Calcium. Lack of calcium in the body: symptoms in women, men

A sufficient amount of calcium in the body is the guarantee that in old age such a disaster as osteoporosis will not happen to us. At the same time, it is recommended to carefully monitor the calcium content in food and blood at any other age, starting from a very early age.

What is calcium responsible for in the human body?

Maintaining Healthy, Strong Bones
Normal functioning of nerves and muscles
Blood clotting

When does the need for calcium-rich foods increase?

Frequent bone fractures
Muscle pain or spasms
Tingling or numbness in the arms and legs
Bone deformities and slow growth in children

Which foods contain the most calcium?

Calcium rich foods are .
Very good molasses, chard, yogurt, broccoli, cheese, cottage cheese and milk- cow and goat.
They are also excellent sources of calcium.
Contains a large amount of the mineral and dried fish.

And now - in more detail:

Symptoms of calcium deficiency in the body

Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals in the human body, accounting for approximately 1.5% of total body weight. 99% of it is concentrated in bones and teeth, and 1% is distributed in other areas.

Insufficient consumption of foods rich in calcium, poor absorption of calcium, or excessive loss through urine and feces causes deficiency of the mineral. What are the most dangerous symptoms of calcium deficiency?

In children, calcium deficiency can lead to impaired bone mineralization - rickets, a condition characterized by bone deformation and stunted growth. In adults, calcium deficiency can lead to osteomalacia, or softening of the bones. Osteoporosis is also a symptom of calcium deficiency. (fragility, brittle bones).

What is the cause of these diseases, osteoporosis in particular?

Calcium plays an important role in many physiological processes, affecting blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity and cell membrane function. If you don't drink enough foods rich in calcium, the body, in order to maintain normal concentrations of the mineral in the blood, will rely on the calcium that is already accumulated in the bones. This leads to osteoporosis, although the lack, lack of calcium may lead to others symptoms and bone problems.

Low levels of calcium in the blood (especially one particular form of calcium called free ionized calcium) can cause a condition called tetany, in which nerve activity becomes excessive. Manifestations of tetany include muscle spasms, muscle pain, tingling and numbness in the arms and legs.

Excess calcium, symptoms

Meanwhile, excessive calcium intake (more than 3000 mg per day) can lead to a condition known as hypercalcemia. If there are low levels of phosphorus in the blood and an excess of calcium, hypercalcemia promotes soft tissue calcification (accumulation of calcium in cells other than bones), which is very undesirable.

Factors affecting the functions of calcium in the human body

Hyperchlorhydria. This is a condition characterized by insufficient secretion of gastric acid, it is especially relevant in old age. Hyperchlorhydria impairs calcium absorption.

Adequate intake of vitamin D is required for the absorption and utilization of calcium by the human body.. If there is a deficiency of vitamin D, or there is a failure in the mechanism for converting it from passive to active form, then calcium is poorly absorbed.

Interaction of calcium in the body with other nutrients

The following substances affect the absorption, use and/or excretion of calcium:

1. Vitamin D accelerates the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract.

2. High consumption potassium reduces the excretion (removal) of calcium.

3. High consumption sodium, caffeine or protein increase calcium excretion.

4. Dietary fiber contained in wheat and oat bran may interfere with normal calcium absorption by reducing the transit time of food through the intestines. Dietary fiber also stimulates the growth of “friendly” bacteria in the intestines, which bind calcium, making it less available for absorption.

5. Phytic acid- found in whole grains, nuts and legumes - also reduces (slightly) calcium absorption.

6. Oxalic acid, found in spinach, beets, celery, pecans, peanuts, tea and cocoa, can bind with calcium to form an insoluble complex that is excreted from the body.

7. Calcium in foods and supplements reduces the absorption of heme and non-heme iron.

8. Magnesium and calcium compete with each other for absorption in the intestines. Therefore, calcium supplements should not be taken at the same time as magnesium supplements.

What health problems require more calcium-rich foods?

