Calcium can help you keep your natural teeth for a lifetime. This finding comes from a recent study of more than 2,500 post-menopausal women, which showed that an adequate calcium intake can play a role in maintaining healthy gums by strengthening the underlying jaw bone. Conversely, women with low bone density (often caused by inadequate calcium intake) were 86 percent more likely to have periodontal or gum disease, the major cause of tooth loss for people over 35 years of age.
Dentists have long been aware of the need for calcium, especially for women, for overall well-being as well as for dental health. "Calcium is a critical ingredient of healthy teeth, which begin developing before birth," said Vicki Grandinetti, D.D.S. "That's why pregnant women need plenty of food high in calcium every day in order to start their babies on a lifetime of good dental health."
"Calcium also fortifies teeth during childhood, and helps to keep them intact throughout life," she added.
This means that calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, can help you keep your natural teeth for a lifetime.
How can you make sure you're getting enough calcium?
Nearly 75 percent of women don't get enough calcium each day, according to studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And over 50 percent don't even get half the recommended amount. Yet, they don't realize their bodies are short on calcium, because there are no immediate, obvious symptoms of calcium deficiency. Unfortunately, the after-effects of inadequate calcium intake can become sadly apparent in later years, in the form of gum disease and osteoporosis.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences, adults over age 25 should get at least 1000 milligrams of calcium each day.
Calcium sources in food
The preferred source of calcium is calcium-rich foods, including dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Other excellent food sources of calcium are green, leafy vegetables, canned sardines, salmon with edible bones, and tofu.
For those who can't meet their daily calcium needs with conventional foods, calcium-fortified foods and calcium supplements are another method by which optimal calcium intake can be reached.
Over-the-counter calcium supplements are an easy, inexpensive way to ensure you're getting enough calcium each day. However, choosing a calcium supplement can be confusing, as there are a number of different forms of this mineral.
Calcium carbonate: This is the least expensive form of calcium, as well as the most concentrated.
Calcium citrate: This form is easily dissolved in the stomach, so it's the one most often recommended for older adults or for individuals taking stomach-acid-blocking drugs. It's not as concentrated as calcium carbonate, and it's a bit more expensive.
Calcium lactate: This form is also absorbed well by the body. It's the least concentrated of the three, and it can be a bit pricey.
Vitamin D is added to milk and is often included in calcium supplements because it helps the body absorb calcium. Magnesium is another mineral that enhances calcium's usefulness in the body; the calcium-magnesium ratio in the supplement you choose should be 2-1 (for example, 500 milligrams of calcium to 250 milligrams of magnesium).
Other ways to enhance absorption of calcium from supplements include taking them with meals, taking them at night, when absorption levels increase naturally, and taking them in chewable form. Also, missing a few doses of calcium can also be beneficial, as this appears to maintain a high level of absorption of calcium by the body.
Always talk with your healthcare provider about whether calcium supplementation is appropriate for you. Individuals with kidney disease or a history of kidney stones, or those with an overactive parathyroid gland, should not take calcium supplements.
More than just a tooth and bone booster
Calcium is vital to virtually every cell in your body, and it's involved in just about every bodily function, including nerve impulses, heartbeat regulation, muscle contraction and blood clotting. Even small changes in calcium levels can have large affects on how well your body functions.
Calcium fights PMS symptoms
Recent research from Columbia University has shown that women who take calcium supplements experience over 50 percent fewer symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
The results of the carefully monitored study of 497 women were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The participants were divided into two random groups. One group was assigned to take four calcium carbonate tablets each day, totaling 1,200 milligrams. The other, a control group, took tablets that contained no calcium. Neither the participants nor the physicians knew which women were in which group.
The women who had the calcium supplementation experienced significantly fewer or less severe PMS symptoms, particularly pain, mood swings, depression, food cravings, low backache and bloating.
While researchers have believed a connection existed between PMS and calcium intake, "this is the strongest study published to date," said Dr. Robert Heaney of the Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. "It highlights the fact that most women are not getting enough calcium in their diet."