Calcium is an essential and most abundant mineral in the body. Almost 99% of calcium in the body
is found in bones and teeth the other 1% has critical function healthy communication in-between brain and
other parts of the body. It plays very important role in muscle movement and cardiovascular function. Most
of the people are failing to consume calcium which finally leads to poor bone health and increase the risk of
osteoporosis. Along with calcium you also need vitamin D as this helps the body absorb calcium. Inadequate
intake of calcium, the intestine, bone, and renal systems have complicate ways of withholding more calcium
and normalizing serum calcium levels. These three primary tissues of calcium homeostasis (intestine, bone,
and kidneys) are vital in their handling of calcium, reacting to dietary intake, physiological need, or disease
processes. This article discusses function, Deficiency, RDA and Sources of calcium.
Why you need Calcium?
Calcium plays vital role in your body which includes
Bone health
About 99% of calcium is found in the bones and teeth of the human body. Calcium is important for
the growth, development and maintenance of bone health. In case of growing children calcium is much more
essential because it contributes to the development of their bone. After the growth stops it helps to maintain
the bone and slow down bone mass loss. Females who are antecedently completed menopause can lose bone
density at higher rates. As the age increases loss of bone density also increases (old age people). They have
higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
Muscle contraction
Calcium triggers contraction by reacting with regulatory proteins that in the absence of calcium
prevent interaction of actin and myosin. Two different regulatory systems are present different muscles. In
actin linked regulatory system troponin and tromyosin regulate actin by blocking sites on actin required for
complex formation with myosin, in myosin linked regulation site, myosin are blocked in the absence of
calcium.
Cardiovascular system
Calcium also plays very important role in blood clotting and the process in complicate. It helps in
maintaining the heart muscles. Calcium relaxes the smooth muscle the around the blood vessels. Different
studies shown that there is a link between high intake of calcium and lower blood pressure.
Calcium Deficiency
When calcium absorption is low, because of low intakes, poor bioavailability, or conditions that
impair absorption, there is a decrease in the serum ionized calcium concentration. This in turn stimulates the
release of parathyroid hormone, which returns serum calcium to normal by increasing renal calcium
reabsorption, stimulating the renal production of 1, 25 dihydroxy vitamin D, and inducing bone
reabsorption. The outcome of long-term calcium deficiency is developing at a faster rate of bone loss in
older individuals or the impotence to fully attain peak bone mass in younger individuals.
