CALCIUM’S IMPORTANCE: In the world of minerals, calcium–quickly available in milk and cheese–is arguably the most important in the human body. Best known for building strong teeth and bones, calcium also plays a vital role in helping the heart beat, the muscles contract, the blood to clot and the nerves to react.
CALCIUM CAUTION: Getting calcium may be a problem for some people. For those with diagnosed calcium deficiencies: You may want to limit foods with oxalates (spinach, tea, kale, rhubarb, asparagus) because those substances inhibit the body’s ability to absorb calcium from other foods and liquids.
VITAMIN-ELIMINATED AILMENTS: Even before vitamins were discovered in the early 1900s, people knew how to treat certain illnesses with specific foods. Citrus juice, liver and extract of pine needles were some remedies used to battle what we call vitamin-deficiency diseases such as scurvy (caused by a lack of vitamin C) that have been virtually eliminated in the U.S.
