Calcium in the human body

12 min read
Calcium in the human body
Picture: Anna Bergbauer | Dreamstime
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Calcium (Ca) is a vital mineral that is part of human bones, teeth, and nails. Its deficiency leads to various diseases, and its excess provokes disturbances in the functioning of the body.

Knowing why the body needs calcium, what it contains, how much of the mineral is required daily, it is easier to maintain health and live a full life.

The role of calcium in the human body

It is dangerous to underestimate the role of calcium in the human body: this mineral is necessary for the body to work. On average, it accounts for 2% of the mass of a person, that is, more than any other component. The functionality of the substance is diverse, it includes the regulation of the performance of internal systems. A sufficient amount of the compound is a guarantee of health, prevention of common diseases.

The mineral is involved in the reactions of splitting nutrients, generating vitamins. In the human body, calcium molecules are found in bones, intercellular fluid, and tissues. A person receives a substance by eating food, from water.

What kind of calcium is present in the human body?

The main share of the mineral is concentrated in the skeletal system. In this form, calcium in the human body provides stability, supports the support system strong.

Interesting fact! The calcium present in the human body is the same element that is familiar from the school curriculum: it is inscribed 20th in the periodic table. On our planet, in terms of prevalence, it is in the top three. Up to 3.6% of the Earth’s crust was formed by him.
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In the embryo, calcium in the body accumulates from the 7th month. The process lasts throughout childhood, ending on average in the middle of the third decade. After 35 years, the volume of bone tissue decreases, the amount of the mineral decreases by 1% annually. The process is natural, due to aging. In adulthood, women should first of all think about how to increase calcium in the body. It has been established that the mineral is washed out faster from the female body. This is due to changes due to menopause. The process of depletion of the skeletal system lasts for years.

It is known which hormones regulate calcium levels in the body. These are parathyroid and calcitriol. The second is an active product of vitamin D processing.

The importance of calcium for the human body at a young age is great. The diet of children and adolescents is formed with an emphasis on the accumulation of a substance in order to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures as they grow older. It is reasonable to get used to exercise from childhood – this increases the density of tissues. At the age of over 35, the construction of new bones is physiologically impossible.

Why does a person need calcium?

The mineral is involved in the formation of bone tissue, keeps it strong. It is involved in many organic processes as an auxiliary component.
Calcium
Picture: Anna Bergbauer | Dreamstime

Scientists, having established where calcium is located in the body, found out its functionality, including:

  • muscle contraction;
  • providing blood clotting ability;
  • participation in the generation of enzymes;
  • regulation of hormone release;
  • ensuring the efficiency of the central nervous system.

Biological functions of calcium

Up to 99% of the mineral accumulates in the bones, teeth, the rest – in the blood plasma. The form outside the bones is responsible for the biological processes of regulating the work of the body. The intracellular space contains a substance responsible for:

  • hormonal background;
  • heart rate;
  • sperm movement during fertilization;
  • muscle contraction.

It is known why calcium is needed in the human body in bones and teeth: it forms them, keeps them strong, stable.

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The absorption of calcium in the body depends on the presence of other biologically active compounds; simultaneously affects the body’s ability to process, produce useful substances. This is due to the low electrical charge. Due to this, the element slows down the absorption of zinc, magnesium.

The importance of calcium for the human body is great because of the participation of the substance in the reaction of producing vitamin D. To avoid hypovitaminosis, food enriched with the mineral is included in the menu.

Lack of calcium in the body

It is not difficult to notice the symptoms of calcium deficiency in the body – failures are numerous and create discomfort. The lack of a mineral is called hypocalcemia. The condition is provoked by improper functioning of the parathyroid glands, poor diet, hypoparathyroidism, hypovitaminosis.
Calcium
Picture: Anna Bergbauer | Dreamstime

Calcium deficiency symptoms

  • fatigue;
  • physical weakness;
  • skin peeling;
  • brittle nails;
  • dental diseases.

The lack of an element affects the work of the central nervous system, heart, blood vessels. The area around the mouth becomes numb, the bones hurt, the muscles cramp. Prolonged deficiency leads to osteoporosis, provokes cataracts.

Lack of calcium in a woman’s body

Most often, the fair sex notices the problem of changing their appearance. Symptoms of a lack of calcium in the body in women include deterioration in the condition of nails, hair. The nail plate often breaks, loses its natural shine. The skin dries, elasticity disappears, foci of peeling appear. Hypocalcemia is accompanied by tremor, irritability, anxiety.

