Bones

Adults have been well-educated on the benefits of calcium and magnesium for bone health, specifically for the prevention of osteoporosis, a crippling bone disease that leads to bone destruction.

Most still don't realize that our bones provides more than the hard coat-hanger that supports and protects the other body organs and tissues. The components of bone are also the body's gatekeeper of calcium.

Calcium and magnesium are pivotal to hundreds of functions in the body, including hormone regulation. They keep nerve impulses flowing, muscles contracting and blood clotting. Even tiny deficiencies of calcium will cause anorexia, depression, vomiting and muscle cramps like those leg cramps we experience in the middle of the night.

In Carl Germano's book, The Osteoporosis Solution, he states "that because of calcium's crucial role in the body's functions, the regulation of calcium levels in the blood is a highly specific task that is entrusted to the osteoclasts and osteoblasts of bone." He thinks of bone as a calcium bank. When the body needs calcium it withdraws what it needs from bones. You should make regular deposits of calcium through diet or calcium supplements. If you don't, your bone calcium store will become bankrupt and osteoporosis and some of the other conditions mentioned earlier will ensue.

Stress, over-exercising and inadequate nutrition all seriously deplete the body of calcium. When we are under stress, cortisol (our stress hormone) tells the immune system to release factors that cause calcium to be pulled from bone. Stress reduction is paramount to bone health.

Inadequate nutrition and eating too much sugar will also deplete calcium from bones. Calcium is essential to wellness. Eat plenty of dark green, leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, as they are very rich in calcium. There is no need to exercise excessively. Weight-bearing exercise and walking are excellent for bone health. To ensure that your calcium bank is full, take a calcium/magnesium supplement everyday.