The surprising benefits of calcium: you know you need it for strong bones, but calcium protects your health in other important ways, too. Here's what this amazing mineral can do for you

Natural Health, Jan-Feb, 2002 by Christopher Ott

Benefit #5

Calcium maintains healthy teeth.

Calcium protects your teeth in an indirect way. Your teeth themselves are relatively inert, meaning that the calcium they contain usually stays there.

Your jawbone is the potential problem. Like other bones, it gradually surrenders calcium for needs elsewhere in your body if you're not consuming enough. As your jaw weakens, your teeth loosen, creating gaps where bacteria can invade, triggering infection, inflammation, and bleeding. In fact, the condition of your teeth and gums can be a window to the overall health of your bones, says Bonnie Bruce, R.D., D.P.H., M.P.H., a registered dietitian and a research director in immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif.

"The first signs of osteoporosis are sometimes found by a dentist, because something is happening to the structure of the jawbone," Bruce says. Talk to your health care practitioner if you experience the unexpected loss of a tooth or your teeth start to feel loose. Sufficient calcium intake can prevent these problems in the first place.

Which Foods Provide the Most Calcium?

AIM TO GET MOST OF YOUR CALCIUM FROM FOOD, SINCE
food provides other important nutrients, too. Some
researchers, including Robert P. Heaney, M.D., of the
Osteoporosis Research Center at Creighton University in
Omaha, Neb., say low-fat or nonfat dairy products, including
yogurt and milk, are an ideal way to get your calcium
because they're inexpensive and easily absorbable.

Still, dairy consumption is controversial. Milk products
often contain antibiotics,
which may contribute to
the problem of antibiotic
resistance, and rBGH, a
growth hormone with an
uncertain safety record.
Some studies link high
intakes of dairy to cancer,
and lactose intolerance,
an inability to
digest milk sugar, is common.
If you choose to eat
dairy foods, consider organic products that are antibiotic-and
rBGH-free. No matter what your decision on dairy, get
to know the full range of calcium-rich foods.

FOOD                                           CALCIUM CONTENT

Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 8 ounces                        448 mg
Orange juice, calcium-fortified, 1 cup                  350 mg
Sardines, canned with bones, 3 ounces                   324 mg
Cow's milk, nonfat, 1 cup                               300 mg
Soymilk, calcium-fortified, 1 cup                       300 mg
Sesame seeds, 1 ounce                                   280 mg
Collard greens, cooked, 1 cup                           226 mg
Tofu, prepared with calcium sulfate, 1/2 cup            204 mg
Blackstrap molasses, 1 tablespoon                       172 mg
White beans, cooked, 1 cup                              161 mg
Bok choy, cooked, 1 cup                                 158 mg
Parmesan cheese, grated, 2 tablespoons                  138 mg
Figs, dried, 5 medium                                   135 mg
Navy beans, cooked, 1 cup                               127 mg
Quinoa, cooked, 1 cup                                   100 mg
Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup                                  94 mg

SOURCES: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference;
www.tropicana.com; www.whitewave.com