According to a European study, calcium is good not only for the bones of postmenopausal women, but also for their hearts.

In a very recent study presented in the Annual Congress of European League Against Rheumatism, researchers discovered that low levels of calcium  translated not only to weaker, less dense bones for postmenopausal women but it also predisposed the latter to high blood pressure.

According to the researchers, women with low calcium levels were forty-three percent more prone to developing degenerative bone conditions such as osteoporosis.  The same percentage applies to a woman’s risk of eventually developing hypertension.  According to Maria Manara, one of the key researchers, their study establishes the coordinates that associate low intake of calcium with heart problems and bone problems.

Further benefits of getting enough calcium

The RDA for calcium is 990 to 1,000 mg per day for individuals between the ages of nineteen and fifty, according to the National Institutes of Health.  Doses exceeding 2,500 milligrams per day may interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other nutrients.

Here are some more reasons to love your calcium supplements and low-fat dairy products:

1. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidimiology, taking calcium reduces one’s risk of dying from a sudden heart attack.

2. Taking calcium along with the mineral magnesium may help reduce the risk of males from dying of different causes, including heart problems and certain cancer.

3. Combined with vitamin D supplementation, calcium may also help prevent the onset of prostate cancer.  According to another study, the same potent combination can also help stop colorectal cancer in its tracks.  According to Emory University researchers, laboratory tests show that the two nutrients are capable of normalizing intestinal cells.  The study made use of 2,000 mg of calcium, combined with 800 international units of vitamin D.

4. Based on a study published in Obesity Reviews, regular intake of calcium may help in weight loss efforts. Studies show that calcium increases the amount of fat excretion.  According to Arne Astrup, a researcher from the University of Copenhagen, calcium may also prevent folks from regaining the weight they have already lost.  It was noted that people who had formerly low calcium levels will have enhanced benefits from calcium supplementation.

5. Enough calcium ensures that your muscles will contract and relax efficiently whenever you are on the move.  Calcium deficiency can cause problems like muscle pain and cramps.

6. Having problems with premenstrual syndrome?  Adding calcium to your daily supplementation may help improve the symptoms of PMS.

7. Sufficient calcium also ensures that your teeth will remain firmly anchored in your gums.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
nutraingredients.com
vitamins-nutrition.org

Smoking cessation plus exercise can improve the male sexual function and also improve the urinary health of both males and females.

In a recently concluded study presented in the annual conference of the American Urological Association, researchers pointed to a vital link between smoking, exercise and urinary health.

The study involved two thousand individuals (males and females). The respondents were interviewed about their smoking habits and were also given questions regarding their urinary health.  It was found that individuals who smoked were three times more likely to urinate frequently.

Also, these individuals are also 2.7 times more prone to experience sudden urges to go to the bathroom to urinate.

In a related study performed by US researchers from South Carolina, it was found that men who exercised more had experienced improved sexual function.  The two studies, if taken together, point to an age-old medical adage: folks have to stop the smoking habit and begin a healthier habit – exercise!

More reasons to love exercise

Here are even more reasons to love exercise:

1. Exercise reduces the risk of mortality from chornic, degenerative health conditions.

2. Exercise reduces the chance of developing of type 2 or insulin-dependent diabetes.

3. Exercise can help control the blood pressure, even the blood pressure of people already have cardiovascular problems.

4. Exercise can help reduce the probability of developing one of the top killers worldwide: colon cancer.

5. Exercise helps improve your mood and also helps people ease out of anxiety and depression.

6. Exercise improves balance, coordination and also strengthens the bones and muscles, therey reducing the risk of fractures from falls.

7. Exercise is also an excellent means of losing weight.

8. Exercise make the body and mind more fit. If you are physically and mentally fit, you would be able to perform better at work or in school.

9. Exercise reduces the risk of stroke.

Exercise may also reduce the risk of breast cancer and loss of bone mass (osteoporosis) – two common problems of women over the age of 45.

Sources:
aolhealth.com
nutristrategy.com
www2.gsu.edu
medicinenet.com

Exercise and antioxidant supplementation help fight osteoporosis

When it comes to bone health, we typically think of two nutrients that are particularly bone-friendly:  calcium and vitamin D.  But the results of a new study should cause the mind to think of a new bone-building bloc:  antioxidants and exercise.

A recent report from a Canadian university shows that women who supplemented with antioxidants and exercised over an extended period of time saw no bone loss in a six-month period, while those who did not exercise and received a placebo saw “detrimental” bone loss.

The study comes out of the University of Sherbrooke, located in Quebec, Canada.  It involved approximately 35 women (average age: 66) randomly assigned to one of four groupings:  exercise and an antioxidant supplement (vitamins C and E), exercise and no supplement, a placebo and exercise, a placebo and no exercise.  The length of the study was six months.

At its conclusion, the researchers examined all of the women’s bone density levels, measuring in places like the hip and spine, two areas of the body that are essential to maintaining a healthy range of motion.

The researchers found that only the group that had no exercise and supplemented with a placebo showed “detrimental” bone loss, while the exercise and antioxidant supplement group was the only group that saw no bone loss whatsoever.  This suggests that the combination of exercise and antioxidant supplementation is what seems to have an impact on bone loss or bone strength maintenance.

Why exercise improves bone health is pretty straightforward:  Just as a muscle strengthens the more it’s used, so too does a bone.

What isn’t so straightforward is antioxidants’ role in bone strength.  Past research performed by researchers from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts suggests carotenoids have bone-building characteristics.  Carotenoids are a specific type of antioxidant, which have been shown to promote healthy immune system function, and to work as a bulwark against free radical dominance of the body’s reproductive processes, particularly among females.

Unfortunately for women, osteoporosis affects them much more than it does men (80 percent of osteoporosis diagnoses are women).  An estimated 75 million people are stricken with it in the United States, Europe and Japan combined (10 million of that number being Americans), with 50 percent of all women over the age of 50 breaking a bone as a result, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

It’s estimated that every 20 seconds someone breaks a bone because of osteoporosis , so time really is of the essence when it comes to reducing one’s susceptibility to bone breakage.

The Canadian study was a trial one, so their loath to make any dosage recommendations until more in-depth studies can be conducted.

In the meantime, look for foods rich in carotenoids – the antioxidant believed to be key in bone strengthening.  These include fruits and vegetable-based products with intense colors, like the orangey orange of sweet potatoes and carrots, the ravishing red of tomatoes and tomato sauce, or the garish green of kale and spinach.

For exercise, aim for 30 minutes that’s low to moderate in intensity.  Even though non-weight bearing activities are good for joints long-term, moderate amounts of weight-bearing exercises are important as well, as the bones need to work to maintain strength.  Great forms of weight-bearing exercises include hiking, walking, tennis, and light jogging.

Sources:
whfoods.org
nutraingredients.com
cdc.gov
nof.org