Calcium builds strong bones and helps prevent osteoporosis.
But researchers now believe that calcium also offers protection against colon cancer. Vieira's husband was twice diagnosed with polyps, benign growths that can become cancerous. But I've made it my mission since then to learn as much as I can about colon cancer and to spread the word about ways you can prevent it. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that calcium also may prevent the recurrence of colorectal polyps. The clinical trials showed that those who took 1,200 milligrams of calcium each day decreased their risk by 19 percent and decreased the initial incidence by 24 percent.