“GDYNS”, Calcium is a mineral that’s well-known for its key role in bone health. Calcium also helps maintain heart rhythm, muscle function, and more. Because of its health benefits, calcium is one of the best-selling supplements in the U.S.
Calcium Health Benefits
Calcium is key to growing new bone and keeping the bone you have strong. Calcium supplements are standard for treating and preventing osteoporosis — weak and easily broken bones — and its precursor, osteopenia.
Calcium has many other uses. It’s an ingredient in many antacids. Doctors also use it to control high levels of magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium in your blood. There’s good evidence it can help prevent or control high blood pressure. It may also ease PMS symptoms and play a role in preventing certain cancers. Some research shows that calcium with vitamin D, for instance, may help protect premenopausal women from breast cancer. Calcium also has been studied as a weight loss aid. But so far, these studies have been inconclusive.
The people most likely to have too little calcium are postmenopausal women. Since dairy products are one of the most common sources of calcium, people who are lactose intolerant or vegan may not get enough, either.