Calcium may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following diseases:

Cataract
Colon cancer
High blood pressure
Inflammatory bowel diseases
Stones in the kidneys
Osteoporosis
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Pregnancy (with hypertension and preeclampsia)
Premenstrual syndrome

However, calcium is a mineral whose prescription should definitely be agreed with your doctor.

Calcium rich foods

For most people, a balanced diet is enough and they will not experience symptoms of calcium deficiency without taking supplements. Calcium rich foods are green vegetables (especially spinach), turnips, mustard and tofu. Very good molasses, chard, broccoli, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt and milk- cow and goat. Basil, thyme, dill seeds, sesame seeds, oregano, cinnamon, dried fruits (dried apricots, figs, raisins) and almonds are also excellent sources of calcium. Contains large amounts of calcium dried fish And eggs.

The champion in calcium content is sesame seeds. Recommendations: 15-20 g of sesame seeds daily to cover the body's need for the mineral, or products sprinkled with sesame seeds and sesame oil for seasoning food.

To prevent symptoms of calcium deficiency, nutritionists recommend adhering to the following levels of mineral intake:

0-6 months: 200 mg
6-12 months: 260 mg
1-3 years: 700 mg
4-8 years: 1000 mg
9-13 years: 1300 mg
14-18 years: 1300 mg
19-30 years: 1000 mg
31-50 years: 1000 mg
51-70 years (men): 1000 mg
51-70 years (women): 1200 mg
70+ years: 1200 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding women (under 18 years): 1300 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding women (over 18 years): 1000 mg

Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for Calcium

At the same time, when consuming calcium from food and especially supplements, you need to do it wisely so as not to create excess calcium in blood.

0-6 months: 1000 mg
6-12 months: 1500 mg
1-3 years: 2500 mg
4-8 years: 2500 mg
9-13 years: 3000 mg
14-18 years: 3000 mg
19-30 years: 2500 mg
31-50 years: 2500 mg
51+ years: 2000 mg
Pregnant and lactating women (under 18 years): 3000 mg
Pregnant and lactating women (over 18 years): 2500 mg

Natural elements are included in the structure of the tissues of the human body. Lack of calcium in the body causes brittle bones and tooth damage, is responsible for blood clotting disorders and muscle weakness.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency Experts consider it an insidious pathology. The consequences of the deficiency are not too noticeable for the patient. Significant health consequences occur months or even years later. The risk group for hypocalcemia includes 3 categories: pregnant women, mature women, children during the period of active growth.

If you notice at least some of the signs below, think about replenishing your body with useful microelements:

For children, calcium deficiency is especially dangerous. Normal intake of this microelement into the body ensures skeletal development, rapid growth and development.

Calcium deficiency causes insufficient blood clotting.

For active and restless children, problems with blood clotting can be fatal. A minor injury or minor cut will prove to be a fatal injury.

Replenishing the body with calcium

A natural way to replenish the lack of tissue-forming mineral is by eating natural products. You can successfully compensate for the deficiency by following a reasonable diet, including foods containing the mineral, while limiting foods that remove calcium.

Fat cheeses are a calcium-rich product. However, fat forms insoluble compounds with the mineral that are not absorbed by the intestines.

Abuse of carbonated drinks provokes active excretion of calcium. Substances contained in acidic foods or chocolate contribute to the leaching of the mineral.

Crushed eggshells are traditionally considered a source of calcium for the body. Lemon juice can be added to the powder obtained from well-washed and crushed shells. The mixture is taken twice a day, half a spoon.

Calcium, which enters the body with food and water, has little biological activity. To treat deficiency, doctors recommend taking special medications.

For effective absorption of calcium, vitamin preparations must contain vitamin D, phosphorus and magnesium.

Vitamin complexes contain not only the mineral itself, but also substances that help its absorption.

Calcium preparations

Pharmacological enterprises offer vitamin complexes containing calcium in tablets, in the form of soft chewable lozenges or lozenges. The flavored chewable tablet is especially convenient for maintaining calcium balance in children.

