The importance of trace elements in the body, trace element calcium. What foods are rich in calcium

Micronutrient balance in the body for human development and functioning cannot be exaggerated. They affect the growth and development of the body, the processes of hematopoiesis, fertilization, respiration, and immunogenesis. If it is possible to maintain optimal balance of microelements- this means that it is possible to maintain youth, vigor and good health for a long time!

Among them, the microelement calcium should be especially highlighted.

Calcium is vital essential microelement, we couldn't live without him. Almost every cell, including those of the heart, nerves and muscles, requires calcium to function properly.
The microelement calcium is the basis of the structural bone tissue human body. This element is the most essential mineral substance literally from the birth of a person until old age. Basically, the microelement calcium found in the human body is found in the teeth and skeleton.
The benefit of calcium lies in its direct participation in the metabolism of the human body; with a lack of calcium, a malfunction occurs metabolic processes. Adequate amounts of calcium significantly reduce the risk of many diseases, such as diabetes mellitus or colon cancer.
Calcium is especially necessary for children when the human skeleton is forming. A significant deficiency of this element will lead to irreparable consequences for the child’s growth.

The trace element calcium is an indispensable component for the cardiovascular system; a sufficient amount of calcium ensures heart health. It is calcium that effectively helps lower blood pressure; this element removes excess sodium from the human body, which leads to hypertension.

The role of calcium in the human body cannot be underestimated. Calcium forms the human skeleton, affects blood clotting and water metabolism, normalizes the metabolism of carbohydrates and sodium chloride. This mineral also regulates muscle contraction and hormone secretion, reduces the level of permeability of vascular walls, and has an anti-inflammatory effect. A lack or excess of calcium disrupts acid-base balance in the body.
The intake of calcium into the human body must occur constantly - from birth to old age.
Calcium is one of the hard-to-digest mineral elements. That is why it is necessary to devote such great value food products, directly with which calcium enters the human body.

Calcium

The most important of minerals is calcium.

This is primarily due to the fact that it is calcium that ensures the functioning of vital important systems body: part of the blood, regulates the functioning of the heart, participates in metabolic processes, is part of cellular structures, stabilizes defense mechanisms, increases the body's resistance to disease.

It's impossible to list everything beneficial properties calcium.

Calcium is constantly removed from the body, so a constant and timely supply of calcium is necessary. Otherwise, calcium will be released from the body in full due to the consumption of reserves from bones and teeth. A decrease in calcium concentration in the blood causes significant disruption nervous systems s, up to the occurrence of convulsions.

Excess calcium is deposited in joints, organs and tissues (calcinosis). The total amount of calcium in the body is about 2% of body weight, with 99% of it contained in bone tissue, dentin, and tooth enamel. So it's natural that he plays vital role in bone formation, especially in children. Calcium cation is the most important regulator of metabolic processes and cell functions, and therefore prolongs the life of cells.

Calcium is a powerful antioxidant and anti-stressor.

He performs a series useful to the body functions:

1) weakens allergic reactions, increasing the strength of blood vessels;
2) controls and normalizes contraction and relaxation of skeletal muscles;
3) maintains the tone of smooth muscles located in the walls of blood vessels;
4) activates a number of vital enzymes responsible for blood clotting;

5) activates calcium channels;
6) is part of those molecules that transfer nutrients from the extracellular fluid into the cell;
7) reduces blood pressure;
8) reduces the concentration of phosphates in people suffering from kidney disease;

9) treats hypocalcemia in newborns;
10) regulates the rhythm of the heart and muscle contraction;
11) used in the treatment of tetany (strong muscle spasms), caused allergic reaction or lead poisoning;
12) helps treat rickets, osteoporosis, bone fractures;

13) reduces the risk of kidney stones;
14) treats toxicosis of pregnant women;
15) relieves calf cramps;
16) prevents cancer colon;
17) promotes the absorption of vitamin B12.

Calcium is one of the hard-to-digest elements. Included food products it is found in the form of poorly soluble or completely insoluble compounds in water. The main part of calcium is in the form of salts phosphoric acid absorbed into upper section small intestine. Therefore, diseases such as anacid gastritis, enteritis, decreased pancreatic secretion, poor bile secretion and others lead to impaired absorption of calcium, and consequently, the ability of calcium to help the body fight diseases is lost.

