What Is Calcium?

Calcium is the most plentiful mineral found in the human body – almost all of it (about 99%) contained in our teeth and bones. It's important for many reasons:

• An adequate intake of calcium in childhood and adolescence helps make bones and teeth dense and strong, and protects you against bone loss as you get older.
• It helps muscles contract and relax – including your most important muscle, your heart.

The richest sources of calcium are milk, cheese, yogourt and fortified soy beverages.

Calcium also works with another nutrient called vitamin D to build strong bones. We get vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight (which we don't get much during the winter months) but we can also get vitamin D from foods like fortified milk and milk products, fish, fish oils and eggs.

Childhood and Adolescence

When you're a child, you need calcium to build, develop and maintain your body's bones. Most people reach their greatest bone density (peak bone mass) during their teenage years.

For teenagers, calcium requirements actually increase due to accelerated muscle, bone and gland development. During peak growth spurts, teens can absorb much more calcium than at other times in their lives.

By getting enough calcium during childhood and adolescence, people can build up a healthy reservoir of calcium for their later years. That's a good idea, because by about the age of 30, your bones naturally begin to lose calcium. You need to eat a diet rich in calcium and do weight-bearing physical activity to help reduce this loss and help maintain bone strength.

Pregnancy and Breast-feeding

Pregnancy and breast-feeding can increase the rate of calcium loss from the bones of mothers. To prevent this, pregnant and breast-feeding women need to ensure they are getting an adequate intake of calcium.

Adults

It's never too late to consume calcium-rich foods! Even after age 30, eating a diet rich in calcium can help you slow down your body's rate of bone loss. It's also important to find ways to continue with regular weight bearing activity – as this helps maintain your bone mass.

Daily Calcium Requirements

Infants 0-6 months:	210 mg/day
Infants 7-12 months:	270 mg/day
Children 1-3 yrs:	500 mg/day
Children 4-8 yrs:	800 mg/day
Adolescents 9-18 yrs:	1300 mg/day
Adults 19-50 yrs:	1000 mg/day
Adults 51-70 yrs:	1200 mg/day
Pregnancy & Lactation under 18 yrs:	1300 mg/day
Pregnancy & Lactation under 19-50 yrs:	1000 mg/day