Calcium

One in four men suffers from high blood pressure. Why? Part of the problem may be that we don’t get enough calcium. The Framingham Heart Study, which tracked 432 men for 18 years, found that men who consumed the highest levels of this mineral had a 20 percent of lower risk of developing high blood pressure than men who consumed the lowest levels.

Calcium is also a major building block of bone. If you can’t remember the last time you drank a glass of milk, keep in mind that your bones have to pony up the difference when your body needs to use its store of calcium for other functions such as the maintenance of blood, muscles and nerves. A persistent calcium deficit in your diet will leave bones weak and brittle. That condition, osteoporosis, is not just a women’s problem; One-third of the hip fractures tied to this condition occur in men. The recommended Dietary Allowance of calcium for men is 800 milligrams daily. You’ll get 300 milligrams in a single glass of milk. Other good sources are canned salmon or sardines and many garden greens.