Other roles played by calcium in your body

• It regulate activities of the muscle, such as relaxation and contraction
• Forming and strengthening the bones and teeth
• Regulation of heart functions
• Assist in blood clotting system
• Enzyme function
• Transmission of message through your nervous system

If your body doesn’t get enough calcium from your diet, it will drain calcium from the bone which could weaken your bones. Deficiency of calcium can cause many symptoms like anxiety, depression, irritability and lack of sleep.

Most of us are confused about the right amount of calcium intake to protect their bones and their overall health. Quite a number of people are not getting the right amount of calcium daily and statistics show that approximately 1 in every 2 women and approximately one in four men who are above 50 years old develop bones complications due to osteoporosis.

Sources of calcium:

• Greens and vegetables

Most vegetables , especially leafy green ones, turnip green; collard greens, kale, cabbage, romaine lettuce, broccoli, summer squash, celery, beans and Brussels sprouts are the best sources of calcium.

• Dairy

All dairy products are rich in calcium which are be easily absorbed by your body. These include cheese, milk and yogurt.

• Beans

Another good source of calcium are all types of beans: pinto bean, black beans, white beans and kidney beans.

• Spices and Herbs

You can make your food tasty and healthy with a little basil, dill, thyme, cinnamon, rosemary oregano, and spearmint all of which contain calcium.