These are hands down two of the most important nutrients for maintaining health. Just how much of this stuff do we really need? Here’s some expert-approved information we should all take note of.

Calcium (comes from foods including low-fat dairy products) and Magnesium (found in almonds, peanuts, brown rice, and cereals like oat bran and shredded wheat) can be hard to get in the amounts we need from food. And with all the processed food these days, these minerals are being depleted even more.

Consider this - an 8 oz glass of milk or calcium-fortified juice or a cup of yogurt contains about 300 mg. Try supplements if you are not getting the recommended daily intake…

Calcium: Daily goal ranges from about 1,200 to 1,500 mg (milligrams) a day.

Magnesium: Daily Value (DV) for magnesium is around 400 mg minimum.

Why do we need them? Calcium builds strong bones- this is important to everyone, especially for the growing and those at increased risk of osteoporosis. Magnesium helps us absorb calcium - deficiency can lead to asthma, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease and migraines.

So have you had the proper daily dose of these minerals? More of us are deficient in Calcium and Magnesium than you think, so you may want to consider going the supplement route. Talk to your doc if you’re not sure.