Health News

Old Human Cells Rejuvenated by Resveratrol-like Compounds

The anti-aging industry pulls in billions of dollars every year with promises of helping people preserve both health and beauty. While beauty products offer to keep us young with creams and serums, scientists suggest that youth comes from the inside out. What we feed our cells can make all the difference in whether they stay young and healthy over our lifetime. According to new research, plant compounds called resveralogues may be important in keeping our bodies healthy and cells rejuvenated.

What Causes Aging?

Understanding the root cause of aging is essential to learning how to stop it. There are several factors that contribute to cellular aging and eventually death. Oxidation is one such important factor. Although our cells need oxygen to survive, this comes at a cost. Metabolic processes that use oxygen split the oxygen molecule into two free radicals. These radicals can cause great destruction to cells if not controlled. While our body has natural antioxidant abilities, eating antioxidant vitamins and compounds also is necessary to keep free oxygen radicals from damaging DNA.

Telomeres also are an important part of aging. These structures act as a cap on the end of DNA and prevent DNA from being damaged during division. They become thinner and thinner until they finally wear away and are unable to protect DNA. This leads to issues with DNA division, which is necessary for cells to replicate and replenish tissues. When people are young, they make an enzyme called telomerase that rebuilds telomeres so cell division can occur almost constantly. However, as we age the body stops making telomerase, leading to less frequent cell division and more visible damage to tissues.

Last, a process called mRNA splicing appears to be a factor in aging. This process occurs after proteins have been created by the cell. In mRNA splicing, different “building blocks” are spliced together to make functional cell components. Splicing factors are chemicals that tell the body to perform mRNA splicing and create new components to support cell division and divide. Cells that have replicated many times eventually stop undergoing mRNA splicing due to a lack of these factors, causing an aged appearance.

What Are Resveralogues?

Have you heard that red wine and dark chocolate can be good for your health? This is indeed true due to both containing a natural compound called resveratrol. Resveratrol is a natural plant compound found in red wine, red grapes, red berries, chocolate and even peanuts. It has been linked to a variety of anti-aging and anti-oxidant effects. This, in turn, has been linked to lower risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and a variety of other life-threatening diseases. Resveratrol also has been found to lead to longer life spans in cells of a variety of kinds, from human cells to even simple yeast.

There are several compounds that are biochemically similar to resveratrol and thus have the same effects. These compounds are called resveralogues. These compounds may be the key to maintaining healthy youthful cells longer than we ever thought possible before.

How Are Cells Rejuvenated by Resveratrol-Like Compounds?

Resveralogues appear to be key to preventing aging by encouraging the production of splicing factors and thus cell division.

Scientists were able to grow human cells in vitro, or in a Petrie dish. These cells eventually aged enough times that they became aged and stopped making splicing factors. As expected, cell division slowed and even stopped. However, when resveralogues were added to the cells they regained function. One important function that they gained was the production of splicing factors. This, in turn, caused the cells to begin dividing once again, creating new, young, healthy cells.

Could this compound stop aging in its tracks? The scientists behind the research are hopeful. They also point out that more study will be needed before an anti-aging treatment can be developed from this knowledge. Professor Lorna Harries, one of the lead researchers, notes that “We are now trying to see if we can find out how the changes in splicing factor levels [cause] cell rescue. We have more papers in preparation on this.”

Preserving Youth From the Inside Out

It is clear that what we eat can have as great of an effect on aging as anything we apply to our skin. Preserving health from the inside out should be the goal of any anti-aging product. Until resveralogues are available on the mass market, people who wish to remain young should continue to take in antioxidants and other supplements known to reduce the effects of aging. Vitamins C and E, as well as foods containing resveratrol, all have been found to be effective in many research trials.

Researchers are constantly making new discoveries about natural ways that we can remain healthier and more youthful throughout our lives. Someday maintaining smooth skin, a youthful appearance and optimal health may be possible for a previously unknown length of lifespan. Although resveralogues are currently unavailable, there are many supplements, foods and beverages that contain the important anti-aging compound resveratrol.

Natural Ways to Boost Brain Health and Support Healthy Cognitive Function

Nov 10 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Cognitive function is a term that refers to a large collection of mental functions, including but not limited to attention, concentration, language use, learning new information, memory, processing thoughts and reading comprehension.

