According to National
Osteoporosis Foundation, calcium is important to keep our bones denser and
stronger throughout our life. Apart from helping to keep our bones and teeth
stronger, calcium plays a pivotal role in vascular contractions, secretion of
hormones and enzymes, muscle function, intracellular signaling and in
performing critical metabolic functions. In order to perform these critical
functions, our body needs to maintain enough calcium in our blood and muscles,
which is usually done by storing high concentration of calcium in our bone
tissue.
We all know that calcium can keep
osteoporosis at bay, but calcium also plays a pivotal role in coagulating blood
platelets by forming blood clots. However, it is not just enough to increase
your calcium intake to reap its benefits; you should also stay away from foods
that can reduce the density of calcium in your body. As calcium directly
influences our body's metabolic function and regulates overall growth, it is
certainly an essential mineral. Recent research has shed light on the
beneficial sides of calcium. Here is a list of benefits calcium provides.
1. Calcium can help you stay
fit
Apart from having a low carb
diet, a good amount of calcium intake is also needed to keep your weight off.
If your calcium intake is low, then your body automatically responds to its
deficit by releasing parathyroid hormone into your blood stream. This hormone
stimulates the bones to release the calcium stored in it into the blood stream.
Additionally, kidneys also responds by releasing a type of hormone called
calcitriol to increase the body’s ability to absorb calcium. As both these
hormones stimulate the production of fat, you can see a considerable increase
in your weight during your low calcium intake period.
However, if you increase your
calcium intake then production of both of these hormones is suppressed and
hence your body stores less fat. So, this is definitely good news for people
with arthritis as they have difficulty in doing workouts to manage their weight
gain. Now, with extra dose of calcium they can easily maintain healthy bones
and still manage their weight.
2. Calcium helps to protect
your heart
Another important role of calcium
is it helps to protect your heart effectively. If you are low on calcium then
your body automatically responds by producing calcitriol, which acts on the
walls of your arteries by constricting them and elevating your blood pressure.
Therefore, if you want to maintain correct blood pressure, then you need to
give as much importance to your calcium intake as you give to your sodium
intake. By increasing the amount of calcium, you are not only reducing your
blood pressure, but also helping to keep your heart muscles healthier and
stronger. This can certainly ease the pain of thousands of people suffering
from heart problems.
3. Calcium can reduce
premenstrual symptoms
According to a recent study,
calcium is said to reduce premenstrual symptoms (PMS) in women and is seemed to
be effective on both emotional and physical side. As per the study, women who
took higher doses of calcium experienced fewer PMS symptoms like cramping,
depression, and mood swings.
4. Calcium can reduce
formation of colon cancer
Another important benefit of calcium
is, it can suppress the growth of polyps and thereby prevent colon cancer. Even
though researchers are not very clear on how calcium helps to reduce cancer, a
recent study shows that when patients takes excess calcium, the unabsorbed
calcium that remains in their intestine binds with cancer promoters and is
excreted from the body.
5. Calcium prevents jaw
deformation
One of the widely known and
acknowledged benefit of calcium is it helps to maintain stronger teeth. Less
amount of calcium can weaken the jaw bones and can widen the gaps between your
teeth where bacteria can grow and trigger infection. So if you have pain in
your jaws or teeth, then your dentists can tell you the initial signs of
calcium deficiency, which could also be your first sign of osteoporosis.
Calcium rich foods
If you are allergic to dairy
products, then you can rely on some of foods like orange juice, soymilk, sesame
seeds, collard greens, tofu, white beans, parmesan cheese, dried figs, Quinoa,
and Brocolli to meet your daily calcium needs. If you are between 9 to 18 years
old, then you might require at least 1300 mg of calcium per day. For people
between 19 to 50 yrs, the recommended dose is 1000 mg of calcium per day. If
you are older, then you must take at least 1200 mg of calcium per day. Even
though calcium has lots of benefits, you need to be aware of formation of
kidney stones from excess intake of calcium. In any case, it is better to
consult your physician before altering your calcium intake.
We all have seen people suffering
from arthritis; weaker bones are certainly debilitating, so it is highly
essential to take right amount of calcium every day. The two most important
points to keep in mind are to avoid foods that can reduce your body’s calcium
storage and to have foods that can help absorb calcium. On the other hand, like
other minerals, we need to exercise caution to prevent excess intake of calcium
as it can result in kidney stone formation and blood clots.
About the author:
Alia Haley is a blogger by
profession. She loves writing on technology, health and parenting.
Beside this she is fond of games and gadgets. These days she is busy in writing
articles on acne
treatment and gaming
chairs.
