Curious Dear Curious, All body cells need calcium, but over 99 percent of the calcium in the body is used to strengthen bones and teeth.
Calcium is also essential for blood clotting, muscle contraction, and nerve functioning.
It's believed that a long-standing poor calcium intake contributes to osteoporosis, a condition where there's less bone mass throughout the body. This can lead to a decrease in height, hip fractures in old age, and eventual loss of teeth. Although osteoporosis is a disease associated with older people, prevention of it starts as early as childhood. Adequate calcium intake is important for building strong bones that can benefit you for the rest of your life. From ages 9 through 18 years, the RDA for calcium is 1300 mg.