The strength of your cognitive function abilities is directly related to your brain health. Cognitive ability is also linked to aging—it is normal to experience a certain amount of cognitive decline as you get older. However, different people experience different levels of age-related cognitive decline. Some older adults may maintain the same high levels of cognitive function well into their 80s, while others may start to show signs of cognitive decline by their 60s.

Out of all the cognitive functions, those most likely to be affected by aging are attention and memory. Of course, individual experiences will vary as far as what specific cognitive functions are affected. Researchers have tied age-related cognitive decline to changes in brain structure. This may make it sound like cognitive function is out of your control—how could you possibly change your brain structure? The reality is that there are many things you can do to boost brain health and support healthy cognition as you get older. Because it’s never too early to start protecting brain health, the following advice is applicable to adults of any age group.

Eating Right to Improve Cognitive Function

Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet is helpful for preserving cognitive function. This diet places an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, lean protein and healthy fats like olive oil. Eating this way has also been shown to help prevent major chronic diseases and help you live longer.

It is easy to shift the way you eat to the Mediterranean diet with a series of small changes. Opt for fish or lean poultry instead of meats with a higher saturated fat content, like beef and pork. Eat a couple of servings of fruits and vegetables at every meal. Switch out processed grains for whole grains. Replace saturated fats, like butter, with extra-virgin olive oil. In fact, the consumption of extra-virgin olive oil has been linked with cognitive preservation, independent of the rest of the Mediterranean diet, making this healthy oil one of the most important components.

There are also specific foods that contain compounds that research has linked to better cognitive function. Incorporate the following foods into your diet to boost your memory and learning ability:

avocado
blueberries
cinnamon
cocoa
coffee
egg
kale
peppermint tea
spinach
walnuts

Living a Brain-Healthy Lifestyle

Making certain lifestyle choices can boost your mental functioning. Arguably, the most important thing is to get plenty of aerobic exercise. Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and improves neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to grow new brain cells and form new neural connections. Exercise balances neurotransmitters, decreases the levels of stress hormones, improves memory and much more.

Getting plenty of sleep, including taking naps, is great for brain health and cognition. One study found that among adults over the age of 65, taking an hour-long nap in the afternoon improves performance on cognitive tests. Those who did not nap at all, or who took naps of a different length, did not receive this benefit.

Reducing stress will help your brain function more smoothly. In one study, volunteers who meditated and listened to music daily for three months had better memory and cognitive performance than volunteers who did not take these stress-relieving measures. In other research, just 25 minutes of meditation and yoga per day was helpful for mood as well as cognition.

Supplements to Boost Brain Health

In conjunction with a Mediterranean diet and healthy lifestyle, certain ingredients can help boost brain health. For example, inositol and choline are two essential nutrients that are synthesized within the human body but that can also be bought as a supplement. These nutrients are found in all living cells. Inositol has neuroprotective properties, which can help preserve cognition as the decades pass. Choline is known to be very important for brain development.

Vinpocetine is a naturally-occurring compound derived from the periwinkle plant. It has neuroprotective properties, reduces neural inflammation and improves blood flow to the brain. These factors make it great for improving cognition. It is scientifically proven to improve reaction time, and a fast reaction time can improving your functioning in a surprising number of areas.

DMAE, short for 2-dimethylaminoethanol, is a substance that’s great for improving alertness and mental clarity. It works by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This neurotransmitter is also important for memory and mood. In one 2009 study, researchers found that DMAE can help improve memory in people with cognitive impairment.

Huperzine A is a supplement derived from the moss species Huperzia serrata. This supplement helps balance neurotransmitters, improves memory and protects nerve cells. Research even suggests that huperzine A could even help with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lastly, NADH is a coenzyme derived from the B-vitamin niacin. Research shows that higher levels of NADH in the brain can help improve mental function. Another use of NADH is to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.

Incorporating some of these powerful nutrients into your diet or supplementing with a high-quality formula that provides one or more of these could help protect brain health and cognitive function as you age.

