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.