Calcium
Information
The Benefits of Calcium
By: Dr. George Obikoya
Calcium is the mineral most likely to be deficient
in the average diet. Let me repeat that. Calcium is the
mineral most likely to be deficient in the average diet.
Calcium deficiency is a condition in which we fail to receive or
to metabolize an adequate supply of Calcium. Calcium is the chief
supportive element in bones and teeth. Calcium salts make up about
70 percent of bone by weight and give your bone its strength and
rigidity.
About 99 percent of the calcium in the human body is held in the
bones and teeth. The remaining 1 percent of calcium circulates in
the bloodstream, where it performs a variety of important functions.
It helps to contract muscles and helps regulate the contractions
of the heart. It plays a role in the transmission of nerve impulses
and in blood clotting. Calcium is involved in the stimulation of
contractions of the uterus during childbirth and in milk production.
It also regulates the secretion of various hormones and aids in
the functioning of various enzymes within the body. Since vitamin
C is important for so many necessary bodily functions, taking a
liquid mulitvitamin that is rich in vitamin C is advised.
When we take Calcium, it absorbed in the small intestine and passes
from there either into the bloodstream or ultimately into the bones.
The most efficient absorption of calcium is dependent on the presence
of vitamin D in the body, which is a key ingredient in the various
hormones that enable calcium to pass from the digestive system into
the blood or bones. Similarly, there are optimal ratios of phosphorus
to the amount of calcium consumed that permit calcium to be more
completely utilized. Hormonal secretions of the parathyroid and
thyroid glands (parathyroid hormone and calcitonin, respectively)
also help maintain calcium equilibrium in the blood.
These regulatory mechanisms help to prevent a deficiency in calcium
from developing in the bloodstream. When such a deficiency does
develop, parathyroid hormone acts to transfer calcium from the bones
in order to maintain the mineral's all-important presence in the
bloodstream. This of course strips your bones of their calcium and
in turn weakens your bones, making them more brittle and subject
to breaking.
The result of a mild insufficiency of calcium over the long term
may be thinning bones, termed osteoporosis or the softening of bony
tissue, called osteomalacia. The faulty metabolism of calcium during
childhood may result in a condition called rickets.
Recent research even points to calcium deficiency as being a possible
cause of hypertension (high blood pressure) and of colon cancer.
Severe calcium deficiency, which is defined as a reduction of calcium
levels in the bloodstream below a certain normal range, has its
own clinical manifestations. The main syndrome is tetany, which
involves sensations of numbness and tingling around the mouth and
fingertips and painful aches and spasms of the muscles. A clinically
detectable deficiency of calcium is a relatively rare finding and
is almost always caused either by a deficiency of parathyroid hormone
or of vitamin D in the body, the two chief regulators of calcium
metabolism. Usually the problem manifests as an insidious, low level
of calcium over a long period of time, which is far more difficult
to correct.
You’ve heard it now and probably many times before. You need calcium
to prevent osteoporosis. But a lack of this mineral means more than
weak bones. Key organs and bodily functions, like your heart and
metabolism, need calcium to operate at their best. Yet only 21 percent
of us are getting the recommended amount of calcium, according to
federal government statistics.
Here are five important but little-known ways that getting more
calcium can improve your health:
Calcium helps keep the weight off. Research suggests that if you
don't get enough calcium in your diet, you're likely to be overweight.
Of course, it's possible to be overweight even if you do get plenty
of calcium, but an adequate supply of Calcium appears to make it
easier to maintain a healthy weight. The reason has to do with your
body's response to a calcium deficit. When you're low, your body
thinks you're starving and enters emergency mode, releasing parathyroid
hormone from four glands in your neck. This hormone stimulates your
bones to release some calcium into your bloodstream. Your kidneys
also deliver a dose of a hormone called calcitriol, a form of vitamin
D, to increase your ability to absorb calcium. This helps keep the
body in balance, but is operating the body in an emergency mode,
which over time, is very unhealthy.
The trouble is that parathyroid hormone and calcitriol also stimulate
the production of fat and inhibits its breakdown. As a result, your
body stores fat and holds on to it stubbornly, even if you're on
a low-calorie diet. On the other hand, a high calcium intake suppresses
these hormones so your body stores less fat and also breaks it down
far more easily.
Calcium also protects your heart. If you're low on calcium, you're
more likely to have high blood pressure. Your body releases the
hormone calcitriol in response to a calcium shortage, and calcitriol
acts on the smooth muscle walls of your arteries, constricting them
and elevating your blood pressure. In fact, your calcium intake
may be almost as important to blood pressure as your sodium intake.
An adequate supply of calcium helps muscles, including your heart
muscle, do their work of contracting and relaxing. Calcium also
appears to help your nervous system regulate the level of pressure
in your arteries.
Calcium improves premenstrual moods. Getting enough calcium can
ease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). The explanation
comes down (again) to calcium-regulating hormones. Your body suppresses
the hormones if your calcium supplies are adequate, but releases
these hormones if you're not getting enough. Women who suffer from
PMS appear to have elevated levels of these hormones during their
menstrual cycle, which account for the symptoms of PMS, like cramping,
irritability, and depression, are similar to the symptoms of a calcium-deficient
state.
Calcium 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.
Calcium maintains healthy teeth. Calcium protects your teeth in
an indirect way. Your teeth themselves are relatively inert, meaning
that the calcium they contain usually stays there. Your jawbone
is the potential problem. Like other bones, it gradually surrenders
calcium for needs elsewhere in your body if you're not consuming
enough. As your jaw weakens, your teeth loosen, creating gaps where
bacteria can invade, triggering infection, inflammation, and bleeding.
In fact, the condition of your teeth and gums can be a window to
the overall health of your bones. Not surprisingly, the first signs
of osteoporosis are sometimes found by your dentist.
Talk to your health care practitioner if you experience the unexpected
loss of a tooth or your teeth start to feel loose. Sufficient calcium
intake can prevent these problems in the first place, as well as
help guard against a whole host of other problems.
A good multivitamin is the foundation of health
and nutrition. Take a look at our scientific reviews of many of
the popular brands for factors such as ingredients, areas of improvement,
quality level, and overall value. If you are looking for a high
quality liquid multivitamin, we suggest that you take a look at
the Multivitamin
Product Comparisons.
References
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis: review of the evidence
for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment and cost-effectiveness
analysis. Osteoporos Int. 1998; 8(suppl):S7-S80.
NIH Consensus Development Panel on Optimal Calcium Intake. Optimal
Calcium Intake. JAMA. 1994; 272:1942-1948.
Morgan SL. Calcium and vitamin D in osteoporosis. Rheum Dis Clin
North Am. 2001; 27:101-130.
VITAPLEN COMPLETE™ contains 150 mg of Calcium and 165 scientifically formulated nutrients--all in a highly absorbable liquid formula.
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