legumes, and tofu.
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