Why Do You Need Calcium In Your Diet?
Calcium is a mineral that you’ve probably heard of many times before. The main encounters I’ve had with it have been through TV adverts for things like yogurt. The ads always talk about how the product contains calcium, which is good for us!
I find it’s one of those things we’re told to consume a good amount of, without a lot of explanation as to why. The same goes for any type of vitamin you can think of. People tell us we need loads of vitamins to be healthy, but don’t explain the actual facts about them.
Hopefully, I can change things today by explaining the truth about calcium and why we need it in our diets. As well as this, I think it’s important that we all know how to increase our calcium intake, and where we can find the best sources!
Milk contains calcium, which helps our bones get stronger. Source
What Are The Health Benefits Of Calcium?
The main thing people know about calcium is that it’s great for bone strength and growth. The mineral helps keep your bones nice and dense, improving their strength and durability as you get older.
But, did you know it also helps prevent blood clots? It’s true, getting the desired amount of calcium will stop your blood from clotting and causing potentially life-threatening problems. Along with this, it also keeps our central nervous system healthy. Finally, we always think about calcium keeping our bones healthy, but it also strengthens our muscles too.
Frozen spinach is a great calcium source for vegans. Credit
How Can You Increase Your Calcium Intake?
You’ll be pleased to know that boosting your calcium intake is not as difficult as it sounds for a lot of people. All you need are a few subtle changes to your diet and a good supplement. Often, the best way to get more calcium is by eating more dairy products – like cheese, milk, and yogurt (as mentioned right at the start). They contain high amounts of this mineral and can help you see all the health benefits.
Immediately, you notice a slight problem with this advice. What if you’re intolerant of dairy or are practicing a vegan diet? In which case, don’t worry, there are options for you too. There’s plant calcium out there as well, which can be found in supplement form or naturally through foods. If you read these AlgaeCal Plant Calcium reviews, you’ll see that plant calcium supplements can actually be better than your traditional calcium carbonate supplements. As for the food, you should consume, turn your attention to a lot of green goodness. Broccoli and spinach are the best greens when it comes to high calcium properties. There are also meat alternatives like tofu that can help boost the calcium intake of traditionally meat-based meals.
The good thing is, increasing your calcium intake shouldn’t mean you have to drastically change what you’re eating. If you’re not vegan, the chances are you already drink milk or eat yogurts/cheese, you just need to eat a little more. The same goes for vegans; you’ll most certainly already be eating good greens, you just need more!
I will end this with one piece of advice; check with a doctor before you make any dietary changes. You could be dairy intolerant without knowing it because you don’t consume much of it right now. Stay on the safe side and get checked out before you eat more of anything.