Boning Up~Two Nutrients for Better Cholesterol

Interesting my doctor just asked me if I was taking calcium for blood pressure. I've been delighted my BP has been moving steadily to a healthy range!

RealAge Tip:
www.realage.com

Two Nutrients for Better Cholesterol



Trying to lose weight to get your cholesterol down? Excellent. Turbocharge your efforts with this combo supplement: calcium plus vitamin D.

A study suggests the two may boost the cholesterol-lowering benefits of weight loss, especially in people who don't get enough calcium.

Weight Loss with Extra Benefits

Overweight women with low calcium intakes had bigger improvements in cholesterol when they added a calcium+D supplement to their low-cal diets -- regardless of how little or how much body fat they shed. Why? It's possible that calcium helps curb the body's absorption of saturated fat, which in turn may help lower both total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. (Diet smart, not hard. Use this doctor plan that stops cravings and can help you drop 2 inches in 2 weeks.)

Kudos for Calcium


Calcium Benefits

Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth and helps prevent arthritis. But that’s not all this mineral is good for: Calcium helps your brain communicate with your nerves, regulates blood pressure, and may reduce the symptoms of PMS and the risk of colon cancer.

RealAge Recommendation
Government guidelines suggest 1,000–1,200 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day is adequate, but RealAge recommends a bit more: 1,000–1,500 mg of calcium per day from food and supplements -- but not all at once. Your body can only absorb 500–600 mg at a time, so divide it into two or three doses over the course of a day. Tip: If you take a calcium supplement, take it with vitamin D (they’re often combined in one pill) to help absorption -- and with a little magnesium to reduce the constipation sometimes caused by calcium. Don’t pair calcium with iron or fiber supplements, which can interfere with your body’s ability to absorb the bone-building mineral.

Good Sources
Yogurt, plain, low-fat (8 ounces)
415 mg
Ricotta cheese from part-skim milk (1/2 cup)
335 mg
Soymilk, fortified (8 ounces)
300 mg
Spinach, cooked from frozen (1 cup)
290 mg
Milk, 2% milk fat (8 ounces)
285 mg
Swiss cheese, shredded (1/4 cup)
214 mg
Cheddar cheese, shredded (1/4 cup)
204 mg
Salmon, canned (3 ounces)
181 mg
Soybeans/edamame (1/2 cup)
130 mg
Tofu (3 ounces)
100 mg
Parmesan cheese, shredded (1 tablespoon)
55 mg