But the risks of inadequate calcium intake go well beyond fragile bones and monthly mood swings. Deficiency of this crucial mineral has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, kidney stones and colon cancer among both sexes. New research also suggests a strong link between calcium consumption and reducing heart attack risk. Calcium is known to regulate heart and muscle contraction. Maintaining a balanced blood calcium level is essential to life, especially for cardiac function.
Doctors also suspect a link between low calcium levels and high blood pressure.
Argentine researchers have found that women might influence their children's risk of high blood pressure in the future by taking calcium during pregnancy. In 1997 they studied 591 women who took 2,000 mg of calcium a day, starting in their 20th week of pregnancy. More research needs to be done before recommendations are made. In a California study, calcium-deficient teens significantly lowered their blood pressure by taking 1,500 mg of calcium equal to five cups of milk a day. Perhaps the most dramatic news links calcium to colon-cancer prevention .