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Interesting fact! When checking blood for mineral content, the amount of the ionized form and molecules in anionic, protein complexes is estimated.

Calcium deficiency in men

Symptoms of calcium deficiency in the body in men are psychological, physiological abnormalities. The mineral is important for the musculoskeletal system; more often, athletes and people who are forced to work hard face manifestations of its insufficiency. The male skeleton is heavier, larger, stronger than the female, the load on the elements is higher. The danger of fractures, injuries for a man is greater than that threatening women.

Calcium deficiency in children

At this age, especially often there is not enough calcium in the body. The mineral is vital for the adequate development of internal systems. Hypocalcemia manifests itself:

  • improper formation of teeth, bones;
  • pathological processes in the eye lens;
  • nervous disorders;
  • excitability;
  • convulsions;
  • poor blood clotting.

The lack of an element in childhood is associated with the risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

How to fill calcium deficiency

The two main measures necessary to normalize the content of a substance in the blood are the exclusion of products that leach the mineral, and the inclusion of its sources in the diet.

Calcium
Picture: Ekaterina Kapranova | Dreamstime

Knowing what leaches calcium from the body, you can diversify your menu by getting rid of potentially dangerous foods. Removal of the compound is possible against the background of taking certain drugs. Faced with hypocalcemia, they turn to the doctor, change the treatment regimen.

In case of chronic deficiency, specialized drugs are prescribed, vitamin D. The doctor will explain how to replenish calcium in the body, what to take, in what volumes. It is unsafe to resort to medicines on your own, without the advice of a specialist.

To replenish the mineral content in the blood and prevent hypocalcemia, include in the diet foods enriched with an element, vitamin D. Cheeses, bran, nuts, and sesame are especially useful. Recommended dairy, sour-milk products. It is necessary to eat fish, vegetable oil, egg yolks, seafood.

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The amount of a mineral in the body is directly related to the content of vitamin D, which is produced in the human body under the influence of sunlight. Doctors, explaining which foods increase calcium in the body, pay attention to the benefits of foods containing the vitamin. It is found in oats, greens, potatoes. In order for the body to receive a sufficient amount of the compound, a diet enriched with it and daily walks are combined.

Since coffee leaches calcium from the body, refuse this drink. If possible, carbonated sweet water is excluded from the diet.

Excess calcium in the body

Increased calcium in the body or hypercalcemia is possible against the background of the excessive use of supplements, medicines containing the mineral.
Calcium
Picture: Anna Bergbauer | Dreamstime

Sometimes the condition is caused by a malfunction of the internal organs, an incorrectly selected diet. Hypercalcemia is possible as a complication against the background of the disease, therapy. In the risk zone – suffering from peptic ulcer, undergone radiation, cancer patients.

Symptoms of too much calcium

  • worsening of appetite;
  • nausea;
  • vomit;
  • weakness;
  • convulsions;
  • thirst.

Excess calcium in a woman’s body

Symptoms of excess calcium in the body in women include all the typical manifestations of hypercalcemia. Worried about the violation of the stool, the stomach hurts. Possible:

  • arrhythmia;
  • pressure surges;
  • brain dysfunction;
  • depression.

Excess calcium in the male body

Hypercalcemia is manifested by typical disorders. Symptoms of excess calcium in the body include weight loss, hormonal imbalances. There are no specific manifestations due to the gender of the patient.

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In severe cases, hallucinations are possible. The consequences of an excess of calcium in the body include disruption of the heart and brain. Without adequate therapy, the condition worsens.

Excess calcium in a child

Since the main source of calcium for the human body is food, an excess of the mineral in the child’s body is rarely recorded, since most supplements and drugs are not intended for this age group. With a slight excess of the blood saturation level, there are no symptoms. Manifestations are disturbing if the deviation is more than 12%.

They are caused by the functions of calcium in the body: the work of systems associated with the mineral is disrupted. Symptoms are similar to typical adults. You cannot treat a child on your own. The doctor will tell you what removes calcium from the body, and select therapy.

How to lower blood calcium

Measures are chosen based on indicators of blood saturation with an element. Treatment is selected by a qualified doctor. On his advice, they change the diet, excluding milk, cheese, eggs, parsley, cabbage. Since the mineral is found in tap water, with hypercalcemia, it is necessary to use distilled, softened water. Distilled water is recommended for use no more than 2 months in a row.