Researchers Discover New Connections Between Melatonin and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Nov 06 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

A stroke is a serious medical condition caused by poor blood flow to the brain that often results in cell death. At least 80 percent of all cases of stroke are the ischemic type of stroke. In an ischemic stroke, an artery to the vein is blocked, preventing brain tissue from receiving oxygen and nutrients. However, approximately 13 percent of all stroke cases are a different type called a hemorrhagic stroke. In this type of stroke, a weakened blood vessel in the brain ruptures, leaking blood into the surrounding brain tissue, ultimately damaging it. The most common cause of a hemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure. Some other causes include trauma, infection, tumors, blood vessel abnormalities and blood clotting deficiencies.

A hemorrhagic stroke often causes severe disability, if not death. Most hospital patients who have suffered a hemorrhagic stroke require mechanical ventilation. However, staying on mechanical ventilation for very long is undesirable, as it can cause side effects like lung injury, pneumonia and gastrointestinal bleeding. Fortunately, new research on melatonin and hemorrhagic stroke has discovered a natural way to improve recovery from hemorrhagic stroke and to reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation in such patients.

New Study Finds Link Between Melatonin and Hemorrhagic Stroke

Though hemorrhagic stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, it leads to death more frequently than ischemic stroke. New discoveries about how to treat the aftermath of hemorrhagic stroke and reduce mortality are invaluable. Getting proper medical care as soon as possible is important for avoiding death from stroke. In particular, experts believe that early initiation of neuroprotective treatments (i.e. medications that help keep nerve and brain cells alive and functioning) may improve the outcome of hemorrhagic stroke.

A 2017 study sheds valuable light on possibilities for hemorrhagic stroke treatment. This study was conducted by researchers from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, and it was published in the scientific journal Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice.

The study involved collecting information about 40 adults who had suffered a hemorrhagic stroke and who had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit within 24 hours of the event. The researchers had some of the patients receive 30 milligrams of melatonin every night, while the rest of the patients did not receive any melatonin.

Upon analyzing the data, the researchers discovered that melatonin shortened both the duration of mechanical ventilation and the duration of ICU stay. Patients who received this treatment did not need mechanical ventilation for as long and got out of the Intensive Care Unit sooner. This suggests that melatonin helped them recover from the stroke. Further research may prove that melatonin deserves a place as an integral part of the stroke treatment protocol. The authors of the study also note that melatonin may be useful for any patient undergoing mechanical ventilation, regardless of whether or not that is because of a stroke. They note this chemical has sedative, pain-relieving, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This could mean melatonin has many more therapeutic properties than we currently realize.

The Benefits of Melatonin

What exactly is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland. It is secreted in far greater quantities during the dark hours of the day. Its main function is to regulate the circadian rhythm, or the sleep-wake cycle. Though the body produces melatonin naturally, it can also be helpful for certain conditions to take melatonin by mouth. By far, the main reason to take a melatonin supplement is for a sleep disorder such as insomnia and jet lag. It may also help improve quality of sleep even in people who do not have a definable sleep disorder.

Melatonin has many other lesser-known benefits. It may be helpful for treating certain types of stomach ulcers, tinnitus and heartburn. Some research even suggests that melatonin can slightly improve memory and cognitive function. Further research into melatonin’s antioxidant and neuroprotective properties could reveal many more therapeutic uses for this amazing substance.

Reducing Your Risk of Hemorrhagic Stroke

Some estimates say that an astonishing one in six people will suffer some type of stroke within their lifetime. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to reduce your risk.

Smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for stroke, including hemorrhagic stroke. It increases the likelihood of blood clots forming, and has many other negative effects that contribute to your stroke risk. Quitting smoking, as well as avoiding exposure to second-hand smoke, will reduce your chance of suffering a stroke.

Along with tobacco, alcohol is another substance that increases your risk of hemorrhagic stroke. For optimal health, men should have no more than two drinks per day, and women should have no more than one.

Diet — even skipping meals — influences the risk of stroke. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, get enough potassium and limit saturated fat. Exercise is also important; meeting the official minimum recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate exercise every week will help reduce your risk of stroke. A healthy diet in conjunction with regular exercise will also help you maintain a healthy weight, which is important because being overweight or obese greatly increases your risk of stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

Since the most common cause of hemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure, it is crucial to prevent and treat this condition in order to avoid the risk of stroke. In addition to following the above suggestions, limit your sodium intake to 1,500 milligrams per day, as well as to relieve and avoid stress.

Talk to your doctor about your risk of hemorrhagic stroke. If he or she assesses you to be at a high risk of stroke, you may be prescribed a medication to help prevent blood clots from forming.

