Calcium is essential for your body’s bone growth and maintenance. As a child, the body uses calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, as well as helping the heart, muscles and nerves to function properly. Some studies even show that calcium, along with vitamin D, may have benefits beyond bone health, protecting against cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure.

Calcium also may help keep you slim and trim. According to Men’s Health editor-in-chief David Zinczenko, author of The Abs Diet for Women, calcium may prevent weight gain because it promotes more fat being burned off and less being stored. It also may ease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Children who don’t get enough calcium in their diets may not reach their full potential adult height. They are also at an increased risk of developing rickets, which is a bone disorder characterized by soft bones and skeletal deformities. It can result from a calcium or vitamin D deficiency.

Adults who aren’t getting enough calcium will suffer from low bone mass, which is a risk factor for osteoporosis and may lead to bone fractures. Calcium deficiency in adults can also result in numbness and tingling in the fingers and abnormal heart rhythms.

Children and adults should get between 1,000 and 1,300 mg of calcium each day, which can come from food or dietary supplements. With our busy schedules, the following sources of calcium are great to grab and go -- check out these six sippable sources of calcium:

Milk

According to MilkTruth.com, milk is America’s top food source of calcium, vitamin D and potassium, three of the nutrients that are most commonly lacking in our diets. Milk is also a great source of high-quality protein - 8 grams per 8-ounce cup. By comparison, a large egg only contains 6 grams of protein.