ESSENCE OF CALCIUM

Calcium is a mineral found in many foods. The body needs calcium to maintain strong bones and to carry out many important functions. Almost all calcium is stored in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure and hardness.

Among all the health benefits of calcium, the most important ones are that it aids in maintaining bone h

ealth and dental health, as well as the prevention of colon cancer and the reduction of obesity. We need it from birth all the way until we reach old age. In our infant days, it is required for proper bone and tooth growth; during adolescence, as the bones develop, calcium is again essential to support the growth.

When we get older, our bones tend to get porous and weak, thereby requiring ample calcium intake. With so many fancy diets around us, we often tend to avoid calcium-rich foods like whole food groups, including dairy products. This avoidance often results in its deficiency.

Calcium deficiency conditions are continuously rising, particularly in women who are on low-calorie diets to get slim, and are therefore confronted with the threat or trouble of osteoporosis. Thus, it is extremely important to consume enough calcium, vitamin D, magnesium throughout your tender and adolescence years.

Calcium forms 2% of total body weight in a human adult. It is found in the human body as deposits in the bones and teeth in high volumes. Traces of the mineral are also present in the circulatory system, which prevent life threatening hemorrhages.

SYMPTOMS OF CALCIUM DEFICIENCY

Recognizing the deficiency in the body is quite easy. It occurs when your muscles ache and twitch, or if you get sudden cramps and spasms. Also, if you suffer from palpitations, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, loose teeth and gum diseases, insomnia, premenstrual cramps, tetany, hypertension and arthritis, that may also indicate calcium deficiency. Often, many children suffer from rickets, where the bones become weak and flexible, they have bowed legs, sunken chests and beaded ribs. These children have not been nourished with calcium since birth. Thus, a regular calcium supply is very important in growing children and teenagers as it can substantially reduce the risks of osteoporosis in old age. This bone ailment is common in one out of every three women and in one man in every 12, above 50 years of age.

DIETARY SOURCES:

It is easily available in milk and dairy products like cheese and yogurt. Furthermore, nuts, tinned salmon, seeds and pulses are good sources of calcium. It is a popular idea that milk is the greatest source of the mineral, but this is not so; broccoli can actually increase the calcium levels in your diet the quickest.

It is worth noting that semi-skimmed or whole milk have very similar calcium contents. Fish (salmon and sardines), leafy green vegetables including broccoli, spinach, orange juice, cereals, oysters, ricebeverages, soy, almonds, black-eyed peas,green peas, and Ricotta are also rich sources of calcium.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF CALCIUM:

It is an essential mineral for healthy bones, gums and teeth. Doctors often recommend that women take calcium supplements, particularly those who show early signs of bone problems, such as osteoporosis or osteopenia.

Strengthens Bones – Calcium strengthens the backbone and ensures the right shape to the body, as well as helping to alleviate the presence of back pain. It helps to keep the bones in their proper shape and prevents many skeletal complaints like arthritis and osteoporosis, which could hamper your freedom of movement, as well as being extremely painful

Prevents Obesity – Calcium efficiently helps in maintaining optimal body weight in both males and females. If there is any deficiency of the mineral in your diet, the body will tend to release parathyroid hormone, which in turn stimulates the bones to release it into your blood stream. This maintains the balance. On the other side, parathyroid hormone also stimulates the production of fat and prevents its break down, which can subsequently make you obese. Basically, make sure that you are taking the right amount of calcium, but not too much, so that obesity does not creep in, alone with other related health hazards.

Protects Cardiac Muscles – Calcium protects your heart muscles. Sufficient amounts of calcium can help cardiac muscles to contract and relaxat properly. It also helps the nervous system maintain the proper pressure in your arteries. If there is a calcium drop, a hormone called calcitrol is released, which contracts the smooth muscles of the arteries, thereby increasing the blood pressure. Cardiac muscles need extracellular calcium ions for contraction. When the intracellular concentration of calcium increases, the ions gather together on the protein troponin. This stimulates the secretion of extracellular fluid and the intracellular stores, including that of the skeletal muscle, which is only activated by calcium stored in the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Prevents Colon Cancer – Adequate calcium prevents overall risk of colon cancer and suppresses the growth of polyps that can lead to cancer. Its supplementation reduces the risk of adenomas, as well as nonmalignant tumors in the colon. This is actually a precursor to colon cancer, but it’s still not known if calcium intake minimizes the cancer risk completely. The excess mineral is left in your intestines after your body absorbs what it needs. On its way through the colon, this unabsorbed calcium is believed to bind with cancer promoters so they’re excreted together from the body. Studies have shown that both food sources of calcium and its supplements provide this protective effect. The supplements should be taken in liquid form because liquid vitamins absorb 5 times better than the pills.

Maintains Healthy Teeth and Gums – Calcium protects your teeth by keeping the jaw bone strong and sturdy throughout your life, which in turn ensures tight fitting teeth where bacteria cannot thrive. Thus, before your teeth and gums start giving you any trouble, be sure to maintain a calcium rich diet. Its intake should be high, especially at young ages, so that your children naturally grows up with strong teeth.

HOW MUCH CALCIUM DO I NEED DAILY?

According to the Institute of Medicine (IoM), we should consume calcium daily at the following amounts:

• age 0 to 6 months: 200 mg per day
• age 7 to 12 months: 260 mg per day
• age 1 to 3 years: 700 mg per day
• age 4 to 8 years: 1000 mg per day
• age 9 to 18 years: 1300 mg per day
• age 19 to 50 years: 1000 mg per day
• breastfeeding or pregnant teenager: 1000 mg per day
• breastfeeding or pregnant adult: 1000 mg per day
• age 51 to 70 years (male): 1000 mg per day
• age 51 to 70 years (female): 1200 mg per day
• age 71+ years: 1200 mg per day