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What Is Calcium?

• Calcium is an essential nutrient, which is a vital component of the bones and teeth.
  A balanced diet should provide all the calcium required helping prevent diseases
  of the bones such as Osteoporosis.
• Peak bone mass is reached at the age of about 30-35 years. After this age, some
  loss of calcium from bone is normal and bone mass slowly decreases. However,
  severe loss causes the bones to become brittle, weak and break easily. This condition
  is known as Osteoporosis.
• Osteoporosis occurs if large amounts of bone are lost, or if the bones are not strong
  before bone loss begins.
• It most frequently affects older women who have gone through the menopause,
  as bone loss is accelerated by hormonal changes, although men can still be affected.
  Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can prevent this accelerated loss of bone but
  it can’t put back what was never there.
• Currently it is believed that 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men suffer with some degree
  of osteoporosis during their life.

Key Factors in preventing Osteoporosis:

• Eat plenty of calcium –rich foods
• Take regular exercise- especially weight bearing exercises: walking,
  jogging, weight training, skipping, dancing and tennis
• Avoid Smoking
• Drink alcohol in moderation.

A good intake is necessary throughout life to help to develop and maintain a strong
skeleton. At certain times of your life such as in childhood and adolescence, during
pregnancy and old age it is particularly important to have a calcium- rich diet.
Vitamin D- the sunshine vitamin.

In order to get the best from the calcium in our diet, we need plenty of vitamin D.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from your food, foods such as margarine,
eggs and oily fish e.g. sardines & pilchards contain vitamin D.
The best source of vitamin D is the sunshine, so it’s good for you to go outdoors.