How Does Calcium Help During the Childbearing Years?
No matter what age a woman is when she becomes pregnant, calcium is very important to both her and the growing baby. Calcium from the mother’s body is used by the developing baby, putting increased demands on the pregnant woman’s supply. Additional calcium may be needed to meet both the pregnant woman’s and the developing baby’s needs. Based on an analysis published in the Journal of the American Medical Association there is evidence that calcium supplementation can help maintain normal blood pressure in pregnant women with consistently low calcium intakes. Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure is a serious complication that can put both mother and child at risk. How Does Menopause Affect Calcium Requirements? When a woman enters menopause, her body produces much less of the female hormone estrogen. Loss of estrogen increases the risk of osteoporosis. Simply put, osteoporosis is a thinning of the bones. Bones become weak and fragile and can break easily. That’s why it is so important t