Calcium is a mineral. Nearly 99 percent of the calcium in the body is located in the bones and teeth. Much of the remaining one percent circulates in the bloodstream. If we do not eat enough calcium, the body makes up for the shortage. As old bone tissue is broken down, new bone is created to take its place.
Bones actively grow and develop until early adulthood.
Between the ages of 20 and 25 bones reach their peak in density. If there is not enough calcium in the diet, new bone growth is stalled and bones lose mass. The term osteoporosis means porous bones. The disease, which causes brittle, breakable bones, affects one out of every two women after age 50 and one out of every eight men. It develops gradually and without symptoms.