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Calcium is undeniably the most available element in human body where a major chunk is seen as deposits in bones and teeth. It forms 2% of the total body weight of a human adult. Calcium is easily sourced through milk and milk products. Traces of calcium are also present in the circulatory system, which prevents life threatening hemorrhages.
Calcium is a vital element in any healthy human diet, as it plays an important role in the formation of healthy bones and teeth. A regular calcium supply is very important in growing children and teenagers as it can substantially reduce the risks of osteoporosis in old age. It is a painful bone condition that is common in one out of every three women and in one man in every 12 who are over the age of 50.
Deficiency symptoms: The major symptoms of calcium deficiency are skeletal abnormalities such as osteopenia, osteomalacia, osteoporosis and rickets, which are primarily caused by calcium depletion. In children suffering from rickets the bones become weak and flexible and they often have bowed legs, sunken chests and beaded ribs. Some of the other common symptoms include insomnia, premenstrual cramps, tetany, hypertension and arthritis
Important Sources: Calcium is present in abundance in milk and milk products like cheese, and yogurt. Fishes like salmon and sardines, leafy green vegetables including broccoli, spinach, orange juice, cereals, oysters, rice beverages, soy, almonds, black-eyed peas, Green peas, and Ricotta are also rich sources of calcium.
Benefits: Calcium form the principal constituent of bones and teeth and it is one of the most important minerals that are required for a healthy living. Calcium has many benefits, some of which are listed below.
- Prevents over weight: Calcium helps to maintain an optimum body weight and if there is any deficit in calcium in your diet, the body releases parathyroid hormone, which in turn stimulates the bones to release calcium into your blood stream and helps to keep the balance. On the other side, parathyroid hormone also stimulates the production of fat and prevents its break down, which makes you obese. So ensuring the right amount of calcium is the simplest means to ensure the right body weight.
- It protects heart: Calcium protects your heart. Sufficient amounts of calcium help muscles, including cardiac muscle to do the contraction and relaxation properly. Calcium also helps the nervous system to maintain 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.
- Prevents premenstrual blues: Adequate amount of calcium would lessen the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome as a low level of calcium might trigger the release of hormones, which are responsible premenstrual mood swings including irritability, and depression among others.
- Prevents the risks of colon cancer: Studies have shown that sufficient intake of calcium would drastically reduce the risks of colon cancer. It is believed that when there is surplus calcium in your body, the unabsorbed calcium which on passing through the colon gets attached to the cancer prompters and is expelled out of the body.
- Protects against colon cancer: Adequate calcium intake may reduce your overall risk of colon cancer and suppress the growth of polyps that can lead to cancer. Researchers don't know exactly why this happens, but it may be linked to the excess calcium that's 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 calcium supplements provide this protective effect. Calcium supplements should be taken in liquid form because liquid vitamins absorb 5 times better then do pill forms.
- Maintains healthy teeth: Calcium protects your teeth by keeping the jaw bone strong and sturdy all through your life, which in turn ensures tight fitting teeth where bacteria cannot thrive.
- Helps in the transportation of nutrients: Calcium helps in the easy movement of nutrients across the cell membranes.
- Protects backbone: It strengthens backbone and ensures the right shape to the body apart from alleviating the risks of back pain.
- Prevents osteoporosis: Calcium helps to keep the bones in great shape and prevents many skeletal complaints like arthritis and osteoporosis which could hamper the free movement apart from being extremely painful.
- Ensures a healthy alkaline pH level: Junk foods, excess sugars and preserved food items would increase the acidity of the body, which in turn could give rise to various disease conditions like cancer, kidney stones and hypertension. Calcium helps to maintain a healthy pH levels, thereby improving your vitality and overall goodness.
Calcium overdosing is not a healthy practice as it might produce many symptoms such as abdominal pain, coma, constipation, depression and head ache among others.
This article was contributed by Seema Adnani
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