Calcium / Calcium (Ca) why the body needs it, humans (properties)

Why does our body need calcium?

to build and strengthen bones and teeth;
to regulate muscle contractions;
for balanced functioning of the nervous system;
for the production of hormones;
to regulate blood pressure and blood clotting processes.

It may seem that consuming enough calcium is necessary for skeletal and dental health, but the opposite is true. An excess amount of calcium is deposited in the teeth and bones, and first of all, the calcium that enters the body is spent on other functions listed above, and only the lack of this macroelement to provide them leads to a deterioration in the condition of the teeth and bones - the body begins to use up calcium reserves.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency

The very first signs of a mineral deficiency in the body include brittle nails, dental caries and poor hair condition. Other signs include:

insomnia;
tachycardia;
difficult pregnancy;
hypertensive crisis;
muscle cramps;
problems with concentration;
memory loss.

Initially, the body tries to compensate for the deficiency using its own reserves. But over time, they dry up, and osteoporosis begins to develop, and problems with blood clotting appear.

Why is calcium deficiency dangerous in the body?

As mentioned earlier, a lack of calcium primarily affects the condition of bones and teeth, which is where the reserves of this substance are contained. If this does not cover the consumption of calcium, then more serious changes occur:

growth slowdown;
tooth decay;
dementia;
development of osteoporosis in old age and rickets in childhood;
disturbance of normal heart rhythm;
muscle spasms;
numbness or tingling in the hands and feet.

The human body is not able to produce calcium, and therefore to ensure vital functions and to strengthen bones and teeth it is necessary to consume calcium from food products.

Pros and cons of using calcium

Scientists from America were able to establish that with uncontrolled use of calcium supplements, if a person does not have any problems with this substance, the risk of developing heart disease significantly increases.

On the other hand, additional calcium helps maintain membrane permeability in case of allergies at the proper level; it inhibits the manifestation of symptoms.

In adolescence, the mineral helps get rid of acne and eliminate the inflammatory process. It is often used to improve blood clotting during severe bleeding. Calcium reduces pain from insect bites.

Simply put, if additional administration of the mineral is carried out under the supervision of a doctor, then there will be no side effects from taking calcium.

Daily dose of calcium:

for adults aged 19-50 years - 1 gram,
for children 4-8 years old - 0.8 grams,
for children 9-18 years old (when active skeletal development occurs) - 1.3 grams,
for elderly people (over 50 years old) - 1.2 grams,
for pregnant and lactating women - 1.4-2 grams.

An excess of calcium in the body leads to hypercalcemia, a disease that manifests itself in increased calcium levels in the blood. The maximum safe dose for adults aged 19 to 50 years inclusive is 2.5 grams per day.

Lack of calcium in the blood

04.10.2018

It is impossible to overestimate the role of calcium in our body. Of course, the vast majority of this element is concentrated in the bone tissues of our body, but its small part (only one percent of the total volume) plays an important role in the biochemical processes of the cells of our body. You should know that calcium in the human body is concentrated either in bone tissue or in the blood . There are certain norms for the concentration of calcium in the blood and any deviations to a greater or lesser extent are fraught with negative consequences. An excess of calcium is characterized as hypercalcemia, and a deficiency is called hypocalcemia.

In the blood , calcium is found in free form or in combination with albumin or anions. The total amount of calcium in the blood of an adult averages 350 milligrams, approximately 45% of this volume forms a bond with albumin, approximately five percent is associated with anions and half of the total calcium in the blood is in ionized (free) form. Ionized calcium plays a huge role in blood . Let's take a slightly simplified look at this process.

When the vascular wall is damaged as a result of external factors, thromboplastin is released from the affected endothelium, which, with the direct participation of calcium ions, activates prothrombin, under the influence of which fibrin begins to form from dissolved fibrinogen, leading to retraction of the blood and blockage of the damaged area.

The main causes of calcium deficiency in the body are:

insufficient synthesis of calcitonin;
vitamin D deficiency;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract accompanied by impaired absorption of the element;
urolithiasis disease;
physical inactivity;
increased sweating ;
hypocalcium diet ;
aggressive influence of external factors, for example, systematic contact with phosphate fertilizers.

