The special benefits of calcium for the human body.

In addition to its benefits for the skeletal system, calcium has many other important uses for the body. It is essential for the functioning of nerves, muscles, cell metabolism, and blood clotting. It also plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy heart.

So, what roles does calcium play in the human body? What are the adverse effects of calcium deficiency, and what are safe and effective ways to supplement calcium?

In addition to its benefits for the skeletal system, calcium has many other special uses for the body.

1. The role of calcium in the human body

Calcium is a mineral that plays a very important role in the human body. In the body, calcium accounts for 1.5-2% of body weight, with 99% of it found in bones, teeth, and nails, and 1% in the blood.

Calcium, combined with phosphorus, is a fundamental building block of bones and teeth, making them strong and healthy. In addition, calcium is essential for neuromuscular function, heart activity, cellular metabolism, and blood clotting.

For young children, calcium helps them grow taller, strengthens their immune system, and fights off disease-causing bacteria when they enter the body.

For adults, calcium helps strengthen bones, prevent osteoporosis, reduce pain and difficulty in movement, and speed up the healing of bone fractures. Calcium is also essential for heart function and nerve health, maintaining mental stability and memory.

The role of calcium in the human body.

2. What diseases can a calcium deficiency cause?

Calcium deficiency in the diet, poor calcium absorption, and/or excessive calcium loss lead to impaired bone mineralization. Chronic calcium deficiency (due to poor calcium absorption in the small intestine, insufficient calcium in the diet, etc.) is one of the important causes of decreased bone density, leading to osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children.

The effects of calcium deficiency can lead to the following risks: Osteoporosis (lower than normal bone mineral density); Osteoporosis (very low bone density); Increased risk of fractures.

Calcium plays a direct role in the formation of bones and teeth in children. Therefore, if children do not receive enough calcium, they will experience stunted growth, malnutrition, small and weak bones leading to rickets, poor tooth quality, increased susceptibility to cavities, and uneven tooth eruption.

Calcium is also very important for children's nervous systems. Children who are deficient in calcium often exhibit symptoms such as crying at night, being easily startled, and being irritable.

In adults, besides the risk of osteoporosis, prolonged calcium deficiency can weaken the heart muscle, leading to fatigue and excessive sweating during exertion. In the elderly, calcium deficiency can easily cause nervous exhaustion, mental instability, headaches, and memory loss.

When blood calcium levels decrease, the body has to mobilize calcium from the bones into the bloodstream to participate in metabolic processes, causing symptoms such as bone pain, especially in the long bones of growing children. Additionally, it can cause insomnia and irritability. Long-term calcium deficiency can also lead to serious conditions such as hypertension and colon cancer.

Some signs of calcium deficiency include:

Frequent muscle cramps; Yellowing teeth; Frequent dizziness, numbness, or bone pain; Colon problems; Weak and brittle nails; Bone loss; Osteoporosis; Increased risk of seizures or muscle spasms, insomnia, etc.

Calcium deficiency causes osteoporosis.

3. How much calcium does our body need each day?

Calcium requirements vary with age and physiological condition. Those with high calcium needs include young children under 5 years old and children during puberty.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and the elderly also have higher calcium needs than the average person. During pregnancy, mothers need a high amount of calcium to provide calcium for the fetus. During breastfeeding, mothers also need a lot of calcium to provide calcium to their babies through breast milk.

For the elderly, because bone resorption is more pronounced than bone formation, and calcium loss through urine increases, especially during menopause, the calcium requirement in the diet is also higher. Therefore, adequate calcium intake is necessary to prevent osteoporosis.

Calcium requirements by age:

The daily calcium requirement for children aged 6-11 months is 400mg/day. For children aged 1-2 years, it's 500mg/day. For children aged 3-5 years, it's 600mg/day. For children aged 6-7 years, it's 650mg/day. For children aged 8-9 years, it's 700mg/day. For children aged 10-19 years and adults ≥ 70 years, it's 1000mg/day. For adults aged 20-49 years and men aged 50-69 years, it's 800mg/day. For women aged 50-69 years, it's 900mg/day. For pregnant women, it's 1200mg/day. For breastfeeding women, it's 1300mg/day.

4. Safe and effective ways to supplement calcium.

Calcium can be obtained through the foods we eat daily or by taking calcium supplements. However, the safest and most effective way is to supplement calcium through diet; you should not arbitrarily take calcium supplements.

Calcium supplements should only be taken in cases of severe calcium deficiency. The following situations often involve insufficient intake of calcium-rich foods and may require calcium supplementation as prescribed by a doctor:

- Vegetarians, especially strict vegetarians.

- People who show signs of lactose intolerance and drink little milk.

- People with diets high in meat or salt, which cause the body to excrete excess calcium, are prone to osteoporosis.

- Patients with this condition require long-term corticosteroid use.

- People with gastrointestinal diseases that prevent calcium absorption, such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease.

5. Is excess calcium harmful?

Regarding calcium supplementation through food, cases of excess calcium in the blood or excess calcium accumulation in tissues due to excessive calcium consumption are rare because any excess calcium ingested will be excreted from the body.

However, in cases where high doses of calcium supplements are used for extended periods, the body may reduce its absorption, or excessive calcium supplementation in soft tissues and blood vessels can negatively affect vascular diseases.

Excess calcium from calcium supplements can lead to several side effects such as: kidney stones, hypercalcemia and kidney failure, and reduced absorption of other essential minerals such as iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus. Therefore, it is important to note that calcium supplements should only be taken as prescribed by a doctor.

The safest way to supplement calcium is through calcium-rich foods in your diet.

6. Measures to prevent calcium deficiency

To ensure sufficient calcium intake, infants need to be fully breastfed from birth. During the weaning period (from 5-6 months), in addition to breastfeeding, it's important to include calcium-rich foods in their diet. Even during puberty and adulthood, calcium-rich foods should continue to be a priority in their daily diet.

Maintain a varied diet, including foods rich in calcium such as: shrimp, crab, fish (including bones), snails, sesame seeds, soybeans, wood ear mushrooms, spinach, eggs (especially egg yolks), milk and dairy products…

Your diet needs to provide sufficient protein. If your diet contains too much protein compared to the recommended daily intake, it can increase the risk of calcium deficiency. Excessive protein intake also increases calcium excretion through the urinary tract, raising the risk of kidney stones. Limit your consumption of coffee, alcohol, and salt, as these substances often inhibit calcium absorption.

Use calcium-fortified foods in cases of severe calcium deficiency as directed by your doctor.

Vitamin D helps regulate calcium levels in the blood and bones, allowing the body to absorb calcium more effectively. Therefore, in addition to consuming calcium-rich foods, we should also consider choosing foods rich in vitamin D, such as seafood, eggs, and dairy products, to provide the body with sufficient vitamin D.

In addition, you should spend at least 10-20 minutes sunbathing in the morning (between 9:00 and 9:30 AM each day) to help your body absorb more Vitamin D through your skin. Your diet should also include sufficient fats and oils to improve Vitamin D absorption through the digestive system.