Does not lead to a decrease in calcium absorption? balanced diet, including excess saturated fats (lamb, beef lard), cooking fats. However, moderate content of unsaturated foods fatty acids improves calcium absorption. The ratio in food is also very important of this element with magnesium and phosphorus.

The optimal ratio of calcium and magnesium in products is 1:0.6. In bread, cereals, meat and potatoes, the ratio of calcium to magnesium is on average 1:2, in milk - 1:0.1; cottage cheese - 1:0.15; cod - 1:0.6; in many vegetables and fruits - 1:4.5.

The optimal ratio for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus should be: 1:1.5 or 1:1 (for adults); 1.25:1 (for children) and 1.5:1 (for infants). At the same time, you need to know when choosing a diet that the ratio of calcium to phosphorus in cow's milk equals 1:0.75; in cottage cheese - 1:1.4; in cheese - 1:0.52; in beef - 1:22; in chicken eggs - 1:3.4; in cod - 1:7; in beans - 1:3.6; in wheat bread - 1:4; in potatoes and oatmeal - 1:6; in cabbage and apples - 1:0.7; in carrots - 1:1.

Insufficient intake of calcium into the body and even a slight decrease in its level in the blood leads to demineralization of bones and thinning of bone tissue (osteoporosis). In children, this leads to skeletal underdevelopment and rickets.

Excess calcium is also dangerous. It can lead to loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, thirst, weakness, increased urination, sometimes to convulsions, and accumulation of protein metabolic products in the blood. If there are no kidney complications, then normalizing nutrition will help quickly improve the patient’s condition.

Signs of calcium deficiency can include a variety of symptoms:

1) intestinal dysfunction (constipation);
2) bone fractures (especially in older people);

3) increased sweating;

4) irritability;
5) early baldness;
6) allergic rash;

7) impaired tooth growth; destruction of enamel;
8) poor clotting blood, prolonged bleeding;
9) multiple bruises on the body (especially on the legs and arms) due to bleeding from tissue capillaries.

The main source of calcium is food. The most complete source of calcium is milk and all dairy products, fish products (especially sea and small fish). So, just 100 ml of pasteurized milk contains 128-130 mg of calcium. In full-fat cottage cheese - 150 mg%, in low-fat milk - 120 mg%.

In terms of calcium content, cheeses are superior to all other food products - 1000 mg% or more. There is little calcium in vegetables, with the exception of white cabbage(948-950 mg%) and green salad (70-77 mg%); in bread flour products and cereals - about 30 mg%; in peas - 55 mg%; in one chicken egg(only in the yolk) - 20-22 mg%.

Magnesium is the heartiest mineral

This is one of the vital important elements nutrition. Magnesium is a macronutrient because the body needs it every day. large quantities.

The daily norm for an adult is up to 400 mg. It has been scientifically established that magnesium is important for heart function.

A huge number of enzymes in the body depend on the presence of magnesium. This mineral is completely absent from refined sugar, refined flour and rice. Agricultural crops are grown on soils in which the magnesium content has not been replenished for many years. Moreover, the body itself has to spend most of its meager reserves in order to recover from stress and cleanse itself of pesticides, smog and other toxic substances external environment and water consumed, as well as medications.

In the human body, magnesium is found primarily in bone tissue. Physiological action magnesium is high. It is needed primarily for functional state the muscles of the heart and its blood supply; it has a vasodilator and antiseptic effect(which is widely used in medical practice).

Magnesium is necessary for the normalization of intestinal motility and the process of bile secretion; the removal of cholesterol from the body depends on it. Magnesium is involved in the release of carbohydrate energy during their oxidation in the body.

