Calcium in the body serves very many important functions like ensuring that the blood pressure of an individual is at a stable point, and that the bones and teeth of the individual in question are strong. A deficiency on the other hand means a lack of an essential component or a shortage in amount of such a component. Calcium deficiency is a disease also known as hypocacemia. This condition is characterized by low level of calcium in the blood of the individual in question. With calcium deficiency, there are risks in developing diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. Hypocalcemia is often accompanied by symptoms such as loss in memory, having weak hair and nails and experiencing seizures. Excess amount of calcium in the body system can also be fatal.
Calcium is taken to prevent diseases such as hypertension. DASH is successful in lowering the pressure of blood in the system (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013) . Eating of DASH enriches the body system with calcium which helps in lowering blood pressure. Foods with a high amount of calcium are responsible for reducing the amount of fat in the body (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013) . Calcium also protects the lean tissues and ensures that the weight of an individual’s body is maintained. Some studies give indication of an inverse relationship between the intake of calcium and the weight of the body. The relationship derived is that higher intake of calcium is related to lower prevalence of an individual’s being overweight. Alternatively, calcium-rich foods may not necessarily reduce weight but instead suppress a kind of inflammation known to be associated with an individual being overweight (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013) .
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The balance of calcium in the body of an individual is concerned with the hormonal composition of a patient and the action of vitamin D (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013) . The rise and fall of the level of calcium in the body triggers the activity of three organ systems. The systems that respond include intestines, bones and the kidney of an individual. The hormones that are involved in the activity of calcium are parathyroid and calcitonin hormones (Whitney & Rolfes, 2013) . Their function is majorly home ostatic which means they reinstate the level of blood calcium in the body. Bone calcium is a vital source of calcium in the blood. There is an exchange of calcium between the blood and bones depending on its level in the blood. Calcium rigor is the result of blood calcium above the normal point at which optimum conditions of calcium are appreciated and used by the body system. The condition of calcium below normal results in calcium tetany which is characteristic of muscle contraction that cannot be brought under control. The conditions are not a reflection of whether or not there is an excess of calcium in the diet or a lack of it. The result of the conditions is due to an inadequate amount of vitamin D or having abnormal secretions of regulatory hormones used in homeostatic control. A chronic deficiency of calcium affects the bones of an individual by depleting them. The bones experience the major effects of low calcium levels in the body.
Calcium absorption
There are numerous factors affecting how calcium is absorbed into the blood system. The surest way to ensure that the amount of calcium in the blood system of an individual is at an optimum level is to ensure that an individual takes in a lot during dietary consumption. The average amount of calcium the body takes from the amount ingested is 30%. Acidity of the stomach is a factor contributing to the regulation of the amount of calcium in the body. The function of vitamin D is to help manufacture a calcium binding protein that the body uses when it comes to absorbing calcium. That is the reason why milk rich in calcium is good in helping in the fortification of vitamin D. Absorption of calcium into the body of an individual is increased with the needs of the body. That explains why new-born babes have a relatively higher absorption of calcium compared to adults. It is because of this reason that a pregnant individual has a double-intake of calcium. The slowing of growth in the bones results into a higher rate of reduction in the amount of calcium absorbed in the body. The conditions that are responsible for enhanced absorption of calcium are the very ones responsible for its limited absorption in case they become absented.
Calcium recommendations
Higher calcium intake is directly related to greater benefits to the bones. Likewise, low intake is responsible for the suffering of the bones. The recommendations of calcium are that what need to be adopted are the methods which ensure that calcium remains optimum in the bones. Retaining bone calcium helps the bones to develop fully in terms of size and their density (a condition known as peak bone mass) as per the limits of the genetic makeup of the individual in question. The setting of the recommendations targets an absorption level of 30%. High consumption of protein is responsible for high losses in protein during urination though it helps in improving the strength of the bones and also absorption of calcium.
Calcium Food Sources
The most common source of calcium is milk. Other alternatives that can be used to enhance the amount of calcium in the body are milk products, tofu, corn tortillas, some nuts, and seeds. Low consumption of milk manifests in lower density of bones and frequent fractures of the bones of individuals.
Reference
Whitney, E. N., & Rolfes, S. R. (2013). Understanding Nutrition. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