Osteoporosis in Men: A Serious Yet Often Overlooked Disease

Nov 01 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Osteoporosis is a disease where the density of your bones falls to a critical point where they are so weak that even mild physical impact can fracture them. Some people do not experience any symptoms of osteoporosis until they break a bone in a situation that would not have harmed them when they were younger. Osteoporosis is considered an age-related disease; osteoporosis is most common in women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 60.

Osteoporosis: Not Just a “Woman’s Disease”

It’s a fact that osteoporosis is much more common in women. This is true for several biological reasons. The sudden drop in estrogen levels that women experience during menopause causes their bone mass to rapidly deplete. Women also have smaller bones than men to begin with, so when bone mineral density starts to drop with age, women’s bones reach that critical weakness point much more quickly.

Unfortunately, because osteoporosis is far more prevalent in women, it is often considered somewhat of a “woman’s disease,” leaving osteoporosis in men under-recognized and under-treated. Indeed, one to two million men in the United States alone have osteoporosis, with an additional eight to 13 million men suffering from low bone mass that could lead to osteoporosis in the future. Approximately 13 percent of American men over the age of 50 will suffer at least one osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Though this rate is not as high as that of women, men are twice as likely to die after an osteoporosis-related hip fracture than women are. Therefore, awareness of male osteoporosis is an important public health concern.

What Causes Osteoporosis in Men?

Of course, aging is the primary cause of osteoporosis. However, there are many other medical and lifestyle risk factors that can make you more likely to suffer from osteoporosis as a man. There are also some medical problems and other factors that can actually be the cause of your osteoporosis, rather than aging. The most common causes and risk factors for this disease in men include:

age-related testosterone deficiency
androgen deprivation therapy
corticosteroid use
excessive alcohol use
low body weight
low calcium levels
low vitamin D levels
physical inactivity
previous bone fractures
small body frame
spinal cord injury
tobacco use

One of the strongest risk factors for osteoporosis is heredity. If your father had low bone mineral density or osteoporosis, you are four times as likely to also eventually develop it. If both your mother and your father had it, you are almost eight times as likely to develop it with age.

There are also several less-common risk factors and causes of osteoporosis in males:

anti-epileptic drugs
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease
Cushing syndrome
eating disorders
HIV
hypercalciuria
hyperparathyroidism
malabsorption (e.g. that caused by celiac disease)
mastocytosis
multiple myeloma
organ transplantation
osteogenesis imperfecta
rheumatoid arthritis
Type 1 or 2 diabetes

Treatment and Prevention

Osteoporosis can be prevented by making efforts to preserve your bone mineral density as you get older. It is especially helpful to achieve optimum bone strength before the age of 30, if possible.

Proper calcium and vitamin D intake are crucial for healthy bones. Men older than 50 years of age should get at least 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily. As for vitamin D, men over the age of 50 should get at least 400 IU daily, and men over the age of 70 need 600 IU. However, experts recommend that for the purposes of preventing osteoporosis, you should consume at least 800 IU of vitamin D daily. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D has been proven to reduce the risk of fractures by 12 percent.

Other nutrients that can help reduce your risk of osteoporosis are magnesium and vitamin K. Arguably, it is a good idea to take a daily supplement that contains all of these nutrients. However, even if you take a supplement you should also eat a diet designed for bone health. Important foods to eat include fortified dairy, all manner of vegetables, egg yolk, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fatty fish and mushrooms. Getting plenty of fiber is also important, as research shows that dietary fiber can help increase calcium absorption. This is likely because fiber causes food to be digested more slowly, giving your body more time to absorb the calcium.

To improve bone strength, you must also adjust your lifestyle if necessary. Abstain from tobacco, limit alcohol to two drinks per day, and engage in weight-bearing exercises at least twice a week.

All men over the age of 70 should receive regular osteoporosis tests, just to make sure. If you have any of the risk factors or medical problems described earlier, routine testing should start at the age of 50.

They say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. However, for men who have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, medical intervention is in order. A class of medication known as bisphosphonates is the principal treatment; these can be administered orally or intravenously. Furthermore, any medical conditions that could be causing or contributing to a man’s low bone mass should be addressed. For example, a man who has developed osteoporosis due to sex hormone deficiency should investigate the possibility of testosterone therapy.

