What is Calcium?

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Calcium is the primary mineral responsible for bone well-being, and it is needed every day. This essential mineral promotes bone strength and provides the building blocks for strong teeth. Calcium plays an especially vital role in achieving peak bone mass in children and young adults. In addition to contributing to bone health, Calcium helps promote healthy blood and heart function, muscle contractions and nerve impulses.

One form of Calcium, Calcium Carbonate, has been shown to support healthy cell growth in the colon.Calcium Carbonate supplements have also been found to help relieve symptoms of PMS, such as water retention, and back or abdominal pain, and can support a positive mood.

Even though it is well-known for its bone support abilities, many people do not get enough Calcium from their daily diets. In fact, many women and young girls consume less than half the amount of Calcium recommended to maintain healthy bones, putting them at greater risk of developing osteoporosis than men.

Many factors contribute to the development of osteoporosis, including sex, race, age, and hormonal status. Caucasian women of northern European ancestry and Asian women in their bone-forming years (teens and young adults) have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. American women of African heritage have the lowest incidence of osteoporotic fracture.

It's important to remember that everyone loses bone mass with age. Regular exercise, a healthy diet and adequate Calcium intake helps maintain good bone health and may reduce the high risk of osteoporosis later in life, especially for teens and young adult Caucasian and Asian women. A total dietary intake above 2,000 mg has no further known benefit to bone health. Depending on your age, an appropriate Calcium intake falls between 1000 and 1300 mg a day.

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Calcium - The Key To Quick Weight Loss

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Are you dieting your way to bone loss?

Are you aware that the diet you follow may be depleting your bones of essential nutrients and increasing your chances of developing osteoporosis? Popular diets may promise quick weight loss, but calcium and other important nutrients are often missing from the menu, which can lead to bone loss.

And women who consistently limit what they eat to avoid gaining weight may undermine the health of their bones, according to a study by ARS researchers in California. (1)

The study looked at the eating behavior of women between the ages of 18 and 50 and found that those classified as "restrained eaters" had significantly lower bone mineral density and bone mineral content (key indicators of overall bone strength and health) than women who said they weren't concerned about what they ate.

"Exercise and eating a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium, are two of the best ways to keep your bones strong and healthy." advise the researchers.

Calcium is not only good for your bones but can help you maintain a healthy, low fat diet too. There has been increasing media coverage about numerous studies showing that a diet rich in calcium helps reduce body fat.

Why is calcium important in weight loss?

Calcium is a fat burner. High-calcium diets seem to favor burning rather than storing fat. Researchers say this is because calcium stored in fat cells plays an important role in fat storage and breakdown.

Calcium changes the efficiency of weight loss . In fact, study after study has shown that the people with the highest calcium intake overall weighed the least, and the people with the lowest calcium intake had the highest percentage of body fat. (2,3,4)

When overall calorie consumption is accounted for, calcium not only helps keep weight in check, but can be associated specifically with decreases in body fat. A low daily calcium intake is associated with greater tendency to gain weight, particularly in women. (5)

Researchers found that adolescent girls who consumed more calcium weighed less and had less body fat than girls who consumed the same amount of calories from other sources. (6)

Previous studies have shown that a higher calcium intake can block body fat production in adults and preschool children (7), but this was one of the first studies to show that it might have the same effect in body-conscious preteen and teenage girls.

But aren't dairy products fattening?

Some dieters consider dairy products to be fattening, but the evidence suggests the opposite is true.

Consumption of calcium-rich dairy foods can actually help to reduce and prevent obesity. Over 20 recent studies show that milk products actually contribute to weight loss.

A new study in obese adults, presented at the First Annual Nutrition Week Conference, showed that increasing calcium intake by the equivalent of two dairy servings per day could reduce the risk of obesity by as much as 70 percent. (8)

The study provided clinching evidence that calcium in low-fat dairy products can help adjust your body's fat-burning machinery and help keep your weight under control.

In another study, obese subjects placed on a high-calcium diet, with yogurt as the calcium source, showed markedly greater fat loss than those on a low-calcium diet. (9)

Numerous studies have shown that dairy calcium is more effective in reducing body fat than other forms of calcium. (10)

Why does diary calcium work so well?

Researchers believe that other nutrients found in milk products act in synergy with calcium to reduce fat more efficiently.

Glycomacropeptides (found in whey proteins derived from milk) in particular, are known to create feelings of satiety and fullness and decrease food intake. (11,12,13)

Foods that are a good source of calcium include cheese, milk, ice cream, baked beans and other dried legumes, dried figs, broccoli, most dark-green leafy vegetables, and soft fish bones like those in canned salmon.

Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not provided by medical professionals and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.

