Calcium deficiency is widely prevalent in our country and Neetu's detailed post deals with it nicely.Thanks!

Thanks for sharing this post and giving information on calcium.

Calcium is the most plentiful mineral found in the human body. The teeth and bones contain the most calcium (about 99%). Nerve cells, body tissues, blood, and other body fluids contain the remaining calcium.
Alternative Names

Diet - calcium
Function

Calcium is one of the most important minerals for the growth, maintenance, and reproduction of the human body. Calcium helps form and maintain healthy teeth and bones. Proper levels of calcium over a lifetime can help prevent osteoporosis.

Calcium helps with blood clotting, nerve signaling, muscle contraction and relaxation, and the release of certain hormones. It is also needed for a normal heartbeat.
Food Sources

Many foods contain calcium, but dairy products are the most significant source. Milk and dairy products such as yogurt, cheeses, and buttermilk contain an efficiently absorbed form of calcium.

Whole milk (4% fat) is recommended for children age 1 to 2. The fat content of dairy products is a concern for adults and children over the age of 2. You can easily reduce the fat content while maintaining the calcium content by selecting low-fat (2% or 1%) or skim milk and other diary products.

The calcium is not contained in the fat portion of milk, so removing the fat will not affect the calcium content. In fact, when you replace the fat portion that has been removed with an equal part of skimmed milk, you are actually increasing the calcium content. Therefore, one cup of skim or non-fat milk will have more calcium than one cup of whole milk because almost the entire cup of skim milk is made up of the calcium-containing portion.

Other dairy products such as yogurt, most cheeses, and buttermilk are excellent sources of calcium and are available in low-fat or fat-free versions.

Milk is also a good source of phosphorus and magnesium, which help the body absorb and use the calcium more effectively. Vitamin D is essential for efficient utilization of calcium. Milk is fortified with vitamin D for this reason.

Green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy or Chinese cabbage are good sources of calcium.

Other sources of calcium are salmon and sardines canned with their soft bones. Shellfish, almonds, Brazil nuts, and dried beans are also sources of calcium. It is difficult, however, to eat adequate quantities of these foods to achieve optimal calcium intake.

Calcium is added to several food products, such as breads and orange juice, to make them a significant source of calcium for persons who do not eat a lot of dairy products.

The Importance of Calcium & Vitamin D

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Calcium is found in foods like milk, leafy green vegetables and soybeans. Vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium, is found in a limited number of foods and is made by your skin while you are in the sun.
Calcium and your body:

* Your body uses calcium every day for activities such as muscle contraction, blood clotting and nerve function.
* When it doesn't get enough, it may take the necessary amount from your bones, weakening them.
* Our bodies build up calcium in our bones efficiently until we are about 30 years old. After that, our bone mass tends to decline.
* This problem is compounded even further during menopause when a decrease in estrogen levels accelerates bone loss for women.
* That's why it's important to maintain a diet with enough calcium and vitamin D.

Maintaining good bone health:
Scientific studies have shown that regular exercise and a calcium-rich diet can help build and maintain good bone health* and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. It's important to maintain a diet with enough calcium and vitamin D, together with other important bone-healthy nutrients, including phosphorus and magnesium. Yet nearly 80% of American women do not consume the amount of calcium recommended to help maintain healthy bones. The Surgeon General also notes that many people, especially elderly individuals, don't get enough vitamin D from sunshine and diet alone. Foods such as fortified milk contain about 100 IU of vitamin D, while Caltrate® offers several formulas that contain 400 IU per tablet.

After your mid-30s, you begin to slowly lose bone mass.

Neetu you are doing a great job,continue your good work.keep on updating...

Yes we all know that calcium is very essential for bones.... thanks neetu for giving detailed information on calcium rich items....

Deficiency Diseases of calcium: Arthritis, High Blood Pressure, Osteoporosis

Overdose Disease of calcium: Constipation and lack of appetite

Deficiency Symptoms of calcium:
Because bone stores of calcium can be used to maintain adequate blood calcium levels, short-term dietary deficiency of calcium generally does not result in significantly low blood calcium levels. But, over the long term, dietary deficiency eventually depletes bone stores, rendering the bones weak and prone to fracture. The symptoms of calcium deficiency are:

* Bowlegs, Pigeon Breast, and Knock-knees of children
* Cramp pains in legs
* Delay in sitting up, Crawling and Walking of babies
* Heart becomes irregular
* Nerves become extremely irritable
* Poor sleep disorder
* Weakness in the bones

Rich Sources of calcium:

* Dairy Products, such as Milk, Cheese, and Yogurt
* Canned Salmon and Sardines with Bones
* Leafy Green Vegetables, such as Broccoli, Spinach
* Calcium-Fortified foods - from Orange juice to Cereals and Crackers
* Ice Cream, Kale, Oysters, Ricotta

Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency

* Deficiency of calcium causes changes in the bones and muscles.
* Calcium-deficient people look pale and listless, get tired, and become lazy.
* They are more sensitive to cold weather.
* They become nervous and suffer from mental derangements.
* Sweating around the head even during cold weather is the most obvious symptom of calcium deficiency in all ages.
* Deficiency of calcium may cause porous and fragile bones, tooth decay, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, insomnia, and irritability.
* Children who are born to calcium-deficient mothers generally suffer from calcium deficiency. In such children calcium deficiency becomes more prominent if there is no adequate supply of calcium, proteins, minerals, and vitamins in the form of whole milk, fresh fruits, and vegetables. These children fail to grow or develop healthy and strong bones. They lack appetite and if fed forcibly, may bring out all the food and milk. They suffer from indigestion and diarrhea. They suffer from late and defective teething, and are prone to having emaciated necks and enlarged heads. Deficiency of calcium lowers the body resistance and these children become an easy prey to respiratory and intestinal infections. More on uses of aragonite
* Deficiency of calcium in young girls causes late puberty, irregular menstruation, excessive bleeding with cramps pain, anemia, and lowered state of body resistance against infections.
* In case of an inadequate supply of calcium during pregnancy, the development of the fetus continues by drawing the reserve calcium from the bones, but the mother usually suffers from a difficult labor.
* Bleeding, lack of breast milk, poor concentration of the mind, a prolonged lying-in period – these are all common due to calcium deficiency after childbirth.