Calcium is a mineral that has many properties. It nourishes bones, prevents osteoporosis and is even muscle relaxant. It is the mineral with greater presence in the body, and the fourth component of the body in greater proportion, after water, proteins and fats.
The total body calcium is close to 1200 grams which is equivalent to say 1.5 to 2 percent of our body weight. Of this, almost 99 percent are concentrated in the bones and teeth; One percent remaining is distributed in the bloodstream, interstitial fluids and muscle cells.
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Calcium has multiple physiological functions, but the most important is the construction of bones. The bones are composed mainly of calcium and phosphorus.
Both its lack and its excess are harmful to health, since it participates in coagulation, in the proper permeability of the membranes and in turn acquires fundamental importance as a nervous and neuromuscular regulator, modulating muscle contraction (including heart rate), absorption and intestinal secretion and the release of hormones.
Sources of calcium
The foods with the highest calcium content are dairy products, nuts, sardines and anchovies; already in smaller proportion it is found in dark greens and vegetables (spinach, Swiss chard, broccoli). The best sources of calcium that come from plants are tofu (if prepared using calcium sulfate, it contains more than four times the amount of calcium than whole cow’s milk). The calcium found in the vegetable, which is not rich in oxalate, for example kale, is absorbed as well or even better than the calcium in whole milk. Some soy milks are also named as a source of calcium.
The absorption of this mineral is affected by the consumption of coffee and alcohol. The lack of vitamin D, lack of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, lack of exercise and stress are also factors that alter the absorption of calcium.
Proteins and calcium
A diet rich in proteins, especially those of animal origin, causes a loss of calcium in the body. The higher sulfur-calcium ratio found in meat increases the loss of calcium in the urine, and a diet rich in meat can cause the demineralization of bones. A report published in 1988 comparing the amounts of calcium excreted in the urine of 15 subjects proved that a protein diet of animal origin caused a greater loss of calcium from the bones in the urine (150 mg / day) than in a protein diet of vegetable origin (103 mg / day). These findings suggest that diets that provide proteins of plant origin, and not those that provide proteins of animal origin, can actually protect against bone loss, and therefore osteoporosis.
Calcium absorption
Only 20 to 30 percent of the calcium in the diet is absorbed. The absorption of calcium can be reduced, since it is mixed with fiber, phytate or oxalate in the intestine. Vegan diets contain more than the average of these substances. It is no longer thought that fiber limits the availability of calcium present in food. Phytate or phytic acid is found in cereals, nuts and seeds and can be combined with calcium making it less absorbable.
Benefits of calcium
- Calcium protects us from osteoporosis (abnormal formation inside the bone) and is useful in its treatment.
- Helps dental health, forms enamel, preserves teeth and prevents cavities.
- It is also a natural tranquilizer that serves to induce sleep.
- It helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol by preventing cardiovascular diseases.
- It participates in the transmission of the nervous impulse and intervenes in the permeability of the membrane. It is also effective in histadelic schizophrenia.
- Calcium is necessary for the formation of blood clots, prevents colon cancer and keeps the skin in good condition and health.
Deficiency symptoms of calcium
- The disease characteristic of calcium deficiency is hypocalcemia and causes rickets, osteoporosis, decalcification and growth retardation on bones. The malabsorption of calcium can be produced by excess fats, phosphates or deficiency of magnesium, failure of the pancreas, colitis or diarrhea and immobility. Psycho-emotional tension or kidney failure cause calcium to be lost through urine.
- Excess calcium is called hypercalcemia and the first symptom is excessive excretion of urine (polyuria) with a marked need to drink constantly and abundantly (polydipsia). Renal calcification and stone formation (accumulation of particles that form a compact mass)
- The excesses in the nervous level are: depression of the vital forces (asthenia) and psychic fatigue.
- In the cardiac field: palpitations and risk of cardiac arrest.
- A digestive level: anorexia, vomiting and constipation.
- And in general the tissues calcify.