Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body. It is required for vascular contraction and vasodilation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion, though less than 1% of total body calcium is needed to support these critical metabolic functions.
Serum calcium is very tightly regulated and does not fluctuate with changes in dietary intakes; the body uses bone tissue as a reservoir for, and source of calcium, to maintain constant concentrations of calcium in the blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids.
The remaining 99% of the body’s calcium supply is stored in the bones and teeth where it supports their structure and function.
A Co-factor For Many Enzymes
Without calcium, some key enzymes cannot work efficiently. Calcium ions contribute to the physiology and biochemistry of organisms cell.
They play an important role in signal transduction pathways, where they act as a second messenger, in neurotransmitter release from neurons and in fertilization.
Many enzymes require calcium ions as a cofactor, including several of the coagulation factors. Extracellular calcium is also important for maintaining the potential difference across excitable cell membranes, as well as proper bone formation.
Muscle contraction
Calcium helps regulate muscle contraction. When a nerve stimulates a muscle, the body releases calcium. It helps the proteins in muscle carry out the work of contraction. When the body pumps the calcium out of the muscle, the muscle will relax.
Cardiovascular system
It plays a key role in blood clotting. The process of clotting is complex and has a number of steps. These involve a range of chemicals, including calcium.
Calcium’s role in muscle function includes maintaining the action of the heart muscle. It relaxes the smooth muscle that surrounds blood vessels. Various studies have indicated a possible link between high consumption of calcium and lower blood pressure.
Bone Health
Around 99% of the calcium in the human body is in the bones and teeth. It is essential for the development, growth, and maintenance of bone.
As children grow, calcium contributes to the development of their bones. After a person stops growing, calcium continues to help maintain the bones and slow down bone density loss, which is a natural part of the aging process.
Females who have already experienced menopause can lose bone density at a higher rate than males or younger people. They have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis, which literally means porous bone, is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced.
As bones become more porous and fragile, the risk of fracture is greatly increased. The loss of bone occurs silently and progressively. Often there are no symptoms until the first fracture occurs.
As we age some of our bone cells begin to dissolve bone matrix (resorption), while new bone cells deposit osteoid (formation). This process is known as remodeling.
For people with osteoporosis, bone loss outpaces the growth of new bone. Bones become porous, brittle, and prone to fracture.
Around the world, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men aged fifty years and over are at risk of an osteoporotic fracture. In fact, an osteoporotic fracture is estimated to occur every 3 seconds.
The most common fractures associated with osteoporosis occur at the hip, spine, and wrist.
The likelihood of these fractures occurring, particularly at the hip and spine, increases with age in both women and men.
Of particular concern are vertebral (spinal) and hip fractures. Vertebral fractures can result in serious consequences, including loss of height, intense back pain, and deformit.
A hip fracture often requires surgery and may result in loss of independence or death.
A number of factors can increase the likelihood that you'll develop osteoporosis — including your age, race, lifestyle choices, and medical conditions and treatments.
Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than are men. The older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis. Having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis puts you at greater risk, especially if your mother or father fractured a hip.
Men and women who have small body frames tend to have a higher risk because they might have less bone mass to draw from as they age.
Osteoporosis is more common in people who have too much or too little of certain hormones in their bodies. Lowered sex hormone levels tend to weaken bone.
The reduction of estrogen levels in women at menopause is one of the strongest risk factors for developing osteoporosis. Men have a gradual reduction in testosterone levels as they age.
Treatments for prostate cancer that reduce testosterone levels in men and treatments for breast cancer that reduce estrogen levels in women are likely to accelerate bone loss.
Too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss. This can occur if your thyroid is overactive or if you take too much thyroid hormone medication to treat an underactive thyroid. Osteoporosis has also been associated with overactive parathyroid and adrenal glands.
Osteoporosis is more likely to occur in people who have low calcium intake. A lifelong lack of calcium plays a role in the development of osteoporosis. Low calcium intake contributes to diminished bone density, early bone loss, and an increased risk of fractures.
Surgery to reduce the size of your stomach or to remove part of the intestine limits the amount of surface area available to absorb nutrients, including calcium. These surgeries include those to help you lose weight and for other gastrointestinal disorders.
Long-term use of oral or injected corticosteroid medications, such as prednisone and cortisone, interferes with the bone-rebuilding process. Osteoporosis has also been associated with medications used to combat or prevent seizures, gastric reflux, cancer, and transplant rejection.
The risk of osteoporosis is higher in people who have certain medical problems, including celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney or liver disease, and cancer.
Some bad habits can increase your risk of osteoporosis as a sedentary lifestyle. People who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do those who are more active.
Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of osteoporosis. It has been shown that tobacco use contributes to weak bones.
Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia refers to a marked softening of the bones, most often caused by severe vitamin D deficiency. The softened bones of children and young adults with osteomalacia can lead to bowing during growth, especially in weight-bearing bones of the legs. Osteomalacia in older adults can lead to fractures.
Treatment for osteomalacia involves providing enough vitamin D and calcium, both required to harden and strengthen bones, and treating disorders that might cause the condition.
The risk of developing osteomalacia is highest in people who don't get enough dietary vitamin D and have little sun exposure, such as older adults and those who are housebound or hospitalized.
When osteomalacia is in its early stages, you might not have symptoms, although signs of osteomalacia might show on an X-ray or other diagnostic tests. As osteomalacia progresses, you might develop bone pain and muscle weakness.
The dull, aching pain associated with osteomalacia most commonly affects the lower back, pelvis, hips, legs and ribs. The pain might be worse at night or when you put pressure on the bones.
The pain is rarely relieved completely by rest. Decreased muscle tone and leg weakness can cause a waddling gait and make walking slower and more difficult.
People who live in areas where sunlight is limited, get little exposure to sunlight, or eat a diet low in vitamin D can develop osteomalacia. Vitamin D deficiency is the most common cause of osteomalacia worldwide.
Normally, the stomach breaks down food to release calcium and other minerals that are absorbed in the intestine. This process is disrupted if you have surgery to remove part or all of your stomach or to bypass your small intestine and can result in vitamin D and calcium deficiency.
Celiac disease. In this autoimmune disorder, foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, can damage the lining of your small intestine. A damaged intestinal lining doesn't absorb nutrients well, and can lead to vitamin D and calcium deficiency.
Kidney or liver disorders. These organs are involved in activating vitamin D in your body. Problems with your kidneys or liver can affect your body's ability to make active vitamin D.
Some drugs used to treat seizures, including phenytoin and phenobarbital, can cause severe vitamin D deficiency and osteomalacia.
Calcium-rich foods
People can obtain calcium from a range of foods and drinks. The following are good sources: yogurt, milk, fortified dairy alternatives, such as soy milk, sardines, and salmon, and cheese.
Other sources include green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, turnip leaves, and watercress, many fortified breakfast cereals, fortified fruit juices, nuts and seeds, especially almonds, sesame, and chia, legumes, and grains.
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