To reduce the content of the element, the doctor prescribes phytin, oxalic acid. You cannot take medications on your own. During the course of treatment, blood is regularly donated to monitor the condition.

What foods contain calcium

It is not difficult to figure out how to increase calcium in the body of a woman, man, child. It is enough to revise the diet, include more food enriched with the mineral. Asking how to restore calcium in the body quickly is better than a doctor: in such cases, drugs will have an effect earlier than changing the menu.

Calcium
Picture: Anna Bergbauer | Dreamstime
It’s not safe to take medication on your own!

A nutritionist can tell you what foods contain calcium for the body. Special nutrition systems have been developed to eliminate hypocalcemia. Many healers know how to restore calcium in the body with folk remedies. Informal medicine also recommends changing the menu.

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

  • milk and its products;
  • seafood;
  • legumes;
  • bean curd;
  • greenery;
  • dried fruits.
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Nutritionists, explaining how to make up for the lack of calcium in the body, advise including seeds in the menu. The value of this type of food is unique. The most useful for hypocalcemia are sesame, chia, celery, poppy seeds. 1 large spoonful of poppy seeds contains 13% of the daily value.

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

Calcium
Picture: Olga Sadovnikova | Dreamstime

You should not immediately specify if there is not enough calcium in the body, what to take: it is wiser to change the diet, check the 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 digestive tract. More useful – in varieties with low fat content. Each serving gives the body potassium, vitamins B2, B12, phosphorus. Greek yogurt is enriched with proteins.

If tests aimed at checking which calcium is present in the body in what volume showed a shortage, you should diversify your diet with canned fish. The most useful varieties are sardine, salmon. Of particular value are thin, soft, edible bones. Only 100 g of sardines give a person more than a third of the daily requirement. The same amount of canned salmon contains a quarter of the daily allowance. Fish is rich in proteins, fatty acids, selenium.

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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 the mineral, they contain fiber, protein, various trace elements: iron, zinc, potassium. Folic acid is found in legumes. A doctor, explaining how to raise 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, reduce the risk of developing diabetes.

Products that flush out calcium from the human body

Doctors have established how calcium is generated, excreted, and absorbed in the human body. The processes proceed with the participation of vitamin D, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, fatty acids. Some products contain ingredients that stimulate the elimination of the element. To avoid hypocalcemia, the volume of such food is reduced.
Calcium
Picture: Viktoria Gorozanina | Dreamstime
  • The ability of coffee to remove the mineral from the body is widely known. A day should not drink more than 4 cups of the drink, so as not to harm. If calcium is washed out of the body, the reason is the love of coffee, it is reasonable to dilute the drink with low-fat milk. The product contains vitamin D, which promotes the absorption of the mineral. It was found that strong green tea leaches calcium from the body. To avoid the negative effect, drink the drink in small portions.
  • Beer leaches calcium from the human body. This is a carbonated alcoholic drink that is harmful to the functioning of all internal systems and organs. Non-alcoholic soda has a similar effect. The increased content of sugars disrupts the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, provokes the development of pathogenic bacteria, complicates the absorption of useful components that come with other dishes.
  • Finding out which foods leach calcium from the human body, scientists have identified the effect of palm oil. The substance makes it difficult to assimilate the mineral, promotes excretion. This product is especially harmful to children, provokes rickets, aggravates its course, and makes treatment difficult. Oil is found in confectionery products, pastries.
  • Finding out why calcium is not absorbed in the body of a woman, man or child, they analyze the menu for an abundance of sweets. Sugar interferes with the absorption of minerals. The more sweet a person absorbs, the worse the condition of the intestinal microflora responsible for the absorption of food components.
  • Calcium deficiency in the body is aggravated if a person consumes abundant animal fats, salt, and alcohol. All these products wash out already accumulated reserves, prevent the absorption of new molecules.
Some believe that oatmeal disrupts the exchange of calcium and phosphorus in the body. It is a myth. The product contains phytic acid, which slows down the absorption of the mineral, but the amount is so small that there is no noticeable effect.

Conclusions

Calcium is a vital mineral needed by the human body. Lack, excess of an element are pathological conditions that lead to serious consequences. To maintain health, you should regularly check the quality of the blood and take supplements, medications in consultation with your doctor.

To avoid imbalance, it is enough to eat right, giving up harmful foods, reducing the amount of coffee and strong green tea. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle, often walking in the fresh air, eating dairy products, a person maintains the concentration of the mineral in the blood.

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