Calcium is essential for many physiological functions in the body, particularly skeletal health, making it particularly important during childhood growth and development and as the body ages. Consuming enough of this key mineral, whether through diet or supplementation, is important for optimal health.

In addition to appropriate physical activity to slow progression of sarcopenia, doctors also suggest that adequate nutrition can be beneficial. 77-year-old New York Times journalist, Jane E. Brody, discusses a condition called sarcopenia, a loss of skeletal muscle function that occurs with age. Brody was diagnosed with sarcopenia despite being more active than many women her age, participating in daily physical exercise from walking and cycling to swimming and floor exercises. Sarcopenia only becomes more common as people age, and often results in older adults losing their ability to live on their own.