How Do We Use Calcium?

Video Transcript

"My name is Christine Marquette and I'm a registered dietitian with the Austin Regional Clinic and I'm going to talk to you about how we use Calcium. Most people know that Calcium is used to build strong bones and teeth. But what they may not know is that it actually has a lot of other functions in the body. For example, it actually plays a role with heart rhythm regulation, of fluid regulation, of other ions for example, Sodium and Potassium. How they travel in and out of your cells. So it actually has quite a few functions throughout your body. As far as actually effecting your heart rhythms, one of the things that is very necessary for normal heart rate. So it's a very important mineral in your body. One of the things that can happen if you are deficient in your Calcium is you can actually suffer from muscle cramps in your arms and in your legs. You can actually also have heart spasms. If it's something that is a chronic deficiency eventually your bones will become robbed of the calcium stores that they have and you can develop osteoporoses. So it's very important that you maintain a good healthy dietary intake of Calcium. Some of the biggest sources of calcium are going to be your dairy products. Milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, but dairy isn't the only source of Calcium. Some of your vegetables, some of your nuts and seeds also have a lot of calcium for example almonds are a nut that has a lot of Calcium. Your leafy greens also contain Calcium and fortified foods such as tofu made with Calcium. A lot of fruit juice also contain Calcium. So there's a wide variety of ways to make sure that you get enough Calcium. So remember Calcium is not just for strong bones and teeth, it's also for a healthy heart and also to prevent any cramping in your legs and in your arms. Just a little bit of information for you on how our body uses Calcium."