What is calcium and why do we need it? The understanding nutrients series
Welcome to the first understanding nutrients edition of 2023! We’re kicking off the year with the mineral calcium.
Calcium is a crucial nutrient that’s important for the body.
You’re probably already familiar with the idea of milk being a good source of calcium
and the fact that calcium builds strong bones. But there’s a lot more to it
than that.
Roles of calcium:
Calcium has many roles in the body, so I’ll touch on a few.
Bone health: calcium is the main component of bones and
teeth, with more than 99% of the body’s calcium being stored there. It gives the
skeleton strength and structure. Our bones undergo constant restructuring,
especially during growth, which is why calcium is so important for children. It
also acts the main store for calcium which will be utilised when needed. The
regulation of calcium in the bone and the blood is tightly controlled.
Muscle contractions: calcium plays a key role in muscle
contraction and keeping your heart beating. The movement of calcium ions around
the cell triggers other proteins that cause the muscles to move and contract.
With your heart, calcium contributes to the electrical signalling that
coordinates your heartbeat.
Blood clotting: another role of
calcium that you may not be familiar with is blood clotting. It plays a big
role in many parts of the blood clotting process. For example, calcium is
needed in the blood for the formation of fibrin. Fibrin is a protein that forms
a fibrous network, sort of like a mesh, which helps your blood clot. This
prevents you from losing lots of blood when you cut yourself.
How much calcium should we be having?
You should be able to get all the calcium you need from a
healthy balanced diet. Adult men and women need 700mg of calcium a day.
Lactating women need an additional 550mg a day.
For reference, a 30g serving of cheddar cheese has 220mg of
calcium.
Sources of calcium:
Dairy products, green veg, fish with soft edible bones, nuts, and fortified foods are good sources of calcium. This list isn’t exhaustive, but here are some examples of foods that contain calcium.
- 100ml of cow’s milk has around 120mg
- 100ml of soya milk (fortified with calcium) has around 120mg
- 100g of Greek yoghurt has around 126mg
- 100g of soya yoghurt (fortified with calcium) has around 120mg
- 84g of sardines (one tin, drained) has around 570mg
- 100g of kale has around 120mg
- 30g of almonds has around 75mg
- A medium slice of white bread (fortified with calcium) has around 62mg.
What happens if we don’t get enough calcium?
As I mentioned earlier, you should be able to get enough
calcium through your diet. But certain medications, some medical
conditions/treatments, or an unbalanced diet can lead to a deficiency. A low
level of calcium in the blood is called hypocalcaemia. And a mild case won't
usually have any symptoms.
Having a calcium deficiency long term can lead to problems
with your teeth, bones, nails, skin, and muscles.
Your body may draw calcium from your teeth to maintain the
normal blood calcium levels, which makes them brittle and more likely to decay.
The same thing happens with the rest of your bones too. When calcium is low,
the body will pull calcium from the bones which leaves them weak and soft. When
your bones become soft this is called osteomalacia. When your bone density is
less than it should be, this is osteoporosis.
Long-term low calcium levels can also lead to other symptoms
like extreme fatigue, muscle spasms and twitches, numbness and tingling in the
limbs, dry skin, and brittle nails.
A deficiency in calcium can be treated by eating high
calcium foods and taking supplements. If the deficiency has persisted long
term, other treatments may be used.
I hope you liked this blog post. I’d love to hear your
thoughts in the comments below.
Key points:
- Calcium has many roles in the body including supporting bone health, helping muscles contract, and assisting in blood clotting.
- Adults need 700mg of calcium a day.
- Food sources of calcium include dairy, green vegetables, and fish with soft bones.
- Low levels of calcium in the blood is called hypocalcaemia. A deficiency in calcium can lead to osteomalacia or osteoporosis which is where your bones get soft and weaker.
You can find the rest of the understanding nutrients series
here.
Bye for now! 👋
References:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321865#symptoms
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium/HealthProfessional/
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