You have more calcium in your body than any other mineral. Calcium has many important jobs. The body stores more than 99 percent of its calcium in the bones and teeth to help make and keep them strong. The rest is throughout the body in blood, muscle and the fluid between cells. Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, to secrete hormones and enzymes and to send messages through the nervous system.
It is important to get plenty of calcium in the foods you eat. Foods rich in calcium include diary products such as milk, cheese and yogurt, and leafy, green vegetables. The exact amount of calcium you need depends on your age and other factors. Growing children and teenagers need more calcium than young adults. Older women need plenty of calcium to prevent osteoporosis. People who do not eat enough high-calcium foods should take a calcium supplement.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements
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Calcium
(National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements) - http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium.asp
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Calcium
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/calcium.cfm
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Calcium Intake Tools
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/calcium_intake.asp
- Calcium(American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) - http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00317
- What You Should Know about Calcium(National Osteoporosis Foundation) - http://www.nof.org/prevention/calcium2.htm
- Calcium in Pregnancy Shields Fetus from Lead Risks(09/18/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69422.html
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What Are Good Sources of Calcium?
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/prob/calcium_sources.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/espanol/porquecal/fuentes.cfm
- Calcium & Milk(Harvard School of Public Health) - http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-and-milk/index.html
- Calcium and Bone Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/nutrition_for_everyone/basics/calcium.htm
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Calcium and Vitamin D: Important at Every Age
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/default.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/Informacion_de_Salud/Huesos/Salud_Hueso/default.asp -
Calcium Supplements: What to Look for
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Nutrition/calcium_supp.asp
- Calcium Supplements: Which Type of Calcium Is Best?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/calcium-supplements/AN00964/METHOD=print
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Milk Matters Web Games for Kids and Teens
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/kids/kidsteens.cfm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Calcium, Dietary
(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=dietary+calcium
- Article: Calcium, vitamin D supplementation, and physical function in the Women's... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18755319&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Relationship between dietary calcium intake, body mass index, and waist... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18751629&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Vitamin D and calcium interactions: functional outcomes. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18689398&tool=MedlinePlus
- Calcium -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=calcium,dietary[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Calcium metabolism disorders -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(calcium+metabolism+disorders[majr]+NOT+rickets[majr])+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+jsubsetk[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Nutrient Lists(Dept. of Agriculture) - Links to PDF - http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=15869
- Food and Nutrition Information Center - http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/ -
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- http://www.nichd.nih.gov/
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National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements
- http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/
- Calcium and Your Child(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/calcium.html
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Kids and Their Bones: A Guide for Parents
(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Bone_Health/Juvenile/default.asp
- Osteoporosis(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/grownup/conditions/osteoporosis.html
- Powerful Girls: How to Make Strong Bones(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.girlshealth.gov/bones/boneup/howdo.html
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Tweens and Teens Need Calcium Now More Than Ever!
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/milk.cfm
- Calcium(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/nutrition/general/calcium.html
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For Strong Bones...For Lifelong Health...Milk Matters!
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - Links to PDF - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/strong_bones_lifelong_health_mm.pdf
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Ideas for Calcium-Rich Meals and Snacks
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - Links to PDF - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/can/upload/calcium_rich_ideas.pdf
- Staying Strong: Recipes(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.girlshealth.gov/bones/stayingstrong/calcium_cool.html
- Calcium Supplements: Do Men Need Them Too?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/calcium-supplements/AN00420/METHOD=print
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During Your Pregnancy: Calcium(March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) - http://www.marchofdimes.com/pnhec/159_9472.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.nacersano.org/centro/9246_10037.asp
- Osteoporosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/osteoporosis.html
- Vitamins - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/vitamins.html
- Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
- Food and Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodandnutrition.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Calcium is the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements - http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/
Calcium - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/calcium.html