Author: Leticia Celentano
Time for reading: ~3
minutes
Last Updated:
October 11, 2022
Calcium is an element that we need every day! Find out from which products you can get it.
Calcium is an element that we need every day! Find out from which products you can get it.
In order to be healthy, a person needs to eat well. This means that vitamins, macro and microelements necessary for the body must be present in the food. One of the most important trace elements we need is calcium. This is a fairly common element on our planet. Calcium compounds are found in almost all animal and plant tissues.
In an adult person whose body weight is 70 kg, the proportion of calcium is approximately 1.7 kg.
Basically, calcium is a part of human bone tissue. Also, calcium ions ensure blood coagulation and maintain normal osmotic pressure in the blood. Calcium is also responsible for the regulation of various processes of secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters.
Calcium is needed every day
Our body needs this element constantly, so our daily diet should contain products that include it.
The body of an adult person needs about 1000-1200 mg of calcium every day for comfortable work. You can get it from dairy products, orange juice, vegetables (especially green vegetables). Calcium from food should be obtained regularly, so to speak, prophylactically.
The need for calcium in children is higher than in adults. And this is not surprising, because during the growth of the organism, it needs "building material".
Calcium absorption occurs in the small and large intestines. This process is more intense in an acidic environment.
Foods that are high in calcium
Calcium in varying amounts is contained in almost all food products. There is quite a lot of it in some products:
Calcium is also present in many vegetables and fruits, meat, legumes and greens. But not all products "give" us calcium well. This substance is best absorbed from milk and dairy products, fish. But spinach, for example, contains a lot of calcium, but we can hardly get this element from this product.
.It is very important to understand the exceptional importance of dairy products. Approximately 75% of a person's daily need for calcium comes from dairy products, the other 25% comes from vegetables.
Deficiency of calcium in the human body occurs more often due to problems with its assimilation than due to lack of food products. Calcium should enter the body together with a number of other vitamins and trace elements. Thus, the assimilation of this element occurs better in the presence of vitamins C and D, lactose and unsaturated fatty acids. Phosphorus, magnesium and strontium contribute to the absorption of calcium.
It is very important to get enough magnesium with food. With a lack of this element, calcium is leached from the bones and the likelihood of kidney stones and calcium deposits in the muscles increases. Aspirin, oxalic acid and estrogens interfere with the absorption of calcium. Oxalic acid can also form compounds with calcium that do not dissolve in water and serve as components of kidney stones.
Both deficiency and excess of calcium are harmful
Prolonged lack of calcium in the diet can lead to convulsions, drowsiness, growth defects, and constipation. If the body experiences a calcium deficiency for a long time, permanent muscle spasms may appear and osteoporosis may develop.
Abuse of coffee and alcohol can also cause a lack of calcium, as they lead to the fact that calcium is actively excreted from the body with urine.
An excess of calcium is also harmful, as hypercalcemia can develop with subsequent calcification of bones and tissues. Most often, calcification affects the urinary system. If a person receives an excessive amount of calcium with food for a long time, the function of muscles and nerves may be disturbed, blood coagulation will deteriorate and the assimilation of zinc by bone tissue cells will decrease. Hypercalcemia can also be caused by excessive doses of vitamin D.
Calcium preparations: to drink or not to drink?
With a complete balanced diet, a person receives a sufficient amount of calcium. Therefore, a healthy person does not need to self-prescribe calcium-containing drugs "for prevention". The need to take such drugs can only be established during an examination. After that, a decision can be made to take additional calcium.
Make sure that a sufficient amount of calcium enters the body in a timely manner. This will help your body stay healthy!