References:

1. April 1999; Agricultural Research magazine
2. Zemel MB et al. [2000. FASEB J 14:1132-1138.]
3. Zemel MB. 2002. [J Am Coll Nutr 21: 146S-151S.]
4. Shi H et al. [2001. FASEB J 5:291-293.]
5. Jacqmain M et al. [2003. Am J Clin Nutr 77:1448-1452.]
6. Novotny R et al. [2003. Poster Presentation, Experimental Biology Meeting, April, San Diego, CA.]
7. Carruth BR and Skinner JD. [2001. T Int J Obesity Relat Metab Disord 25:559-566.]
8. Zemel MB et al. [Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90.]
9. Zemel MB et al. [2003. FASEB J A1088:679.3]
10. Heaney, R.P., Davies, K.M., Barger-Lux, M.J. [Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 21(2), 2002, pages 152S-155S.]
11. Gibbs J, Young RC, Smith GP.J Comp [Physiol Psychol 1973 Sep;84(3):488-95]
12. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA, Schneider BS, Grinker JA. [Science 1981 May 8;212(4495):687-9]
13. Della-Fera MA, Baile CA. [Physiol Behav 1981 Jun;26(6):979-83]


Copyright © 2004 Priya Shah

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Priya Shah is the Editor of The Glutathione Report and the webmaster of http://www.1whey2health.com
Visit Natural Weight Loss Tips for more articles, tips and resources on weight loss.
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Peppers - Naturally Healthy and Delicious

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Peppers - Naturally Healthy and Delicious

By Steve Arun

Your Grandma always told you that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” There is much to be said about this. There are natural ways to keep us in good shape and it all depends greatly upon our eating habits.

You have tried an apple a day, but did you ever try peppers a.k.a. capsicums?
Peppers are rich in Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and Zinc, two nutrients which are vital for a strong and healthy immune system. They is also high in vitamins A, C, rutin (a bioflavonoid), beta carotene, iron, calcium and potassium.

Peppers contain magnesium, phosphorus, sulphur, B-complex vitamins, sodium and selenium. These combinations of minerals and vitamins make peppers a powerful food for natural remedies.

The Cayenne Pepper was introduced to Europe by Christopher Columbus which was also known as “Guinea Pepper. ” In 1597, Gerard referred to Capsicum as extremely hot and dry and prescribed it for throat and skin infections.
Health practitioners of the nineteenth century called phsysiomedicalists, used peppers to counteract rheumatism, arthritis, depression and chills.
It is an excellant anti-coagulant and lowers the blood pressure as well as cholestrol, thus it is recommended for heart patients.

It has even been perscribed for some for balding. One cure says to soak the red pepper in Vodka for 2 weeks, strain and apply the liquid on the balding patch, daily for six weeks.
Peppers are said to be a great help for Bronchitis patients as they mucus secretions and clear congestion. Peppers are also said to help in strengthening bones and keeping rheumatism under control.

Homoeopaths use capsicum in their mother tincture to cure many patients of such maladies as letharargy, joint pains, home sickness, obesity and hysteria.
Imp: According to doctors. the use of peppers should be avoided for those who suffer from piles and gastric ulcers. Steve Arun is an Internet Marketing Consultant for Modernsage Inc the nationally-acclaimed women’s healthy living print magazine based in Long Island, New York, is now a women’s online community.

Stop by ModernSage Online Blog today for insightful articles, expert advice and an active community that cares about natural health, alternative medicine, home remedies, living well, quick healthy meals, inspiration, work and family, working from home and the essential daily dose of humor.

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Lets try these two healthy recipes using peppers;

Grilled Mixed Peppers Recipe

Vegetable and Tofu Recipe

Calcium

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Calcium: What is it?

Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, has several important functions. More than 99% of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it functions to support their structure. The remaining 1% is found throughout the body in blood, muscle, and the fluid between cells. Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system. A constant level of calcium is maintained in body fluid and tissues so that these vital body processes function efficiently.

Bone undergoes continuous remodeling, with constant resorption (breakdown of bone) and deposition of calcium into newly deposited bone (bone formation). The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes as people age. During childhood there is a higher amount of bone formation and less breakdown. In early and middle adulthood, these processes are relatively equal. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds its formation, resulting in bone loss, which increases the risk for osteoporosis (a disorder characterized by porous, weak bones).

What is the recommended intake for calcium?

Recommendations for calcium are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences. Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) is the general term for a set of reference values used for planning and assessing nutrient intakes of healthy people. Three important types of reference values included in the DRIs are Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), Adequate Intakes (AI), and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL). The RDA recommends the average daily intake that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in each age and gender group. An AI is set when there is insufficient scientific data available to establish a RDA. AIs meet or exceed the amount needed to maintain a nutritional state of adequacy in nearly all members of a specific age and gender group. The UL, on the other hand, is the maximum daily intake unlikely to result in adverse effects. It is listed in the section "Is there health risk of too much calcium?" of this fact sheet.

For calcium, the recommended intake is listed as an Adequate Intake (AI), which is a recommended average intake level based on observed or experimentally determined levels. Table 1 contains the current recommendations for calcium for infants, children and adults.