Research on Glucosamine and Seizures Suggests Supplementation May Offer Protection

Oct 27 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

A seizure is an event that happens because of a sudden electrical abnormality in the brain. There are many different types of seizures. Seizures that affect just one region of the brain are known as focal seizures, while seizures that affect both sides of the brain are called generalized seizures. Even within these categories, there is more specificity. For example, there are many types of generalized seizures, including grand mal, petit mal, clonic, myoclonic, tonic and atonic seizures. Each seizure has its own collections of symptoms, which can include loss of consciousness, muscle spasms and convulsions, loss of bladder or bowel control and more.

Isolated seizures can have a wide variety of causes, including medications, head injuries and high fevers. Seizures generally last between 30 seconds and two minutes and don’t cause any lasting harm. However, the chronic seizures caused by seizure disorders can be a detriment to daily living and quality of life. Those who suffer recurring seizures can suffer physical injuries due to the muscular convulsions. Seizure disorders are also known as epilepsy; this disorder affects about three million adults and 470,000 children in the United States alone.

New Study Looks at Glucosamine and Seizures

Scientists believe that over-excitability of brain cells may be at the root of epilepsy. A recent study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, looks at the effects of a common dietary supplement known as glucosamine on the excitability of brain cells. This study found that glucosamine reduces brain cell excitability in rats and mice. Although this was not a human study, nor a conclusive one, it raises important questions about the possibilities of new developments in the treatment of epilepsy.

A Possible New Addition to the Seizure Disorder Treatment Arsenal?

Though this study does not present a suggestion to try to actually relieve epilepsy with glucosamine, it paves the way for future research to investigate this chemical’s effects further. Effective new epilepsy treatments could be developed in the face of such research.

Currently, the selection of epilepsy treatments available is not quite ideal. Current medications can only prevent some of the seizures, and even this moderate benefit is only experienced by about 70-80 percent of patients. This means that 20-30 percent of people with epilepsy are resistant to epilepsy medications. When medications don’t help, brain surgery or nerve stimulation procedures may be required. Even if a medication does help, most of them have undesirable side effects. So, the development of new treatments for epilepsy originating from this research into glucosamine and seizures (whether medicating with glucosamine itself or other similar chemicals that produce the same effects in the brain) could potentially help improve the quality of life for many thousands of people.

Supplementing with Glucosamine

Glucosamine is one of the most common non-nutrient dietary supplements. But, what exactly is it? Glucosamine is a type of chemical called an amino sugar (alternatively, a sugar protein). It occurs naturally in bones and bone marrow, as well as in other species such as shellfish and fungus. Glucosamine helps your body build cartilage, which is a firm connective tissue found mainly around your joints.

Further research could lead glucosamine to become a popular anti-seizure supplement. However, its most common uses are for joint problems; most notably, glucosamine can be beneficial for people with osteoarthritis. It can help reduce the rate of collagen degradation, slowing the progression of the disease, as well as providing minor pain relief and increasing range of motion. It is, of course, not a miracle cure—it slows the progression of osteoarthritis but does not cure it completely, and one meta-analysis showed that it is capable of only producing a modest 13-point reduction in pain on a scale of 0-100.

Glucosamine is also sometimes used by people who partake in high-impact physical activity, such as running. Its cartilage-preserving effects could help prevent wear and tear on joints caused by such sport. One study also showed that the supplement helps to heal acute knee injuries in athletes.

Glucosamine is a very safe supplement to take. The most common side effect is flatulence; other side effects such as nausea, heartburn and gastrointestinal distress are rare. Nevertheless, people with certain medical problems should exercise caution when supplementing with glucosamine. If you have a shellfish allergy, glucosamine could be dangerous depending on how severe your allergy is, because the majority of commercial glucosamine is produced from shellfish exoskeletons. However, some glucosamine products are made from corn or wheat, which would be the safe form of glucosamine for someone with a shellfish allergy. Furthermore, consult your doctor before taking glucosamine if you have diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, liver disease, cancer or asthma. Glucosamine may be risky to take alongside certain prescription medications such as blood thinners, so ask your doctor first if you are taking any prescriptions.

This recent research is by no means a suggestion that seizure disorders can be treated with glucosamine alone. If you have a seizure disorder, ask your doctor before taking glucosamine and do not try to replace any prescription medications with this supplement.

