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by Mary Kowalski
Your body relies on calcium as a critical component of its
functioning. Most individuals are well aware that calcium is necessary
for strong teeth and bones. Are you equally aware that your heart and
all muscles must have calcium to contract? Calcium is essential for the
clotting of blood and the transmission of messages of nerve impulses,
too. Because calcium is so important to survival, maybe that is why
calcium is the fifth most abundant of the earth’s elements.
In nature, the metal calcium is always found combined with other
substances like calcium carbonate as in marble, limestone, or chalk.
Other forms of naturally occurring calcium are calcium sulfate
(alabaster or gypsum), calcium fluoride (fluorite) and calcium hydroxide
as cement. Until the 20th century, calcium was expensive to extract,
however, it is now commonly used in various industries.
Calcium is available naturally in food, especially green vegetables. One
cup of broccoli has the same amount of absorbable calcium as a cup of
milk. This is very good news to individuals who do not drink milk, have
lactose intolerance, or are susceptible to migraines from milk products.
Laboratory reports of blood levels of calcium do not always indicate the
true picture of the body’s calcium status. The amount of calcium in the
blood must remain within specific levels for muscle contractions, nerve
transmissions, and clotting. To maintain critical functions, the body
may be forced to obtain calcium from its own existing supply, that is,
from bones. Without adequate calcium intake, the body is forced to
remove calcium from bone, which can lead to serious problems such as
osteoporosis and spontaneous bone fractures. Your calcium blood level
may be OK but your bones could be in big trouble.
The importance of calcium intake starts with the young and increases as
we age. Minimum intake of calcium should be about 1000 mg per day, that
is generally 3-4 supplemental tablets of calcium. Most individuals
should be taking about 1500 to 2500 mg per day.
Only about 10% of the calcium that we consume is actually absorbed. It
is very difficult to ingest too much calcium; it is very easy to not get
enough calcium. Virtually every expert in the nutritional field is
united in their opinion that Americans are not consuming enough calcium.
Extensive testing of the effects of calcium on pregnant, nursing, or
menopausal women has clearly indicated the benefits of calcium.
Supplemental calcium is the foundation for the treatment and/or
prevention of osteoporosis, which literally means, holes in the bones.
Two basic types of calcium supplements are available: calcium carbonate
and calcium citrate. More than 85% of supplemental calcium is from
calcium carbonate, which is available in various forms such as Tums,
OsCal, and numerous other brands. Calcium carbonate is less expensive
and more concentrated than calcium citrate. Taking one of the brands of
calcium carbonate usually means taking fewer and smaller tablets.
There is very little difference in body’s absorption of the two types of
supplements. Generally, calcium carbonate is best ingested with food,
while calcium citrate is best absorbed without food. Research has shown
that the quantity of stomach acid has very little effect on the
absorption of calcium.
In the future, calcium may be a required additive of certain foods, like
iodine is required as an additive to table salt. Meanwhile, if you are
concerned that you are not getting enough vegetables, tofu, or soy,
which contain lots of calcium, perhaps you need the benefits of routine
calcium supplements.
Sources www.calciuminfo.com and
www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium/htm
September 2002
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