Are Calcium Supplements Really Necessary? Essay -- Health Nutrition Pa

Are Calcium Supplements Really Necessary? Are calcium supplements really necessary, and if so, are they necessary for all age groups? This is a debated issue at this point, and there are facts and studies that have results going both ways. The difficult part is deciphering which studies are accurate, which are applicable to specific groups of individuals, and which are simply ploys to make a profit. But no matter what the conclusions, all studies agree that calcium, in one form or another, is essential for forming and maintaining strong bones. BONE BUILDING AND BONE LOSS First of all, calcium is essential for the strengthening of teeth and bones, muscle and nerve function, and is also a necessary factor for blood clotting. Although most people are aware of this, calcium is severely deficient in most of our diets. As a result, we are experiencing an epidemic of osteoporosis in our society and high blood pressure, which causes kidney and heart damage and stroke. The human body is constantly building and destroying bone mass. As long as it is receiving sufficient calcium, exercise, and hormones, bone building stays ahead of bone loss; osteoporosis occurs in older people when bone loss outpaces their bone building. This was once considered to be an inevitable part of the aging process, but it is now recognized as the most common skeletal disease in the world, leading to debilitating injuries that can have serious complications and even result in death. Factors of this disease include genetics, ethnicity, family history, and body type. (http://www.ghc.org /nwhealth/julaug96/women.html) CALCIUM NECESSARY FOR ALL AGES An adequate calcium intake is essential for all ages. Young children need high doses because th... ...oducts improve bone density in adolescent girls?" School of Allied Health Professions, University of Connecticut, Storrs 06269-2101, USA. Levenson DI. Bockman RS. Nutrition Reviews 52(7):221-32, 1994 Jul. "A review of calcium preparations." New York Hospital, Cornell University Medical Center, NY. Saggese G. Igli Baroncelli G. Annali dell Instituto Superiore di Sanita. 31(4):461-79, 1995. "Nutritional aspects of calcium and Vitamin D from infancy to adolescence." Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica Universita degli Studi, Pisa, Italy. Whiting SJ. Wood R. Kim K. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. 9(4):187-92, 1997 Apr. "Calcium supplements." University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Whiting SJ. Nutrition Reviews 52(3):95-7, 1994 Mar. "Safety of some calcium supplements questioned." University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.