Calcium Deficiency

What Is Calcium And Why Is It Good For Us?

Most of us have heard of calcium and know it is good for our bones. This is particularly true for those of us brought up in the West, where we were seemingly forever being told by our parents to 'drink your milk'.

This article is Part 5 in our 5 part series on nutritional deficiencies.  To view the Vitamin D deficiency article, click  here and to view the Magnesium deficiency article, click here.

Calcium is indeed a mineral needed to keep bones strong, but it also carries out a number of other functions in the body. Most of the calcium in our bodies is stored within our bones but some is also required to move muscles, transport blood around the body, and in carrying messages from the brain, through the nerves, to other parts of the body. It also supports the releasing of enzymes and hormones which impact on all areas of functioning.

What Foods Contain Calcium?

Dairy products are the primary source of calcium for many people. All forms of dairy (milk, cheese, yoghurt) contain dairy, but if you do consume a great deal of dairy it may be best to choose healthy options as some products can contribute to high cholesterol.

For individuals who don't eat dairy regularly, either through choice or necessity, there are other ways to incorporate calcium into your diet. Broccoli and kale are excellent vegetarian sources of calcium and fish with edible bones, e.g. tinned salmon, are great meat-product options.

Most grains also provide a certain, albeit lower, level of calcium, and nowadays many products have calcium added in artificially, just read the label to find out levels.

Recommended Daily Allowances And Upper Limit Of Safety

For adults up to 50 years old the recommended daily allowance of calcium is 1000mg, this increases to 1200mg for women up to 70 years old. All adults over 71 years are recommended to have 1200mg of calcium per day. This is because the body is not as adept at absorbing calcium as we age.

Infants are recommended to have 200mg of calcium per day in the first six month of life, and 260mg in the second six months. Young children (1-3 years) should receive 700mg per day raising to 1000mg up to 8 years old. From 9-18 years, children should be having 1300mg per day, as their bones will be growing and developing a great deal during this period. This amount should be adhered to particularly in the case of a pregnant or breastfeeding teenager. In pregnant or breastfeeding adults 1000mg is sufficient.

Consuming too much calcium can cause constipation, and interfere with the ability for the body to absorb other minerals. Receiving too much calcium from supplements may also increase the risk of kidney stones as these are rich in calcium oxalate. This risk doesn't appear to hold true when high levels of calcium are achieved through food.

The upper safety limit for adults is 2500mg and 2000mg for adults over 50 years. For infants is it 1000mg until 6 months and 1500mg to one year. Up to 8 years the upper safely limit is 2500mg and 3000mg until the end of the teenage years. The limit for pregnant or breastfeeding teens the level is 3000mg, with 2500mg being the upper limit of safety for pregnant or breasfeeding adults.

At Risk Groups

It seems that some of these groups, through reduced intake, do not typically reach these levels. Of particular concern are adolescent girls and elderly adults, these individuals are at a higher risk of being deficient in calcium due to their reduced intake.

In addition, some people may not consume enough calcium due to a lactose intolerance. This occurs when people cannot digest the sugar in milk, some are able to eat dairy products low in lactose whilst others can choose dairy-free alternatives which are enriched with calcium.

Vegans, who choose not to eat animal products, are also at risk of being deficient in calcium.

The effect of age is particularly apparent in postmenopausal women as they do not absorb calcium as well, and experience increased bone loss. Calcium is vital for slowing this process. Women whose periods have stopped for other reasons, e.g. eating too little, are at risk of calcium deficiency due to decreased calcium absorption and increased loss of calcium through the urine.

Some foods can reduce the absorption of calcium, e.g. phytic acid in grains, but this is accounted for when calculated the recommended daily allowances, so for a well-balanced diet this shouldn't prove a problem. Vitamin D on the other hand improves calcium absorption.

Calcium Deficiency

Initially if an individual is not consuming enough calcium the body takes calcium from the bone to keep up levels in the blood necessary for the plethora of functions calcium is required for. Over time however, osteopenia, low bone mass, can develop as well as weak bones, osteoporosis and fractures. Osteoporosis is a bone disease in which the bone mineral density is extremely low, rendering the bones fragile and susceptible to fracture.