Calcium supplements must contain vitamin D.

Optimal proportions - for 500 mg of calcium there should be at least 200 IU of vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.

The disadvantage of all vitamin complexes is that the microelement content is too low, which does not provide the daily intake.

Causes of calcium deficiency

The body contains calcium in the form of salts and in compounds with protein. Our bones are made up of 25 percent of this mineral. Large amounts are present in blood serum and/muscles.

Lack of calcium is the cause of more than 150 serious diseases.

Demineralization does not only occur from poor nutrition. It happens that the body does not absorb the component supplied with food and actively spends the mineral to eliminate certain substances.

Calcium deficiency cannot be treated on your own. To prevent serious consequences, you need to contact a clinic, where specialists will make an accurate diagnosis and find out the causes of the problem.

Uncontrolled use of drugs containing calcium is dangerous. The body has a hard time with calcium deficiency.

In the initial stage of the disease, following a diet and taking complex vitamin preparations is sufficient. In cases where the patient’s condition is no longer amenable to diet therapy, doctors recommend taking tablets with a high mineral content. The best effect is obtained from preparations of complex composition, which contain calcium along with vitamin D or complex vitamin and mineral preparations.

Diagnosis of calcium deficiency

Identifying and correcting mineral imbalances in the early stages can be difficult. Clinical symptoms are not very precise. The symptoms of hypocalcemia largely coincide with the manifestations of other diseases.

A general blood or urine test provides almost no accurate information on this problem. It is impossible to know how much of the substance is absorbed by the body, because with a small intake of calcium, it still enters the blood, as it is washed out of the bones.

Who hasn't heard of calcium? Perhaps there is no such person. Women call it a beauty mineral - and this is absolutely true! Strong shiny hair, beautiful nail plates without creases, delamination and fragility are worth something. But this is not a complete list of the advantages of this useful mineral. Let's start the story from afar.

Calcium is one of the most ancient cellular regulators, responsible for the transport of substances across the cell membrane; calcium channels are universal components of cell membranes. Calcium regulates muscle contraction, hormone secretion, changes in enzyme activity, participates in maintaining internal homeostasis, controls the processes of DNA synthesis, mechanisms of aging and cell death. This is a universal worker. Wherever it doesn't work! Not a single body system can do without this element. But what will happen to our body if there is a chronic deficiency of this element, the so-called calcium deficiency? The consequences can be very destructive for your body, therefore, we simply need to be aware of the symptoms by which our body makes it clear that it is experiencing a lack of calcium.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency

Symptoms of calcium deficiency are varied:

Increased fatigue, chronic general weakness, decreased usual ability to work. Emotional lability appears, the threshold for enduring stress loads decreases. It's hard to fall asleep in the evening, hard to wake up in the morning... It's hard to concentrate at work.
Usually, dull, brittle hair, fragile peeling nail plates, and an unhealthy complexion begin to attract attention.
Sometimes you can notice vague pain in the muscles of the limbs, the periarticular ligamentous apparatus, a tendency to cramps in the calf muscles, as well as in the muscles of the hands and feet, especially during hypothermia. Muscle tension easily turns into painful spasm, which must be taken into account when swimming in bodies of water.
There may be symptoms of increased bleeding gums, a tendency to nosebleeds, and easy bruising for no apparent reason.
Very often, increased sensitivity of tooth enamel to cold and hot, constantly recurring caries can be detected, and visits to the dentist become the annual norm.
The tendency to allergic reactions, diathesis, and hay fever increases. General immunity decreases for the second time, and colds begin to become more frequent. They are now more severe than usual and tend to become chronic. The flu does not end with complete recovery, but leaves a “tail” in the form of chronic sinusitis, chronic tonsillitis, which begin to worsen on their own at every opportunity.

As calcium deficiency deepens, bone mineralization decreases, children begin to lag in growth, adults develop osteoporetic joint pain, and the elderly develop fractures, most often of the vertebral bodies or the neck of the femur.

