Calcium Rich Foods

Do you know that calcium is not only concerned with the prevention of osteoporosis but also in the maintenance of the normal functioning of the heart? Furthermore, it is said to be able to regulate a person's blood pressure and the general health of the nervous system. And women may have found their ally in calcium, since the ingestion of calcium rich foods and supplements may provide them relief from their premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

If we are to think about calcium rich foods, there's a 10 to 1 chance that most of us will think about milk and other dairy products as the best examples. But just how right are we? There have been numerous arguments regarding this issue. Researchers have contested the earlier belief that the dairies are the tops among all the calcium rich foods.

Well, maybe science really hasn't changed its stand on this, but just to point out, dairies are not our only option. Our need for calcium is not undeniable. Just because you are milk lovers early on in your lives, do not mean that you don't have any use for calcium when you get older. Truth is, the older you become, the greater your calcium requirement. This is because your body tends to "fix" and remodel bones as your age increases. The severity of the process would depend on the condition of your bones. If you were a fan of calcium rich foods when you were younger, chances are, there won't be too much remodeling. Those who saved up little calcium would reap the consequences. Obviously they are more likely to have weaker bones, and "fixing" them would be an inevitable thing.

Calcium rich foods are vital when a person is in his thirties. By this time, the calcium stored up in the bones can no longer be used to remodel them. That is why calcium rich foods are essential in the maintenance of the bone density in older people. A person's only source of calcium beyond the age thirty is the ingested calcium.

Do you know that sardines are on the list of calcium rich foods? Indeed, along with salmon, a small can of sardines can supply the body with calcium equivalent to a cup of milk. Green vegetables as well as dried beans are also calcium rich foods. Yogurt is another wise alternative to milk. A cup of nonfat yogurt provides about 490 mg of calcium; something that a glass of milk cannot compete with.

But a glass of milk in your daily diet is better than not taking in any calcium at all. Even with the various issues on milk and dairies, no one can discard the fact that it still is the most famous source of calcium. So, got milk?