By Sarah Anderson

The average adult's weight is made up of about two per cent calcium, found mostly in bones and teeth; the rest is stored in the tissues or blood. Although calcium is vital for healthy teeth and bones, it also plays a crucial role in a range of bodily systems, such as the health and functioning of nerves, enzymes and muscle tissue.

Calcium Requirements:
Calcium requirements vary by age and life stage. Young children and teenagers are constantly growing, and developing skeletal tissue require high calcium needs. During your p eak bone mass years , from puberty to around the mid-20s, the skeleton increases its bone mass. Calcium during these years are preventative maintenance from diseases like osteoporosis in the later years. It is recommended to intake at least 800mg per day.

Pregnant and breastfeeding women need a lot of calcium. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, women should make sure they have enough calcium in their diet for both themselves and their baby's needs, which is around 1,200mg per day. Elderly people lose calcium as they age. Women lose the most calcium from their bones in the five years around the age of menopause. However, both men and women lose bone mass as they grow older and should increase the amount of calcium in their diet to around 1,000mg per day.

Calcium Types: For optimal calcium absorption it should be supplemented with Vitamin D. Vitamin D will helps the body absorb calcium into bones, teeth, tissue and blood. Getting the best results from your supplements depends on what kind you're taking.

•  Calcium carbonate: Supplement taken with meals. The assistance of stomach acid present during digestion enables this type of calcium be absorbed into your body.

•  Calcium citrate: Taken with or without food, in high doses. If you're considering taking calcium supplements derived from dolomite or oyster shell, then you should know that these can be very harsh on your body, and deposit potentially toxic heavy minerals.

•  Coral Calcium: The most easily absorbed source of calcium and most readily available to the body. Coral calcium benefits vastly outweigh those of other forms of calcium supplements on the market today.

If you take calcium supplements, make sure you don't take more than the amount recommended on the bottle, usually 600 to 1,500mg per day. Too much calcium may cause gastrointestinal upsets, such as bloating and constipation.

Sarah Anderson's Top Picks:
•  Schiff
•  Nature's Way
•  Hyland's Homeopathic
•  Rainbow Light
•  Twinlab

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