The level of calcium in the blood is one of the physiological constants of the body. Calcium metabolism is controlled by the parathyroid glands. There are four of them in the body. They resemble small peas located around the thyroid gland, hence their name. The function of the parathyroid glands is mediated through a certain hormone - it is called parathyroid hormone. If the parathyroid glands begin to receive information that the level of calcium in the blood has fallen below normal, a physiological reaction will be activated to maintain homeostasis (Homeostasis is the concept of constancy of the internal environment of the body). And then parathyroid hormone will “give the command” to increase bone tissue resorption, or in other words, to remove part of the calcium from the bones to replenish its level in the vascular bed. After all, bone mass is a huge reservoir of this mineral. The emergency situation will be eliminated, but the bone skeleton “will not like it.” Bone that is frequently exposed to such influences will weaken, and its level of mineralization will decrease. And, therefore, its unique strength. A phenomenon will arise, which in medicine is called osteoporosis. The microstructure of the bone will begin to resemble a moistened piece of refined sugar.

This bone is very fragile and breaks without any physical effort. This disease has long been known in medicine, and is called - osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a pathological decrease in bone density, its rarefaction with loss of natural strength. The most unpleasant manifestation of osteoporosis is fractures. It is generally accepted that osteoporosis mainly affects postmenopausal women. This is not entirely true. Disturbances in the processes of mineral metabolism can also be found in childhood, including puberty.

Today in Russia, up to 33% of women and up to 24% of men suffer from osteoporosis. According to WHO, among non-communicable diseases it ranks fourth after diseases of the cardiovascular system, cancer and diabetes. 40% of people over 50 years of age are at risk for osteoporosis.

Causes of osteoporosis

Until recently, you looked like a fairly proportionally built woman, despite your advanced age - and now... How your posture changes! Where does the lightness of gait go? The spine becomes bent, stooping appears, joint deformities appear, a “mincing” step appears - the profile of old age!

As we have already understood, osteoporosis develops due to a lack of calcium, and this is the most popular disease developing due to its deficiency. Let's look at the main reasons why osteoporosis can develop:

Poor nutrition. Particularly strong in the lack of calcium in the body is long-term nutrition with foods based on GMOs, or those obtained artificially, using. You should definitely develop the habit of using natural products in your diet.
The use of drugs that lead to a decrease in bone density. These include hormones, especially steroids, anticonvulsants , heartburn relievers, stomach acid reducers and also immunosuppressants.
Too much consumption of drinks such as coffee, cola, Fanta and others like them.
Bad habits, smoking and addiction to alcohol also negatively affect bone density, and smoking in women leads to a decrease in the concentration of sex hormones in the blood.
Wrong diets that women often practice in pursuit of weight loss. If a woman, trying to lose weight, constantly goes on various draconian diets, this can lead to metabolic disorders. And impaired metabolism, in turn, can cause calcium leaching.
Also, the causes of osteoporosis include poor environment and stress.

For pregnant women, it is especially important to ensure proper nutrition and sufficient calcium levels in the body. Calcium deficiency is very dangerous both for the mother herself and for the health of the unborn child.

With osteoporosis, various tedious pains in the bones and muscles begin to torment. “Everything hurts,” as they say. But this is not the worst thing. It’s worse when the risk of so-called low-energy fractures increases. What it is? Patients have been treated for pain in the dorsal spine for a long time, no matter what has been tried! Finally, after consulting an experienced orthopedic surgeon or neurologist, the patient undergoes an X-ray of the lumbar spine. And then the unexpected turns out: a compression fracture of one of the vertebral bodies. The fragility of the bone is so high that a person does not have time to notice when and where he received an injury - it simply did not happen! It was enough to awkwardly sit on a chair or simply stretch unsuccessfully. Bone tissue depleted of calcium can no longer regenerate and the fracture remains that way for the rest of the time. An x-ray can show a flattened, curved vertebral body. But with such a localization of the fracture, the patient can still move, at least in a brace.