The valuable value and role of magnesium is as follows:

1) regulates heart rate;
2) regulates blood sugar;
3) promotes bone growth;
4) helps reduce elevated blood pressure to normal;

5) improves respiratory function when chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema;
6) for migraine it acts as prophylactic;
7) used for treatment muscle diseases;
8) to improve brain function when various types dementia ( multiple sclerosis, parkinsonism, Alzheimer's disease);

9) for the treatment of osteoporosis;
10) to improve the condition when premenstrual syndrome;
11) at oncological diseases, especially to reduce symptoms of complications from radiation and chemotherapy, as they deplete the body's magnesium reserves;
12) to strengthen tooth enamel;

13) to reduce the consequences of lead poisoning;
14) for complex treatment urolithiasis.

Insufficient magnesium intake is dangerous to health, as it provokes the development cardiovascular diseases. With a long-term deficiency of magnesium in the diet, there is an increased deposition of calcium salts in the heart muscle, kidneys and in the walls of arterial vessels.

Excessive consumption of fats and calcium in food is especially dangerous for heart disease - they interfere with the absorption of magnesium. Optimal Absorption calcium and magnesium occurs at a ratio of 1:0.5. Excess magnesium in food has no effect dangerous influence on human health. However, people with various diseases the liver needs to avoid excess magnesium.

Average daily requirement in magnesium for an adult is 10 mg per 1 kg of body weight (during pregnancy and lactation it increases to 15 mg/kg).

Most magnesium is found in cocoa and hazelnuts. But the main source of magnesium for humans are cereals, peas and beans; all products plant origin: bran (438 mg per 100 g of edible part of the product); oatmeal(116 mg%), apricots, beans, prunes (102 mg%). Small amounts of magnesium are present in buckwheat and pearl barley, dill, salad (50-100 mg%), bread.

Natural sources of magnesium: flounder, carp, shrimp, almonds, dairy products, sea bass, nuts, halibut, herring, mackerel, cod, whole grain bread.

B.Yu. Lamikhov, S.V. Glushchenko, D.A. Nikulin, V.A. Podkolzina, M.V. Bigeeva, E.A. Matykina

Calcium is the most common inorganic element in our body. Its role is great: calcium promotes the health of the cardiovascular and nervous systems, participates in blood clotting, and normalizes activity endocrine glands. Together with phosphorus, it makes bones strong and teeth healthy. A sufficient amount of calcium will protect a woman from osteoporosis. Calcium-phosphorus balance will help avoid unpleasant symptoms menopause.

Instead of chalk

To compensate for the lack of calcium, a beneficial microelement for health, you can get a prescription from your doctor for calcium-containing preparations that are suitable for you. They are recommended after mandatory biochemical analysis blood, which determines the content of this element in the body.

Amount of calcium- a beneficial microelement for health that enters the body with food - only 500 mg per day, including about 70% from dairy products. However, the fight against excess calories (limiting hard cheeses, sour cream, fatty cottage cheese) led to a lack of the element, so dietary supplements with calcium are needed. Preference should be given to supplements containing calcium with citric acid- calcium citrate or calcium amino acid chelate. For better absorption Calcium in the intestines requires vitamin D. For people with lactose intolerance, dietary supplements are simply irreplaceable.

Products containing calcium salts, phosphorus and vitamin D at the same time (which is especially useful for female body) is the liver of fish and beef liver. And also seafood: seaweed, shrimp, lobsters, crabs, herring, mackerel; butter and raw egg yolk.

A lot of phosphorus and calcium are found in apples, green peas, beans, whole wheat grains, fresh cucumbers, in all types of cabbage (especially cauliflower, which is best eaten raw), in celery, lettuce, radishes (and their tops), cottage cheese, white cheeses.

Female body should receive from food up to 1000 mg of calcium - a beneficial microelement for health per day - this is 100 g of hard cheese or 200 g of dairy products. If a woman is healthy, then she gets enough calcium from food. But with osteopenia - a slight decrease in bone density - and even more so with osteoporosis, this amount of calcium is no longer enough. In premenopausal women, densitometry is indicated - a study of bone mineral density. If calcium deficiency is detected in the body, special drugs containing calcium.

You need to be very careful when prescribing calcium-containing drugs - calcium can be deposited in atherosclerotic plaques.

Recipes that are not only delicious, but also contain a large amount of calcium.