The resulting lack of calcium in the body is often accompanied by the following symptoms: the endocrinologist bone pain begins to appear , relatively minor injuries can lead to fractures, teeth , memory deterioration is observed, and heart rhythm disturbances appear. Lack of calcium in children leads to disturbances in the formation of the skeleton and slow growth. During pregnancy, due to a lack of calcium, intrauterine growth retardation of the child is diagnosed, and toxicosis may occur. It is worth noting that symptoms appear at the stage of severe calcium deficiency in the human body. It is also very important that a decrease in proteins, usually albumin, in the blood inevitably reduces the level of calcium in it.

to determine the level of ionized calcium in the blood using vitamin D, which is directly related to the amount of calcium and is responsible for its absorption through the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract. The lack of a mineral in the body is compensated for by medication and dietary methods. Diets are based on eating foods high in calcium. It is hardly worth listing the entire list of products; we will highlight only the main ones. These include dairy products, green vegetables, leafy greens, legumes, nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and canned fish with soft bones . Be sure to minimize the consumption of foods and drinks that interfere with the absorption of calcium. Drinks that impair the absorption of calcium include coffee, carbonated drinks and alcohol.

Published in Diseases of the endocrine system Premium Clinic

What foods should you include in your daily diet?

milk and hard cheeses - 1 ml of skim or low-fat (1%) milk contains 1 mg of calcium, that is, a liter of milk per day completely covers the daily dose of calcium for an adult. However, products based on milk fat (sour cream, butter, etc.) cannot be a source of calcium, because milk fat itself prevents the retention of this substance;
fish - it makes sense to note the benefits of canned fish; the contents of such a jar can be consumed whole, along with softened fish bones. For example, 100 grams of canned sardines contain 0.5 grams of calcium;
green vegetables and herbs - parsley and dill, kale and white cabbage, spinach, dandelion and turnip tops, Romaine lettuce, celery. Compared to dairy products, greens are lower in calories but relatively rich in calcium;
fruits - apples, citrus fruits (especially grapefruit and tangerines), bananas;
nuts - the most valuable here will be almonds and Brazil nuts;
legumes - white and red beans, soybeans (as well as soy products - cheese, milk, yogurt);
cereals - whole grain corn and wheat flour, rye or whole grain bread, muesli;
seasonings and spices - poppy seeds (1 gram of calcium per 100 grams of product), sesame seeds (1.5 grams per 100 grams), fennel seeds, basil, cinnamon, rosemary, cloves, thyme.

What foods contain calcium?

It’s not difficult to figure out how to increase calcium in the body of a woman, man, or child. It is enough to review your diet and include more foods enriched with minerals. It is better to ask a doctor how to restore calcium in the body quickly: in such cases, medications will give an effect sooner than changing the menu.

Self-administration of medications is unsafe

A nutritionist can tell you which foods contain calcium for the body. Special nutrition systems have been developed aimed at eliminating hypocalcemia. Many healers know how to restore calcium in the body using folk remedies. Unofficial medicine also recommends changing the menu.

The human body receives the main share of the mineral from:

milk and products of its processing;
seafood;
legumes;
soybean curd;
greens;
dried fruits.

Nutritionists, explaining how to compensate for the lack of calcium in the body, advise including seeds . The value of this type of food is unique. The most useful for hypocalcemia are sesame, chia, celery, and poppy seeds. 1 large spoon of poppy seeds contains 13% of the daily value.

When clarifying how to increase calcium in a man’s body with the help of food, they pay attention to the benefits of cheese . The mineral is present in all types and varieties of product, but the most useful is Parmesan. 100 g provide 118% of the daily value of the substance. Soft cheeses are less rich in the element. For example, 100 g of brie contains 18% of the daily volume. The substance coming from dairy products is absorbed better than from plant sources.

If you don’t have enough calcium in your body, you shouldn’t immediately decide what to take: it’s wiser to change your diet and check your blood after a while. The menu includes yogurt . This product is valuable not only for the mineral, but also for the bacteria that regulate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. More benefits are found in varieties with low fat content. Each serving provides the body with potassium, vitamins B2, B12, and phosphorus. Greek yogurt is enriched with proteins.

If tests aimed at checking what amount of calcium is present in the body show a deficiency, you should diversify your diet with canned fish . The healthiest varieties are sardines and salmon. The thin, soft, edible seeds are of particular value. Just 100 g of sardines gives a person more than a third of the daily requirement. The same amount of canned salmon contains a quarter of the daily requirement. Fish is rich in proteins, fatty acids, and selenium.

If there are signs of calcium deficiency in the body of a woman, man or child, you should diversify the menu with legumes . Lentils and beans are especially valuable. In addition to minerals, they contain fiber, protein, and various microelements: iron, zinc, potassium. Folic acid is found in legumes. A doctor, explaining how to increase calcium in the body, will definitely recommend winged beans. 200 g contains 18% of the daily requirement of a vital mineral. Legumes improve blood quality and reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

List of foods with calcium. Photo: poleznye-produkty.org