However, if the risk zone shifts to the area of the femoral head, then the problem already becomes social in nature. Because quite recently this meant that a person would no longer get up, he would remain severely disabled for the rest of his life. Femoral neck fractures do not heal in old age. The life expectancy of such patients was significantly reduced: forced physical inactivity, weakened immunity, the appearance of bedsores, secondary urinary tract infection or secondary hypostatic pneumonia led to a sad outcome for those who until recently could count on a longer life expectancy.

Currently, the situation, fortunately, has changed. New opportunities for high-tech medical care are now helping such patients find hope for recovery. Hip replacements have become less common. But still, this involves numerous preliminary examinations, which are not so easy to perform for a bedridden person. In addition, contraindications to surgical intervention may be identified. And now there is an opportunity to avoid such troubles if you remember in a timely manner about this extraordinary mineral - calcium. You just have to start taking it in advance, but this will be discussed a little later.

Now further. In addition to the fact that calcium is an essential element of the mineral matrix of bone tissue, it is involved in the processes of muscle contraction and is a regulator of the nervous system. Among the neurological disorders described in hypocalcemia and associated hyperphosphatemia, there are such serious ones as encephalopathy with astheno-neurotic syndrome, pyramidal, cerebellar insufficiency, epileptic seizures, psychosis, dementia, polyneuropathy myelopathy, behavioral disorders, dysphoria, depression, anxiety, actualization of desire to alcohol. Also among these disorders are migraine, abuse headache, and trigeminal neuralgia. Neurological symptoms significantly regress with correction of calcium metabolism. In addition to all of the above, the role of intra- and extracellular calcium in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension and arrhythmia is known.

Let's go back to childhood.

Calcium intake adequate to the physiological needs of the child is one of the most important conditions for the harmonious development of the child from the prenatal period to adolescence. A sufficient supply of calcium to a pregnant and lactating woman allows the baby to guarantee the necessary rates of linear growth, normal processes of bone remodeling, and reduce the risk of rachitic diseases. In subsequent periods of childhood, a normal level of calcium intake ensures the achievement of optimal peak bone mass, which is a necessary condition for the formation of a healthy skeleton and the prevention of osteoporosis throughout the rest of life.

The main source of calcium in the diet of the population of any age group is milk and dairy products. The daily requirement of calcium is contained in 1 liter of milk (1200 mg).

CALCIUM CONTENT IN DAIRY PRODUCTS	AMOUNT of mg of calcium per 100 g of product
Pasteurized milk (1.5%, 2.5%, 3.2%)	120 mg calcium
Sour cream 20% fat	86 mg calcium
Full fat kefir	120 mg calcium
Low-fat kefir	126 mg calcium
Ryazhenka(2.5%, 4%)	120 mg calcium
Fat cottage cheese	150 mg calcium
Cottage cheese 5% fat	164 mg calcium
Yogurt (1.5% .6%)	123 mg calcium
Condensed milk with sugar	304 mg calcium
Dutch, Russian cheese	1000 mg calcium
Kostroma cheese	900 mg calcium
Cow's milk cheese	530 mg calcium
Processed cheese	760 mg calcium
Ice cream sundae	159 mg calcium
Ice cream	140 mg calcium
Cream 10% fat	90 mg calcium
Cream 20% fat	86 mg calcium

According to the latest domestic and foreign recommendations, it is considered adequate calcium intake in the range of 1300-3000 mg/day.

Daily calcium intake = calcium from dairy products + 350 mg, where 350 mg is the daily calcium intake from non-dairy products.

As is easy to see, calcium is not consumed in sufficient quantities even in children’s age groups, not to mention in older ages, which gradually leads to the accumulation of calcium deficiency, which is clinically significant from 50-55 years of age. If the level of this mineral is not replenished through a balanced diet or the use of nutritional supplements, then it is very likely that one or a combination of several pathological conditions that were listed above will occur. And we have not yet mentioned caries, which like a shadow accompanies calcium deficiency. How many children and adolescents begin to visit the dentist’s office during their school years! By the end of school, the frequency of postural disorders, the appearance of spinal scoliosis, flat feet, and growth retardation from peers increases.

