Do You Need A Calcium Supplement?

Needless to say, calcium plays a major role in many body functions. Not only does this help the bones stay strong, but it also carries out many important functions like supporting the structure and hardness of the bones and teeth, helping the blood vessels move blood throughout the body, releasing hormones and enzymes needed for the human body to function, and assisting the nerves in carrying out messages from the brain to every part of the body.

But the thing is, our bodies do not produce calcium. Human beings highly rely on our diet to get the much-needed calcium to sustain the needs of our body. That’s the reason why our parents have been encouraging us to consume food and drinks that are high in calcium.

What’s the Best Way to Get the Required Amount of Calcium?

While calcium intake is highly recommended for children, according to the National Institutes of Health, the amount of calcium needed by the body actually depends on the age of a person. Adults aging 19 to 50 years are recommended to have at least 1,000mg intake of calcium.

Also, the body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. This means you won’t fully benefit from the food that you eat (no matter how rich they are in calcium) if your body is low on Vitamin D. Exposure to sunshine is one of the best ways to source out vitamin D.¹ This can also be found in oily fish like salmon and sardines, egg yolk, and some fortified foods.

For a long time, milk has been considered one of the main sources of calcium. However, recent studies have shown that calcium intake from dairy sources has potential acne-inducing effect², can aggravate mucus production³, and affect the pH balance of the body⁴. For these reasons, many are turning to dairy alternatives like kale, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, fish with soft bones, grains (like pasta and unfortified cereals), soy, tofu, and many other calcium-rich food varieties.

Do You Need Calcium Supplements?

Compared to children, adults are more likely to take calcium supplements – which are often believed to protect their bone health rather than consuming milk or sources of calcium. However, according to recent studies, calcium supplements have shown to be unnecessary for healthy individuals. In fact, these have not shown to affect treatment efficacy among people receiving treatment for osteoporosis; rather, it has caused constipation, bloating and kidney stones, and some evidence of myocardial infarction risks.⁵

With the required amount of calcium intake for adults, Harvard Health provided a list of foods that are high in calcium that people can turn to as an alternative to dairy and calcium supplements. This includes collard greens, broccoli, kale, bok choy, and other dark green, leafy vegetables. To get your daily serving of raw greens, you can consider going for more convenient and easy to prepare green superfood supplements like pHresh greens® Raw Alkalizing Superfood and pHresh Superblends™. These are made from 16 raw ingredients that are carefully selected to provide the body with a natural source of vitamins, traces of minerals, and other nutrients present in vegetables, like calcium, that are beneficial to the body.

Aside from food intake, being active and exercising daily can help your bones stay healthy. A sedentary lifestyle may greatly affect the overall health of your bones. Feel free to talk to your doctors about boosting your diet to address your calcium needs. For more helpful tips, read our other health articles here.

References:

1 Vrinda Saraff, Nick Shaw. Sunshine and vitamin D. DOI: 10.1136. PMID: 26323284

2 Noor Hasnani Ismail, Zahara Abdul Manaf, Noor Zalmy Azizan. High glycemic load diet, milk, and ice cream consumption are related to acne vulgaris in Malaysian young adults: a case-control study. DOI: 10.1186. PMID: 22898209

3 Brunello Wüthrich, Alexandra Schmid, Barbara Walther, Robert Sieber. Milk consumption does not lead to mucus production or occurrence of asthma. DOI: 10.1080. PMID: 16373954

4 Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Do You Know If Milk Is an Acid or a Base? thoughtco.com/milk-an-acid-or-a-base-607361#:~:text=Actually%2C%20milk%20has%20a%20pH,hydrogen%20donor%20or%20proton%20donor

5 Ian R Reid, Mark J Bolland. Controversies in medicine: the role of calcium and vitamin D supplements in adults. DOI: 10.5694. PMID: 31680267