Calcium: Problems Due To Lack Or Excess, Main Functions, Foods With Calcium And That Steal Calcium From Bones

Calcium is an essential mineral for the construction and maintenance of bones and teeth and it is very important that it is ingested in adequate amounts, especially during childhood, since it is at this stage when calcium reserves are created in the body for the rest of life.

Creating good eating habits, including foods rich in calcium , helps to keep the “inheritance” of calcium intact, since in the absence of calcium in the blood , the mineral is removed from the bones and teeth to carry out vital functions , weakening them , and this can start a process of osteopenia and osteoporosis .

Foods rich in calcium

Foods rich in calcium help improve not only the structure of bones and teeth, but also muscle strength and contraction, and even blood clotting.

People with a history of osteoporosis in the family should have a diet rich in calcium, as well as children and women in the menopausal stage, to prevent problems related to hormonal changes and calcium absorption .

List of foods rich in calcium:

Animal foods rich in calciumWeight (g)Calcium (mg)
low fat yogurt245488
skimmed milk245300
whole yogurt200300
whole milk244290
curd28.4153
Plant-based foods rich in calciumWeight (g)Calcium (mg)
i am yogurt170250
ashen100 g538
cooked spinach95140
tofu124138
Brazil nut70123
Cooked soybeans86119
Ice cream6685
Sardines without skin10084
baked beans12764
cooked mustard greens7051
okra stew92fifty
prunes8543
cooked broccoli8542

To get a good amount of calcium in the body, you simply need to eat two skimmed yogurts a day and two slices of bread with white cheese and a lunch including dark green vegetables , such as broccoli, kale or spinach.

Fortified foods are a great way to increase calcium intake, especially foods that are sources of calcium and do not enter the daily diet.

What about milk and dairy products?

Milk, cheese and yogurt are sources of calcium, however, contrary to what is commonly reported, this calcium is not very well absorbed by the body : if your goal is to increase calcium, it is preferable to eat green vegetables and seeds (which bring many other benefits as well). Because many people drink too much cow’s milk, they are much more likely to have osteoporosis.

Excess calcium in the body

Too much calcium in the body can cause kidney stones . This type of problem is more common due to the intake of calcium of animal origin and also due to some food supplements (drinking enough water or coconut water helps prevent the formation of kidney stones ).

Excess consumption can also cause a decrease in other minerals such as magnesium. Too much calcium can also cause memory difficulties , depression, irritability, and muscle weakness.

Calcium functions

Calcium in the body is distributed between bones, teeth and blood and is involved in the metabolism of all cells in the body , such as the muscle contraction mechanism of the extremities or the heart, the transmission of nerve impulses between the brain and the rest of the body and even the pH balance of the blood.

Calcium in the body acts on:

  • The strength of the bones;
  • The structure of the bones and teeth;
  • Nerve impulses;
  • Muscle contractions;
  • Blood clotting;
  • The permeability of the cell.

Calcium absorption

For calcium to be absorbed efficiently, it is important that it be eaten without foods that contain caffeine or iron , since these nutrients prevent the fixation of calcium in the bones, nor with the phytates and oxalates present in many vegetables, such as beans or spinach ; hence the importance of eating foods rich in calcium in the most varied way possible.

Another essential factor for the absorption of calcium is the presence of the vitamin D , which stimulates the intestine to absorb calcium intake , however, besides milk, some foods are rich in vitamin D, but when the skin is exposed to UV sunlight produces ergosterol, a precursor to vitamin D in vegetables, and calciferol, a precursor to vitamin D in animals.

The absorption of calcium is important to ensure that the consumption in the diet is actually used for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and to ensure the formation of bone and muscle contraction and its presence in all the functions that are required.

Besides the diet, physical activity , especially those related to the impact, as running or walking also increase , indirectly, the efficiency of calcium absorption and stimulates bone mass accumulation.

Calcium recommendation for children and adolescents

The recommended daily amount of calcium varies depending on age, children are required to:

  • 1 to 3 years: 500 mg
  • 4 to 8 years: 800 mg
  • 9-18 years 1,300 milligrams

Childhood is the time of life when calcium is very important for building strong, firm bones, growing, and helping teeth develop properly. If they lack calcium, bones cannot grow to their potential height.