Warm salad

300 g trout fillet or Norwegian salmon

200 g broccoli

100 g cauliflower

1/2 tbsp. sesame

5 quail eggs

100 g cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. olive or sesame oil

1. Cook fish and broccoli in a double boiler (can be done at the same time).

2. Cut the fish into cubes (1.5-2 cm each), divide the broccoli into florets.

3. Boil the eggs, cut into halves.

4. Cut the cherry tomatoes in the same way.

5. Raw cauliflower grate on a fine grater.

6. Season with vinegar and oil, sprinkle sesame seeds on top. If desired, you can add celery (in the form of grass and finely chopped stalks), parsley, and other herbs.

When preparing vegetables, fish, meat, rice, use a double boiler - this way all the benefits of the food are better preserved.

Fruit salad (a good invigorating breakfast)

Wash apples, apricots, oranges, peel and pit them, cut or grind in a blender and season with liquid yogurt. Garnish with grapes and black currants.

Salad from seaweed(light and vitamin-rich dinner)

6-8 medium sized carrots

1/2 tbsp. semolina

3.5 tbsp. milk

1 pack of cottage cheese

1-2 tbsp. breadcrumbs

salt, sugar and sour cream - to taste

1. Fry finely chopped onion, mix with chopped tomato, cucumber, eggs, corn and seaweed.

2. Squeeze lemon juice.

3. Add garlic to taste.

4. Stir and season with vegetable oil or mayonnaise.

Calcium – important trace element, which is actively involved in metabolism and helps maintain tissue health, nervous and skeletal system. In addition, calcium takes active participation in production essential hormones and supports the body of our children during the period active growth.

What foods contain calcium?

Taking calcium helps cope with allergic manifestations, provides elasticity and strength to the walls of the circulatory system, reduces pressure and helps cleanse the body of radionuclides and salts heavy metals.

Calcium requirement and its deficiency and excess

The daily calcium intake is individual for each period of life. During pregnancy, the calcium intake rate is maximum and is up to 2000 mg per day. Doctors strongly recommend consuming calcium-containing foods first and foremost. last weeks pregnancy.

Calcium intake for children and adults
up to 3 years is 500-600 mg per day,
from 3 to 10 years – 700-800 mg per day,
from 10 to 14 years – 1000-1200 mg.
16-25 years – 1000 mg
25-50 years – 800-1200 mg
Use sufficient quantity calcium during the period of active growth and formation of systems and organs is the key to normal development body and the optimal balance of necessary useful substances and microelements.

Calcium deficiency can be caused by physiological changes, occurring in the body of every person over 30-35 years old and a number of endocrine and cardiovascular diseases. The consequences of insufficient calcium intake are growth retardation, curvature and brittle bones, blood clotting disorders and the formation of kidney stones.

An excess of calcium is possible if long-term use row medicines and can lead to intoxication of the body.

Calcium is best absorbed in combination with vitamin D, the latter is found in many plant-based foods. The absorption of calcium is difficult when eating dishes made from potatoes, chocolate and oatmeal.

For lovers of sweets and fatty foods, green tea and coffee, it should be remembered that drinking large quantities listed products leads to the leaching of calcium from the body.

Calcium for the body

The lack of this element primarily affects our teeth and bones, metabolism and circulatory system. Let's try to help our own body and figure out which foods contain calcium.

The favorites in terms of its content are hard cheeses and dairy products. For example, 100 grams homemade cottage cheese contains 150-200 mg of calcium, and hard cheese - 1200-1300 mg.

Provide daily consumption required quantity calcium will allow a balanced diet, which includes a lot plant food. It could also be lettuce leaves, fresh vegetables and fruits, seeds and nuts.

Particular attention should be paid to currants, grapes, strawberries, strawberries, apricots, cherries, pineapple, oranges and peaches. Among vegetables, preference should be given to carrots, celery, cucumbers, green beans and beets. And everyone’s favorite greens will not only decorate the dish, but also enrich the body useful microelements, vitamins and nutrients, including calcium. The combination of calcium with other trace elements and vitamins allows you to avoid spring vitamin deficiency and depression.

Eating seafood (especially salmon and sardines), seaweed and honey will provide the body daily norm calcium.

