Calcium is considered as an important component of a healthy diet. It is one of the most essential minerals in our body and is necessary for the contraction of muscles and for the maintenance and development of bone structure, teeth, regulating heart beat and stimulating hormone secretions. Natural calcium is found in plants and animals. Plants acquire it from soil and in animals and human beings, natural calcium is found in bones and teeth. If we do not consume enough calcium then our body acquires it from bones which may result in to broken bones, unhealthy teeth, low bone density, osteoporosis, and further weakness. No doubt, dairy products are the rich source of calcium but they do not contain magnesium which our bones need to absorb calcium. Since fruits and vegetables contain higher level of magnesium, so we must include then in our daily diet. The foods which are rich in calcium are:

* Sesame seeds
* Almonds
* Dark leafy greens
* Flax seeds
* Beans
* Broccoli
* Oatmeal
* Collard greens
* Oranges

How much calcium is necessary?

Age (1-3) - 500 mg/day
Age (4-8) - 700 mg/day
Age (9-18) -1300 mg/day
Age (19-50) - 1000 mg/day
Age (>50) - 1200 mg/day
Pregnancy/ lactating (14-19) - 1300 mg/day
Pregnancy/lactating (>19) - 1000 mg/day

It can be seen that athletes, pregnant and breast feeding women requires more calcium. If calcium containing products are not included in our diet then it can also be obtain from calcium supplements. Most effective and widely used forms of calcium used in calcium supplements are calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate. Some names of calcium supplements are lifestream natural calcium, AlgaeCal plus calcium. It is essential to receive adequate amount of calcium every day but it is most important that our body utilize and absorb it. It is observed that liquid supplement is absorbed more quickly than an oral calcium pill. Calcium supplements must be combined with other ingredients such as vitamin D, magnesium, and boron to make absorption faster. Calcium carbonate comes in tablets, capsules and liquid form. Calcium citrate is used for people suffering from reduced levels of stomach acids. Lifestream natural calcium consists of 32-34% elemental calcium and other minerals such as boron, magnesium, iodine, sulphur and copper. Low quantity of calcium causes Knee pain and this can further lead to arthritis. Athletes commonly suffer from this disease. Best cure is prevention so opt for calcium rich diet.

Excessive calcium

Maintaining balance in calcium intake is very important. Our body does not require more than 500 mg of calcium at one time because our body cannot absorb it. This can further leads to excessive bone breakdown, cancer, joint pain, knee pain, pain in wrists, elbows, shoulders, muscle weakness, etc. It commonly occurs in people suffering from hyperparathyroidism as it leads to too much parathyroid hormone which increases the level of calcium in our blood and leads to problems like knee pain, depression, back pain, nausea, blurred vision, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Treatment to prevent calcium deposition includes excessive hydration, medications, surgery. Vitamin k2 helps in cleaning calcium deposits from arteries and bones and also provides remarkable benefits for bone health and cardiovascular health. It is rarely used as it is very expensive and costs $1.5 million per kilogram. Intake of vitamin k2 reduces coronary heart diseases, and high levels of it do not cause abnormal blood clotting.