Calcium recommendation for adults

The adult calcium recommendation per day:

  • from 19 to 50 years it should be 1,000 milligrams
  • from the age of 50 it will be 1,200 milligrams

After the age of 25, the bones do not grow any more, but it is still possible to add calcium to them to make them stronger and dense by consuming foods rich in calcium , since at this stage they naturally and slowly begin to lose calcium. If during life you had an adequate intake of calcium in the diet, you should not have weak and brittle bones.

Calcium recommendation in pregnancy

The calcium recommendation for pregnant women per day also varies by age, so:

  • up to 18 years – 1,300 milligrams
  • after 18 years – 1,000 milligrams

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, women may be deficient in calcium . If the mineral is not included in the diet, the body will eliminate the bone calcium necessary to meet the needs of the baby’s production and breast milk, leaving the bones and other structures weaker.

Symptoms of a lack of calcium

The symptoms of a lack of calcium in the body , more evident in the long term, are mainly reflected in weakened bones, leading to osteoporosis , since calcium is an important mineral in the formation of teeth and bones. On the other hand, a lack of calcium also causes:

These symptoms can occur with a moderate lack of calcium and therefore it is recommended to increase the consumption of foods rich in calcium, however, calcium supplementation may be necessary and therefore it is important that you consult a doctor or nutritionist . Learn more about calcium supplementation .

To diagnose the lack of calcium in the body you can do a simple blood test, but if the bone is weak, a more sophisticated test, called bone densitometry , is necessary .

Foods that “steal” calcium

We must make sure that our bodies absorb as much calcium as possible. Some foods reduce the body’s ability to absorb this mineral . The solution, however, is not to eliminate them from the diet but to eat them in moderation, always diversifying the menu.

It is important that you know what these foods are and how to consume them safely for your bones. Even for people with osteoporosis, these foods are only harmful if eaten in excess .

Salt

Sodium increases the excretion of calcium in the urine . Who suffers from osteopenia or osteoporosis should eliminate the table salt that is added to the salad and other foods.

Tip : Use lemon, olive oil, seasonings and spices to flavor your meals, you will avoid the excessive use of salt.

Coffee

Mixing this drink with milk is not the best option, depending on the proportions of coffee and milk in your cup. The caffeine in coffee has a diuretic effect , which causes calcium to be eliminated in the urine, but to alter the absorption, the amount of coffee intake per day must be more than 300 ml , equivalent to three cups medium, approximately.

Spirits

Phosphorous-rich liquors inhibit the body’s absorption of calcium . Phosphorous increases the release of parathyroid hormone, a hormone that controls the amount of calcium in cells and bones. If it is high, the transfer of calcium into the bones is terminated.

Chocolate

In addition to caffeine, chocolate contains oxalic acid, which increases the elimination of calcium through the stool . The amount of caffeine is the same, regardless of the amount of cocoa, to eat this delicacy with less guilt, choose chocolates with a higher cocoa content, because despite altering the absorption of calcium, there is at least greater antioxidant action.

Fats

There is a specific type of fat that causes calcium to be released into the stool instead of going to the bones: long-chain saturated fatty acids , found in butter and fatty meats. Upon reaching the intestine, this type of fat, called oxalate, forms a substance that binds to calcium molecules to form insoluble complexes, this complex ends up being excreted in the feces.

Iron excess

The excess iron can cause calcium is not absorbed . This happens due to a dispute between these two minerals, they are absorbed by the same mechanism, although calcium usually wins the match, but loses when iron is in a much larger quantity.

Protein excess

The body expends a large amount of calcium to process protein, therefore overusing protein sources can increase the elimination of calcium in the urine , making it difficult to absorb.

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Kathie Sand always saw the world of beauty as the terrain on which to build her professional career, a goal that was clear to her when she was only 15 years old. Her great concern to expand knowledge led her to settle in Paris where she studied hand in hand with the best beauty professionals and with the most advanced techniques for skin care.

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