When choosing products with high content calcium should be taken into account lifestyle - for example, in people leading active image life, the level of calcium in the blood is usually higher than in people suffering from physical inactivity.

Calcium in foods

Calcium in milk

Calcium in yogurt

Calcium in cheese

Calcium in dessert

Calcium in meat, fish, eggs

Calcium in legumes

Calcium in cereals

Numerous studies based on the results of osteodensitometry (allows you to determine bone density) have shown that regular intake of additional doses of calcium and D3 reduces the risk of osteoporosis. The lower the vitamin level, the more likely development of complications in fractures

Calcium for musculoskeletal support

Speaking about bone tissue, we cannot consider calcium separately from magnesium, vitamins D3 and group K. The need for additional calcium intake is actively promoted by the National Academy of Sciences, whose experts recommend consuming 1000-1200 mg of Ca daily. However, this dose was calculated on the assumption that a person does not receive calcium from food consumed.

By the way, milk is mistakenly considered the richest source of Ca; it is best to consume green vegetables and legumes. In addition, almost all manufacturers add calcium to their own products, including cheese, sausages, soup mixes, etc.

Calcium is absorbed in the intestines, but without the participation of vitamin D3 this process is impossible. D3 itself should be natural, not synthesized.

Numerous studies based on the study of ostiodensitometry results(allows you to determine bone density) showed that regularly taking extra calcium and D3 reduces the risk of osteoporosis A. The lower the vitamin level, the greater the likelihood of complications from fractures.

D3 is fat-soluble vitamin, enters the body thanks to complex biochemical processes occurring in skin cells. Naturally, if your kidneys and liver are functioning well. A healthy gallbladder, since bile emulsifies fats and helps them digest.

We need not only calcium and D3, but also Omega-3, 6, 9, vitamins A and E. Bile is the final product of cholesterol transformations in the liver; its viscosity depends on the predominance of the phosphatidylcholine (lecithin) fraction.

Lecithin has a stone-dissolving effect, so it is taken as prophylactic drug, along with calcium and D3.

“Companions” of calcium in the fight for health

Firstly, vitamin C. Collagen, which contains essential amino acids: glycine and lysine, is important for bone and joint tissue, as well as for skin. Our body receives them by breaking down animal protein during the fermentation of food with gastric juice.

Amino acids promote the formation of fibrils, but this requires coenzymes that trigger the collagen production reaction.

As well as vitamin C, copper and zinc. Human body is not able to produce vitamin C endogenously; it can only be obtained from food.

Secondly, vitamins of group K (fat soluble) are necessary. K1 promotes normal blood clotting, but is not so important for the skeletal system; it is obtained from plant food. K2 can only be produced in a healthy gastrointestinal tract; a special bacterium is involved in the process of its synthesis. K7 is a special subgroup of vitamin K, necessary for the complete absorption of calcium.

Bone cells are constantly renewed. Obsolete cells neutralize osteoclasts; when their activity increases greatly, the bone becomes loose. Vitamin K2 is designed to suppress overly active osteoclasts.

With adequate flow biochemical processes Osteoblasts will intervene to compensate for the destructive activity of osteoclasts. Osteoblasts secrete osteocalcin (a protein), then it carboxylates and allows calcium to “settle” in the bone tissue. In order for calcium to be deposited, osteocalcin is needed; in order for osteocalcin to appear and begin to act, K2 and D3 are needed.

Essentially, K2 has two important functions: acts as a prevention of resorption and loosening of bone tissue, while reducing the activity of osteoclasts, and participates in bone formation, allowing osteocalcin to store calcium. For K2 to be produced bacterial microflora intestines, it is necessary to take courses of probiotics.

“Correct” and “wrong” calcium

According to statistics, the majority cardiovascular pathologies develops against the background of calcium deficiency. That is, calcium is deposited not in the bones, but in soft tissues and vessels. The reasons for this phenomenon are numerous; it is enough just to know that K2 promotes decalcification of the arterial bed and reduces the risk of developing inflammatory process. Chronic tissue inflammation often provokes degenerative diseases, not excluding cancer.

For example, in the USA and some European countries, where the population constantly consumes large amounts of calcium-fortified foods, there is a very high percentage of diagnosed cases of osteoporosis and vascular calcification. Research clearly shows that drinking milk does not reduce the risk of fractures. What explains this phenomenon?

