1. By: Andrea and Marissa

2. Initial Question:

3.  Calcium is the most plentiful mineral in the human body and one of the most important. This mineral at the most takes up 2% of our body weight. 1% is in our teeth, and the rest is located in our circulation and other tissues.

4.  How does it affect different parts of our body?  How much do we need, and where can we get it?  What does it do for our bones?  What does it do for our heart?  How does it affect our blood?  What does it do for our muscles?

5.  Bones- It is required for the formation of our bones. Knits new bone tissue. Keeps bones strong.  Muscles- Helps our muscles contract. Helps them remain flexible and not stiff.  Blood- Helps our blood clot. Keeps the blood flowing through our body.  Overall- Helps release hormones and enzymes that affect many bodily functions. Fuels important functions in your body like knitting new bone tissues, and helps nerves send messages. Regulates heart and muscle contraction and nerve conduction.

6. Life StageRecommended Amount of Calcium Birth – 6 months200 mg Infants 7 – 12 months260 mg Children 1 – 3 years700 mg Children 4 – 8 years1,000 mg Children 9 – 13 years1,300 mg Teens 14 – 18 years1,300 mg Adults 19 – 50 years1,000 mg Adult men 51 – 70 years1,000 mg Adult women 51 – 70 years1,200 mg Adults 71+ years1,200 mg

7. 1. By eating foods or supplements that contain calcium. Good sources are dairy products and dark, leafy greens or dried beans. Supplements also contain Vitamin D which seems to be more beneficial to bone health than calcium alone. 2. Your body can pull calcium from bones if blood calcium levels are too low. Sometimes that calcium is replaced, but only if you eat more calcium.

8. 2 oz Swiss cheese- 530 mgs Jack cheese 2 oz.- 420 mgs Cheddar cheese 2 oz- 400 mgs Other cheeses 2 oz.- 300–400 mgs Yogurt 6 oz.- 300 mgs Broccoli, cooked 2 stalks- 250 mgs Sardines (w/bones)2 oz.- 240 mgs Goat milk 6 oz.-240 mgs Cow’s milk 6 oz.-225 mgs Collard greens, cooked 6 oz.-225 mgs Turnip greens, cooked 6 oz.-220 mgs Almonds 3 oz.-210 mgs Brazil nuts 3 oz.-160 mgs

9. CheeseCalcium (mg) Parmesan336 Romano302 Gruyere287 Swiss224 Mozzarella, part skim milk222 Provolone214 Monterey211 Edam207 Cheddar204 Muenster203

10.  Parmesan Cheese- 336 milligrams of calcium.

11. MilksCalcium Per 1 Cup (mg) Goat327 Cow300 Soy200 Rice150 Almond175 Hemp20

12.  Goats milk or Cow milk- 300-327 milligrams of calcium per cup.

13.  You can develop osteoporosis when your older. This means that your bones become weak and brittle.  Increases risk of bone fractures  If you have seriously low levels of calcium, you can have numbness and tingling in the fingers, convulsions (which is when your muscles contract and relax rapidly which results in uncontrollable shaking of the body), and abnormal heart rhythms that can lead to death if not corrected.  Can possibly lead to cardiovascular disease.  If you consume the right amount of calcium, you will reduce the risk of having high blood pressure.

14.  If you consume too much you might have a higher risk of getting kidney stones.  Increased risk of prostate cancer  Increased risk of heart disease

15. Calcium is an important part of our health. It affects most functions in our body. To stay healthy, you must have a certain amount each day according to your age group. Our age group (13-14) should be consuming around 1,300 mgs. It helps our bones, heart, blood, and muscles stay strong. There are many foods and drinks that can give you large amounts of calcium, but we limited it down to one food and one drink that is high in calcium. We researched the different types of milks and cheeses to see which ones are the best sources for calcium. We discovered parmesan cheese is a food high in calcium, and goats milk or cow milk is a drink high in calcium. We recommend you eat/drink some of these options to keep yourself healthy as you get older.

16. "Why Calcium Is Good for Your Body." Health.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Calcium." — Consumer. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Calcium and Vitamin D: What You Need to Know." Calcium and Vitamin D: What You Need to Know. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Minerals: Calcium." Minerals: Calcium. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Calcium and Milk: What’s Best for Your Bones and Health?" The Nutrition Source. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Parmesan." Finest Quality Imported and Domestic Cheese. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "A Buyer's Guide to Milk Alternatives." A Buyer's Guide to Milk Alternatives. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Nutrition Facts." And Information for Hemp Milk (Hemp Bliss Original Flavor). N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. "Cheese Nutrition 101." Say Cheese: Comparing the Nutrition of Different Cheeses. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2015.