A complete guide to calcium

Calcium is one of the four essential minerals, without which the human body cannot function. It is needed not only for the strength of bones and teeth, but also for immunity, blood clotting and brain function.

Calcium is an important macronutrient that is involved in many processes: it is necessary for muscle contraction, nerve impulses, blood clotting and maintaining the structure of bones and teeth. Doctor-expert at the Hemotest laboratory Ekaterina Kashukh told Doctor Peter whether it is possible to identify a deficiency of a macronutrient without tests, how to increase the content in the body and whether it is worth taking it additionally.

Bones, teeth and more

Calcium is an essential mineral for bones and teeth and is also involved in important physiological processes. For example, a macronutrient activates specific enzymes that are responsible for muscle contraction. It also promotes the transmission of nerve impulses – it is involved in the release of neurotransmitters from nerve endings, which allows the impulse to be transmitted between nerve cells or from nerve cells to muscle cells.

In addition, the macronutrient plays an important role in blood clotting: It acts as a catalyst, accelerating the formation of fibrin, a substance necessary for the formation of a blood clot.

When exercising you need more calcium

In order for the body to function under conditions of increased stress, for example during sports, when much more calcium is needed than usual, a mechanism is provided for borrowing the macro element from bone tissue. This is a normal process and does not harm bone quality as long as calcium is replenished regularly. However, with a persistent deficiency, for example due to a poor diet, the substance begins to be borrowed from bone tissue on an ongoing basis. This can lead to weakened bones and deterioration of teeth.

Most comes from food

The main source of calcium for humans is food. Most of it is found in dairy products – milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese. It is also found in green vegetables: broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, spinach. Nuts and seeds, as well as fish, are rich in the mineral.

On average, the body of an adult for normal functioning you need to get about 1000 mg of calcium per day. The need for a macronutrient can be met by drinking 1 liter of milk or eating 100 g of cheese. But to get it from broccoli, you need to eat as much as 2 kg.

Need vitamin D

When planning your diet, it is important to consider that for the effective absorption of calcium, the body also requires vitamin D. It helps the mineral to be better absorbed in the intestines and less excreted through the kidneys. The best sources of vitamin D are fatty fish (herring, salmon) and fish oil, egg yolks, and beef liver.

It is convenient to combine nutrients in salads made from green vegetables, such as spinach or broccoli, with pieces of fatty fish and seeds – sunflower, flax, pumpkin, chia. You can add nuts to your yogurt for breakfast, and cheese and leafy greens on your sandwich. Such combinations will help you get a portion of vitamin D and calcium at the same time.

Add additionally

Some industrial products, such as breakfast cereals or cereals, may also contain calcium; it is added to them during the production process. This may seem convenient, especially if you don’t have the time or energy to create a healthy diet with natural sources of the mineral. However you shouldn’t get carried away with fortified foods: as a rule, they contain not only useful substances, but also a number of “extra” ingredients – sugar, artificial additives, preservatives.

Food is not the only source of vitamin D; it is also synthesized in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, that is, in the sun. Nutrient deficiency often develops in autumn and winter.

Signs of calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency can be suspected by indirect signs:

• feeling of numbness and tingling in the limbs;
• muscle cramps;
• brittle nails;
• increased fatigue;
• depressive disorders.

Long-term deficiency leads to deterioration of bone quality -the risk of fractures increases.However, these manifestations can be a symptom of not only calcium deficiency, but also of certain diseases, so you should not focus on them.

To determine the level of calcium in the body and to understand whether there is enough of it in the diet, you should take a blood test .It is especially important to do this before taking calcium supplements.: an excess of a macronutrient is no less dangerous than its deficiency. With an overdose of calcium, appetite suppression and digestive disorders occur, and the risk of urolithiasis and heart failure increases.

Taking supplements only after consultation

Taking calcium in the form of dietary supplements is considered a last resort – they are prescribed if it is not possible to ensure sufficient intake of the mineral from food. For example, with lactose intolerance, when a person cannot consume dairy products, which are the main source of calcium, or with strict diets that limit the consumption of certain foods.

Alsodietary supplements may be necessary for older people women whose natural calcium absorption slows down, or women going through menopause when estrogen levels drop, which can lead to loss of bone density. If there are no such restrictions or indications, it is better to try to get the mineral from natural sources . The actual need for additional calcium supplementation will be determined by your doctor based on your general health and blood test results.