Pasteurized milk does not contain natural enzymes and is therefore artificially fortified with calcium. In addition, the casein protein contained in dairy products makes it difficult to absorb calcium, so synthesized vitamin D is also added. But such milk contains a lot of phosphorus, which is absorbed very quickly.

What does phosphorus affect? It is necessary to stimulate the production of parathyroid hormones, which promote the leaching of calcium from bone tissue. Lactic acid and a number of proteins present in milk lead to “acidification” of the pH, and the body, fighting this process, tries to maintain the pH at a level of 7.3, using mineral reserves from the bones.

Therefore, green and leafy vegetables, as well as sardines, nuts, sunflower seeds and seaweed - much more effective and healthier.

Why calcium “doesn’t work” without other minerals and trace elements

IN human body contains approximately 320 mg of strontium, and almost the entire supply is in connective and bone tissue. Like calcium, the strontium molecule contains two positive ions, so it can replace calcium in certain biochemical processes.

Along with vitamin K and magnesium, Strontium promotes the accumulation of calcium in bones, which increases their density and wear resistance. Strontium, if it is not enriched (strontium-90 isotope), is absolutely safe and is added to drugs for the prevention of osteoporosis and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system. By the way, our body absorbs strontium better and faster, not calcium.

Bones also need boron. A complex of strontium, silicon and boron are microelements that the body needs minimum quantity, but their bioavailability depends on the amount of enzymes in gastric juice.

Magnesium is a specific opponent of calcium, preventing its penetration into the cell. Normally, calcium is found in large quantities outside the cell, in the intercellular fluid, and magnesium, on the contrary, is found inside it.

That is, an excess of Ca, which promotes vascular calcification, is easily leveled by magnesium. More than half of the population in our country suffers from magnesium deficiency, since it is rarely artificially included in food products. One unit of calcium requires two units of magnesium, then we can talk about balance.

It has been proven that magnesium is effective not only as a preventive measure for osteoporosis, but also as a drug for its direct treatment. Magnesium helps regulate the absorption of calcium in bone tissue. It acts as a binder, holding calcium and preventing bones from becoming loose. Without magnesium, bones become brittle, regardless of calcium levels.

Equally important is silicon, which is involved in the production of collagen, necessary to maintain healthy joints, skin, heart valves, and blood vessels. Silicon forms a kind of “framework”, and calcium molecules are built into it during the formation of bone tissue. There is a lot of it in our usual food: leafy vegetables, seafood, cheese, beer.

So why are we facing silicon shortages? Silicon is absorbed very slowly from the stomach; for this to happen, it must be hydrolyzed into glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). This is a group of substances that includes hyaluronic acids, chrondrotin sulfates and complex keratin proteins and is necessary for the synthesis of collagen fibers in connective tissues.

If you hear the crunching of your own bones when a limb comes out of rest, it means your body does not have enough silicon and hyaluronic acid. If this is due to age, then everything becomes clear: the stomach loses the ability to synthesize necessary elements in the required quantity.

The root of the problem lies in the slowdown in the reaction of silicon with water, which is necessary for the formation of its bioavailable form orthosilicic acid (orthosilicic acid). Reaction it will go faster with the participation stomach acid.

The role of gastric enzymes

A decrease in the volume of gastric juice indirectly affects the development of diverticulitis, osteoporosis, emphysema, varicose veins and other diseases.

It is stomach acid that promotes the transition of the inactive form of silicon (silicon dioxide) into orthosilicic acid, which is available for absorption.

Regardless of the balance of the diet, stress resistance and level of mental lability, the amount of gastric juice decreases by the age of 45. That is, even taking calcium supplements in packages, you cannot be sure that all of it has been fully absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

Slow production of stomach acid and its insufficient volume is a much more common problem than we used to think, and this does not only affect adults. Heartburn and belching are direct signs low level enzymes in gastric juice. Slowing down fermentation also helps to take antacids, which suppress the production of essential acids. How alarming symptom It is worth accepting the feeling of fullness in the stomach after eating. published.

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