Treatment and prevention of calcium deficiency and osteoporosis.

Currently, several drugs have been created and are actively used to prevent hypocalcemia.

Release form:

Kalcemin No. 30, No. 60, No. 120
Kalcemin Advance No. 30, No. 60, No. 120

: 1 tablet contains calcium (calcium citrate and calcium carbonate) 250 mg, cholecalciferol (vit. D3) 50 IU, zinc 2 mg, copper 500 mcg, manganese 500 mcg, boron 50 mcg
Calcemin Advance: 1 tablet contains calcium (calcium citrate and calcium carbonate) 500 mg, cholecalciferol (vit. D3) 200 IU, magnesium 40 mg, zinc 7.5 mg, copper 1 mg, manganese 1.8 mg, boron 250 mcg

with vitamin D3 (Vitrum calcium + vitamin D3)
basic physicochemical properties: oval tablets with beveled edges, light green coated; at the break of the tablet there is an almost homogeneous mass of whitish-gray color;
Compound. 1 tablet contains calcium carbonate from oyster shells 1458 mg, which corresponds to 500 mg of elemental calcium; vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 200 IU;
excipients: magnesium stearate, croscarmellose sodium, silicon dioxide, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, titanium dioxide.
Release form of the medicine. Film-coated tablets.

— chewable tablets are quite mild; even pregnant and lactating women can take them. The only exception is that you should not drink them if you have osteoporosis caused by prolonged immobilization. It should also be borne in mind that the composition of the drug prevents its use for phenylketonuria, urolithiasis, and renal failure. The drug contains colecalciferol - vitamin D3, aspartame. In case of overdose, nausea and headache are possible.

How much calcium should you consume per day?

The rate of calcium intake depends on the age and gender of the person.

Rely on the data on the label, and also carefully read the instructions for taking specific medications. Consider how rich in “food” calcium your diet is.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body of all living things; its salts are the basis of our bones and teeth. It's hard to believe, but the human body contains from 1 to 2 kg of calcium!

Now, thanks to television and other media, we hear every day about the importance of calcium for the body, about its presence in certain products and vitamin complexes, in other words, calcium has become an excellent weapon for advertising.

Is calcium really so necessary for our body, what functions does it perform, what foods does it contain, and what are the dangers of its excess or deficiency for us?

The human body contains much more calcium than other minerals; its main functions are:

The main role of calcium is the formation of bone tissue and teeth.
Present in the blood - working in tandem with vitamin K, enhances its effect, thereby maintaining a normal level of blood clotting.
Participates in the contraction of muscles, including the heart, ensuring optimal heart rhythm
Without calcium, the work of enzymes and hormones (including insulin) slows down.
Affects the process of cell division; is part of cell membranes, ensuring timely transport of nutrients.
Improves the functioning of the central nervous system, has an anti-stress effect, relieves insomnia
Calcium improves the absorption of other minerals. For example, phosphorus cannot fully perform its functions without calcium, and vice versa, and vitamin D regulates the balance of these two elements. Calcium also promotes iron metabolism.

What foods contain calcium?

Since childhood, we have become accustomed to the idea that the most calcium is found in milk and dairy products - yes, indeed, there is calcium there, but only 25-30% is absorbed.

This is prevented by the saturated animal fat present in dairy products, which envelops calcium and removes it from the body naturally.

It turns out that the higher the fat content in a product, the less calcium it contains (sour cream, cream, butter). At the same time, lactose (milk sugar) helps absorb calcium, but the lower the fat content of the product, the more likely it contains less lactose.

However, to compensate for calcium in the body, experts recommend consuming hard cheese as the safest remedy.