In addition, in those with a severe deficiency other symptoms can develop. These include tingling and numbness in the extremities, abnormal heart beat, convulsions, and ultimately, death.

Prevention And Treatment

The best treatment is of course prevention: calcium is found, either naturally or added during processing, in a whole range of products. In addition, it is regularly found in 'vitamins & minerals' supplements, or as its own supplement – although the amount varies so check the label carefully.

Calcium Carbonate is the most widely available of the supplements, and is best absorbed after eating. Calcium Citrate is more costly but can be absorbed well at all times.

Calcium is best absorbed in doses of up to 500mg, so spread your daily consumption/supplement intake out.

Supplements sometimes cause side-effects, including bloating and constipation. If this occurs, try taking them with food, spreading the dose out more or changing brand.

Calcium supplements also interact with a number of medications, through increased loss or decreased absorption, and occasionally the reverse. It is really important to consult a medical professional before commencing any course of supplements.

Prognosis

With calcium being so widely available it may be easy to become complacent about our intake. However, considering how vital it is throughout our whole life, and how the effects of a lifetime of under-consumption can effect us in our later years, when are are already more fragile, it pays to be proactive in ensuring you make calcium part of your daily routine.

Fiber Deficiency

This article on fiber deficiency is actually Part 3 in my blog's 5 part series on Nutritional Deficiencies.  

Part 1: Vitamin D Deficiency and Part 2: Magnesium Deficiency are available on my main blog.  and Part 4: Calcium Deficiency and Part 5: Iodine Deficiency will published on this blog shortly.  I hope you enjoy the articles and leave us your feedback.

What Is Fiber And Why Is It Good For Us?

Dietary Fiber is a regular buzz word in health conscious circles, but why is this nutrient so important to our health? 

Well, first off, fiber aids digestion and helps us maintain regular bowels. 

It also helps prevent obesity, makes us feel satiated after meals, therefore stopping over-eating. 

Fiber can help prevent and control high cholesterol and aids in the prevention of heart disease.

This is because fiber is able to bind to cholesterol and eradicate it from the digestive system, thereby lowering the amount of cholesterol in the blood, and arteries. 

Fiber also helps control blood sugar levels through delaying the absorption of sugars and therefore the insulin response to carbohydrates. This can help prevent the development of diabetes and helps manage the condition in those who are already diabetic.

Fiber has been quoted by Dr. Lustig as the nature's antidote to sugar.  The digestion of fructose found in fiber-less processed foods has been the major cause of the obesity epidemic.

After watching Dr. Lustig's famous, "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" video, we were inspired to create our own free 23-page Sugar Detox guide to help people fully appreciate the dangers of continuing to eat a fiber-less, sugar laden daily diet.

Feel free to download it and leave us your feedback.  We hope it helps improve your health and well-being.

It is also widely considered that fiber also aids the prevention of a number of cancers, particularly colon and rectal cancers. 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome is another disorder aided by the intake of fiber as it supports the passing of stools through sufferers' extra-sensitive intestines.

Overall, fiber is considered to be the edible parts of plants that cannot be broken down by our digestive enzymes. 

However, the distinction between 'dietary fiber' and 'added fiber' is something that requires some attention. 

Dietary fiber is non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin that are natural and whole in plants, while added fiber is non-digestible carbohydrates proven to be beneficial to humans which have been isolated and added to foodstuffs during processing.

Although fiber is labelled as non-digestible, the health benefits from fiber can only be realised through some level of digestive functioning. 

For some sources of fiber, extra chewing is needed for the nutrient to involve itself in bodily processes.

Soluble Vs. Insoluble Fiber

There another distinction to make, between two different forms of fiber: soluble and insoluble.

Soluble fiber supports the lowering of cholesterol and the maintenance of blood sugar levels while insoluble fiber promotes regular bowel movements.