New Study Links Low Calcium to Increased Risk of Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Oct 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

A recent study, published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings examined the relationship between blood calcium levels and the risk of sudden cardiac arrest.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is defined as when the heart suddenly stops beating due to a malfunction in the heart’s electrical activity. According to the American Heart Association, approximately 350,000 people experience an out-of-hospital SCA each year in the United States alone. Around 90 percent of these SCAs result in death.

Newly Discovered Link Between Low Calcium and Cardiac Arrest

Researchers gathered data from the Oregon Sudden Unexpected Death Study to analyze for their purposes. They identified 267 people who suffered SCA between 2002 and 2015, in addition to 445 healthy controls. These individuals’ blood calcium levels had been measured before their death. The scientists found that the risk of SCA is 2.3 times higher for people who have the lowest blood calcium levels, compared to people with normal levels. This correlation remained even after accounting for other confounding risk factors. However, the reason for this link between calcium and cardiac arrest is not yet known; further research is needed.

Coronary heart disease has been considered to be the primary cause for sudden cardiac arrest. Yet, 50 percent of women and 70 percent of men who have died from SCA had no history of heart disease. This, combined with the newly found link between calcium levels and SCA, points to an urgent need for researchers to identify other cardiac arrest risk factors in order to better prevent these deaths.

SCA, in turn, is associated with other major medical conditions. People who experience a sudden cardiac arrest are more likely to suffer from diabetes, chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The Importance of Proper Calcium Intake

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Around 99 percent of all the calcium in the body is found in the bones and teeth, leading calcium to be most strongly associated with bone health. Indeed, proper calcium consumption is very necessary for strong bones. A failure to get enough of this essential mineral can result in low bone mineral density, which can lead to osteoporosis. However, calcium is also necessary for many other systems of the body. Nerve and muscle function, blood vessel dilation and contraction and hormone secretion also require sufficient calcium.

Certain groups of people are at a high risk for not getting enough calcium. Those who suffer from lactose intolerance are likely candidates for this as they do not consume high-calcium dairy products. People who follow a vegan diet may also be at risk for calcium deficiency because a vegan diet often has high levels of the plant-based phytic and oxalic acids, which impair calcium absorption in the gut. A high intake of sodium, caffeine, alcohol or protein (for example, as with bodybuilders) can also put you at a higher risk for calcium deficiency.

Adults over the age of 50 are a major group that should watch their calcium intake especially closely; this is even more true for older women, as estrogen levels plummet during this period of a woman’s life and estrogen is an important hormone for maintaining healthy bone mineral density.

Certain medical disorders can interfere with the absorption of calcium, namely, bowel and digestive disorders. Those who take corticosteroid medication for long periods of time can also be at risk. Some other risk factors for low calcium levels (or high osteoporosis risk) include smoking cigarettes, being physically inactive and having a family history of osteoporosis.

Getting Enough Calcium

Of course, everyone should make sure to get enough calcium, but these are the groups that need to pay especially close attention. Obviously, the best way to consume enough calcium is by eating a healthy diet. Calcium-rich foods include dairy, dark leafy vegetables, fatty fish and any food that is calcium-fortified. You also need sufficient vitamin D in order for your body to absorb and use the calcium properly. You can get vitamin D in fatty fish, egg yolk, fortified dairy products and mushrooms. Furthermore, eating a high-fiber diet is beneficial for calcium levels because dietary fiber slows down digestion, giving your body more time to absorb the calcium in your food. People who get plenty of calcium enjoy a lowered risk of cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.

However, for some people trying to eat plenty of calcium-rich foods may still not be enough. Those who fall into the category of someone who has a high risk for calcium deficiency (lactose intolerant, vegan, high intake of sodium, caffeine, alcohol or protein), or the category of those who need more calcium than average (those at risk of osteoporosis, older adults), should strongly consider taking a dietary supplement with calcium in addition to eating a nutritious diet. This way, calcium intake is convenient and more predictable.

Adults should get at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium every day, including the calcium you get from your diet. Women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 71 should consume at least 1,200 milligrams total daily.

Talk to your doctor before taking a calcium supplement if you are currently taking:

antibiotics
bisphosphonates
blood pressure medication
calcium channel blockers
synthetic thyroid hormone