In general, the use of milk and dairy products in food is a particularly pressing issue to which scientists cannot yet give a definite answer. Despite the visible advantages, there are also dangers - such as increased cholesterol levels, impaired fat metabolism, and lactose intolerance.

Products containing calcium

Name	mg per 100 grams
Poppy	1460
Parmesan cheese	1300
Sesame	670-900
Processed cheese	500
Nettle	713
Soy cheese (tofu)	430
Basil	370
Almond	252
Parsley	245
Goat milk	143
Cow's milk	120
Cottage cheese	800-1000

Calcium is not an easy mineral for the body. Despite its importance, it is very capricious, and there are a number of factors that can affect digestibility and “leaching.”

As mentioned above, saturated animal fat interferes with the absorption of calcium.
Presence of oxalic acid (spinach, sorrel, beets, chocolate)
Insufficient amount of protein in the diet (but too much protein is not good for calcium)
Excess potassium, magnesium and phosphorus in the body
The presence of caffeine - which means that lovers of coffee and carbonated drinks (Coca-Cola, lemonades) are more susceptible to calcium deficiency

Daily calcium intake

Calcium belongs to the group of macroelements, which means that the daily intake is much greater than the group of microelements. Calcium requirements vary depending on age.

On average, an adult needs to consume 800-1000 mg per day.
At the age of 9-18 years, during the period of active growth, the need for calcium increases by approximately 30% (1300 mg per day).
Pregnant and lactating women - up to 1400 mg per day.

In order to satisfy the body with calcium, you should not choose one specific source; , which contains fresh vegetables, oils, nuts, herbs, dairy products should be equally saturated with the necessary amount of calcium and other equally important vitamins and minerals.

Excess and deficiency of calcium

Symptoms of excess calcium appear when you regularly consume more than 2.5 grams of calcium per day. It is very difficult to achieve such numbers with a normal, balanced diet.

For comparison, for such an excess intake of calcium you need to eat exclusively cow's milk, about 5-6 liters per day.

Nevertheless, such situations are possible as a result of uncontrolled use of certain medications in the treatment of ulcers, addiction to vitamin complexes and dietary supplements, and metabolic disorders.

The first symptoms indicating excess calcium:

lack of appetite;
nausea;
vomit;
convulsions;
Heart arythmy.

Calcium is not toxic, but its excess is not excreted naturally; moreover, it can cause kidney stones. What can be said about its disadvantage?

Calcium is an important building material for our body; its deficiency can lead to serious consequences.

Those who are fond of various strict diets and are constantly in the stage of “losing weight” need to be very careful. With calcium deficiency, the first thing it does is leave the bone tissue, the bones become brittle, and there is a risk of osteoporosis.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency:

cardiopalmus;
constant weakness;
growth slowdown;
joint pain;
numbness and cramps in the arms and legs.

Calcium for pregnant women

Pregnant and lactating women need to be especially sensitive to calcium concentrations. Calcium is necessary for the full development of the baby, the formation of cells, skeleton, heart, eye tissue, ears, hair.

Every day, the baby receives from the mother from 200 to 300 mg of calcium! Naturally, during this period a pregnant woman should consume more calcium than usual; doctors usually prescribe vitamin complexes enriched with minerals. These medications should only be taken under medical supervision!

Useful video

Hello, dear readers of the MEDIMARI website!

The topic of today's article is “ " It turns out that the well-being of any person greatly depends on the balance of calcium metabolism in our body. In other words, too much calcium is bad, too little calcium is bad. It is necessary that there is always enough of it, but not in excess. This article will cover the following questions: what is calcium, what role does it play in ensuring human life? .

What is calcium in the human body

If we talk about the human body, calcium or Calcium is one of the significant elements of inorganic nature that affects the life support of each of us.

Calcium in the periodic table D.I. Mendeleev is number 20 and is designated by the Latin letters Ca. In medicine it is called a macroelement, but in fact it is an active divalent metal of alkaline earth nature.