Foods Containing Fiber

Here are three main food groups that are good sources of fiber: fruit, vegetables and whole grains.  We aren't big fans of wheat but that is another story.

So, for anyone eating a healthy, balanced diet it shouldn't be too difficult to meet recommended levels for fiber consumption. However, in amongst each group certain products are preferable sources.

Spinach and leafy green vegetables are excellent choices, as are many beans, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and lentils. 

A number of herbs and spices contain fiber, including coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves and oregano. When it comes to fruit; raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, apples and pears are good providers.

Choosing grains can prove confusing at times, while all whole grains are beneficial some of the most commonly eaten grains don't contain the highest levels of fiber. 

Check packaging to determine how good the grains you're buying really are (many companies play up on the 'whole grains' buzz and may mislead customers as to how good their product really is). 

Anything with a fiber content of 4-14g per cooked cup is pretty good going. 

Whole wheat, flax, quinoa and barley contain good levels of fiber.

Processing interferes greatly with the amount of fiber present in the finished product, bread and fruit juice being two prime examples. 

Both would have started with high levels of fiber in their raw, unprocessed states but commercial processing all but eliminates their fiber content. 

So, don't just assume the products you are buying contain high levels of fiber – check the label!

Recommended Daily Allowances

For adults the recommended daily allowance for fiber is 20-35g. It is thought that an average American citizen consumes around 15g per day, and anything under 18-20g is considered a low amount, and puts that person at risk of deficiency.

For children, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends that consumption of fiber is the child's age plus 5g. 

For example, a 10 year old child should consume 15g of fiber per day.

Symptoms Of Fiber Deficiency

As daily intake of fiber protects against a number of difficulties, disorders and diseases are the consequence of not consuming enough fiber.

The first thing most people who are not consuming enough fiber will notice is constipation.

Constipation is generally characterised by hard, painful stools passed less than three times per week. 

If you notice this in yourself, try eating fiber-rich food and drinking plenty of water and you should notice an improvement, if not consult a medical professional. 

It is important to introduce fiber-rich foods gradually rather than overloading your system as this can cause bloating, diarrhea, cramping and gas.

Related to constipation are hemorrhoids; these are swollen veins near the rectum and anus which occur when an individual is straining to produce a bowel movement i.e. when they are constipated. 

If this occurs, you should consult a medical professional, but whilst receiving treatment you can help the recovery process by eating plenty of fiber-rich foods, keeping your stools soft.

More serious conditions that can result from fiber deficiency include diverticulitis. 

This digestive disorder involves the development of swollen, irritated sacs on the digestive tract. 

A rupture to these sacs can lead to waste material being deposited on the abdomen, potentially causing infection. 

Antibiotics can treat cases of diverticulitis but, as with many conditions, the best scenario is prevention.

Too Much Fiber

You can have too much of a good thing, well some people can. 

Consuming more than 50g of fiber per day can lead to obstructions in the intestines for some individuals. Most people however will benefit from this high level of fiber consumption.

However, all of us need to be aware that suddenly increasing intake can lead to dehydration through more regular bowel movements, and mineral deficiencies may also result through increased excretion. 

It is advisable to be particularly aware of this should your diet already be lacking in minerals or during phases of life which require added mineral input, pregnancy for example. 

This holds true too for individuals taking regular medication, as increased fiber consumption may interfere with the absorption, and therefore efficacy, of the treatment.

Prognosis

Although a lack of fiber can produce and contribute to some uncomfortable, and at times serious, difficulties, it is a deficiency that can be easily avoided through a healthy diet. 

Taking into consideration possible warning signs, such as changes in bowel movements, can help prevent the difficulties worsening. 

One word of warning though is to always read the label of products claiming to contain dietary and/or added fiber. 

As previously stated, fiber is a buzz word in healthy eating and products may not contain the high levels of fiber they claim should you investigate further.

Have a great day and here is the link again to our free 23-page sugar detox guide if you are in need of breaking a possible sugar addiction and/or are wanting to regain your youth and vitality.