Osteoporosis
Research shows that certain ethnic, age, and other groups are at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis, including Caucasian and Asian teen and young women, menopausal women, older men and women and those with a family history of fragile bones.
A balanced diet with enough calcium, Vitamin D and regular exercise throughout life will help you build and maintain healthy bones and may reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. For more information, contact the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.nof.org.
Dental Health
Calcium is the primary building block for teeth and Vitamin D helps deposit calcium in teeth. Adequate daily calcium and Vitamin D is essential for good dental health.
Colon Health
In a study performed at Harvard University, it was shown that participants who consumed at least 700 mg of calcium per day lowered their risk of left-side colon cancer by 40 to 50 per cent.
PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)
According to the results of a study published in the June, 2005 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, the researchers found that high levels of calcium and Vitamin D intake reduced the severity of the symptoms of PMS.
Weight Loss
Several studies have shown that a high calcium intake may help you lose weight if you are on a weight reduction regimen. It is believed that low calcium intake forces the body to secrete hormones that help conserve calcium. These hormones cause the body's fat cells to go into storage mode, inhibiting weight loss. High calcium intake shuts off these hormones and lets the fat cells go into breakdown mode.
Additional Benefits of Vitamin D
Recently completed clinical studies indicate that higher levels of Vitamin D can help lower the risk of diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis and many types of cancer, as well as help regulate blood pressure, improve muscle pain and weakness and ease the symptoms of psoriasis. Since exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays is how the body produces Vitamin D, achieving these healthy, higher levels of the vitamin has become more difficult as the use of sunscreen increases. What's more, people tend to spend less time outdoors as they age, and the capacity of their skin to absorb Vitamin D from sunlight decreases. About one-fourth of people over age 60 have low Vitamin D levels which have been associated with poor physical performance and disability, cognitive impairment, depression – and even increased risk of death.
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