High blood pressure
Dozens of studies have implicated calcium as a key player when it comes to normalizing blood pressure. The most promising results come from the large, Federally funded DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) trial. Subjects with high-normal or mild hypertension who consumed a diet rich in low-fat dairy products as well as fruits and vegetables significantly lowered their blood pressure without losing any weight or cutting back on their salt intake. What's more, the blood pressure benefits were noted within only two weeks. Participants consumed about 1,200 mg of calcium daily, the amount found in about three cups of milk. Researchers speculate that the calcium relaxes the smooth muscle in arteries, widening the pathways and thereby lowering high blood pressure.

Colon cancer
Studies have linked high-fat diets to colon cancer because the fatty acids and the bile acids released to digest these fats seem to stimulate abnormal cell proliferation in the colon. However, a few glasses of milk may be able to reverse this whole process. Research has shown that calcium may bind with these carcinogens and inhibit abnormal growth. In fact, a University of Minnesota study found that about 2,000 mg of daily calcium reduced abnormal cell proliferation in the colon while another study found that just 1,200 mg did the trick.

PMS
Here's a new way to justify those premenstrual ice cream binges: It may actually help ease all those debilitating symptoms. One study tracked about 500 women with severe PMS for three menstrual cycles. About half the women took two calcium supplements twice each day, which gave them a total of 1,200 mg of calcium, while the other half took a placebo. Starting with the second menstrual cycle, those who took the supplements experienced progressively less moodiness, water retention, food cravings, headaches and low-back pain. By the end of the study, the calcium supplement group had a 50 percent reduction in PMS symptoms compared with a 30 percent reduction in the placebo group. Researchers believe that PMS may signal a chronic deficiency or imbalance of calcium, thereby increasing not only a woman's discomfort once a month but also her risk for osteoporosis later in life.

To reap all these possible benefits, shoot for three to four servings of calcium-rich foods (about 1,200 mg) per day. Although calcium-fortified foods, such as orange juice and cereals, are a convenient way to up your daily total, you may be better off sticking to good old dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese. Not only are you getting a whole host of extra vitamins and minerals, such as riboflavin and vitamins A and D, dairy products are what Mother Nature intended and so may be absorbed more efficiently than a synthetic food. Also, don't rely solely on calcium-rich vegetables, such as broccoli or mustard greens. You'd have to eat them by the truckload to reach your requirement. It takes three cups of cooked broccoli to equal the calcium in one cup of milk. Check out the chart below to make sure your diet doesn't fall short.

Food Serving size Mg calcium per serving Plain low-fat yogurt 1 cup 415 Sardines (canned w/bones) 3 ounces 372 Calcium-fortified cereal (Total) 1 ounce 350 Flavored low-fat yogurt 1 cup 345 Skim milk 1 cup 302 1 percent or 2 percent milk 1 cup 300 Whole milk 1 cup 291 Swiss cheese 1 ounce 272 Cheddar cheese 1 ounce 204 Cooked collard greens ½ cup 168 Pink salmon (canned with bones) 3 ounces 160 Cooked kale ½ cup 103 Tofu (processed with calcium) 4 ounces 150 Cooked spinach ½ cup 84 Cooked broccoli ½ cup 68 Orange 1 medium 60 Chopped dates ½ cup 26

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