Calcium is by far the most abundant mineral in the body. Calcium is required for muscle movement, strong bones, and for the nerves to carry messages between the brain and the body.

Calcium plays a vital role in:

● Building and maintaining strong bones and teeth.
● Proper functioning of the heart, muscles and nervous system.
● Maintaining normal blood pressure,
● Regulating blood clotting, and
● Preventing cancers of the digestive tract.

Deficiency or lack of Calcium can have these common symptoms:

● Tooth Decay.
● Weak or deformed bones.
● brittle nails & dry skin.
● Kidney stones.
● memory loss
● muscle spasms
● numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, and face
● depression
● hallucinations
● Lethargic/ Lazy
● Mood Swings

Chronic deficiency of Calcium could also lead to:

● Cancer;
● Heart Disease;
● Chronic Arthritis;
● Common Colds, Flu, Infections;
● Infertility;
● Low pH, Acidic Saliva/Urine.

Here are some great natural sources of Calcium:

● Milk
● Cheese
● Yogurt
● Broccoli
● Kale
● Chinese cabbage
● Ladies Finger (Okra)
● Turnip
● Dark green leafy vegetables
● Dried Figs
● Almonds
● Sesame seeds

Note: Overdosing of Calcium can be harmful to heart. Please refer to Dr Oz’s explanation on Examiner.

Vegetarian Recipes that are rich in Calcium are:

• Ellu Bella Recipe | Sankranti Mix Recipe
• Sprouted Mung Beans/Moong Salad Recipe
• Okra / bendekaayi Curry
• Broccoli Chutney
• Sesame seeds (Ellu) laddu / unde / Til ladoo
• Sweet Potato Yogurt Dip
• Ash Gourd / Boodugumbala Kaayi Majjige HuLi
• Healthy and Delicious Badam/Almond Chutney
• Doddapatre Thambuli
• Flax seed Chutney Powder
• Southekayi Hasi Majjige HuLi | Cucumber in Coconut Yogurt gravy
• Tofu Masala recipe | curried tofu recipe|
• Ragi Ambali | Finger Millet Porridge
• Homemade Yogurt | How to make yogurt at home
• Ragi Mudde with Side Dish | Finger millet balls

Vitamin D is key to absorbing and using calcium, adequate intake of vitamin D is equally important. Exposing ourselves for a minimum of 20 minutes a day to the Natural sunlight is the best way to get the right amount. Mushrooms are also good source of Vitamin D. Checkout the Mushroom Curry recipe.