Originally Posted by paulpeter (Post 908)

Your body needs calcium for several reasons. Calcium is needed for your muscles to contract and relax, your nerves to function, and for your blood to clot properly. You store 99 percent of your calcium in our bones. When you need more calcium for your blood, nerves and muscles, your body will remove the calcium from your bones. To keep your bones strong, you need to get enough calcium in your diet. Calcium loss from the bones will add up over time, and that means an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures as you grow older.