Did you know that calcium does not occur in nature in its pure form? It can only be isolated from various compounds such as lime, gypsum and marble. Therefore, you can imagine what happens in our body when incorrect metabolic processes occur in it and calcium is deposited in the wrong place.

In total, the adult body contains more than one kilogram of calcium. It is mainly part of bone tissue and is a solid frame for the skeleton. Calcium is the basis for the growth of teeth, nails and hair. And only 1% of the total amount of calcium is in the blood. But, nevertheless, to build bones from calcium received from outside, the body uses a small part, the majority goes to chemical processes and, most importantly, to reduce blood acidity.

What is calcium in the human body? This is the main mineral component of bone tissue and at the same time one of the main cations, along with potassium, magnesium and sodium, participating in all metabolic processes within the body. The level of calcium in the blood (homeostasis) is mainly regulated by thyroid hormones and vitamin D:

parathyroid hormone - increases the level of Ca in the blood, affects the introduction of calcium not only into bone tissue, but also on the functioning of the kidneys, stomach and intestines
calcitonin – acts opposite to parathyroid hormone, i.e. reduces blood calcium levels, participates in calcium metabolism
vitamin D– improves calcium absorption due to the fact that its active form, namely D3, is formed in the kidneys. For calcium absorption to occur, the body must have enough vitamin D.

While the amount of other elements in the blood, such as potassium, can fluctuate, calcium is always maintained in the same amount. This element can be called an almost constant or constant value. Even if we do not provide sufficient calcium into the blood with food, it will begin to be replenished from bones, teeth, and hair.

It is bone tissue that is the so-called calcium reservoir, from which it passes into the blood. This is important because this ensures the functioning of the heart. Doctors pay special attention to the amount of calcium in the body in children and the elderly. After all, a growing body needs a lot of calcium, and older people quickly lose it from their bones.

Calcium can be found in the blood in different forms:

Free active – ionized – 60%
Bound to proteins (albumin) inactive – 40%
Inactive bound to anions (Ca lactate, Ca bicarbonate, Ca phosphate, Ca citrate and others) – 10%

When a biochemical blood test for calcium is examined, the total content of these three forms is determined.

Calcium can only be supplied to the human body through food. Its absorption occurs in the small intestine, and metabolic processes begin in the bones. Calcium is removed from the body by the kidneys and through the intestines. The coordinated work of all these organs ensures normal levels of calcium in the body.

Calcium is responsible for many functions within the body. This means that its deficiency or excess threatens a person with serious illnesses.

The role of calcium in the human body

It is important that calcium levels are maintained at relatively constant levels, because it is involved in many life-sustaining biological processes within the body. Calcium has the following functional properties, participating:

in the formation, together with phosphorus, of bone tissue, teeth, hair
in the contraction of smooth and skeletal muscles, including those that control the rhythmic functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
in the stable operation of the cardiovascular system in tandem with sodium, magnesium, potassium, which makes it possible to regulate blood pressure and reduce vascular permeability
in influencing the permeability of cell membranes, the transport of nutrients through these membranes and the evacuation of waste substances
in blood clotting, enhancing the effect of vitamin K
in the secretion of hormones and normalization of the functioning of the endocrine glands, which in turn affect the processes:
- digestion
- metabolism
- enzyme activity
- iron metabolism
- binding salts and removing them from the body
in the functioning of the nervous system during the transmission of nerve impulses, as well as normalization of sleep

Normal blood calcium levels

Calcium is a life-supporting substance for the body. The normal level of calcium in the blood ensures a person’s activity, vigor and balance. Therefore, to maintain a sufficient amount of it, you need to know its norm.

Normal blood Ca
- in an adult, indicators are calculated from 2.2 to 2.50 mmol/l
- in children under 12 years of age - these figures are slightly higher - up to 2.75 mmol/l
Recommended Consumption Norm – RDA per day of calcium for adults should be in the range from 800 to 1200 mg, for children – 800 mg