We humans need a good amount of calcium to maintain and build our bones. Our bones and teeth contain the majority of the calcium in our bodies. Calcium helps in maintaining healthy communication between our brain and other parts of the body. Calcium is also important for blood circulation and muscle movement.
Calcium is naturally available in many foods, like milk products, green leafy vegetables, and seeds. Medicines and supplements containing calcium are also easily available. Only calcium alone is not enough for our bones. It is very important to consume vitamin D along with calcium for the proper absorption of calcium.
Vitamin D is found in fatty fish, mushrooms, and many other foods. In this blog post, we will understand the importance of calcium, the causes of calcium deficiency, and more.
Why is Calcium Important?
Calcium for Bone Health
Because 99% of our body's calcium is found in our bones and teeth, it becomes an essential nutrition for the development, maintenance, and growth of our bones. Calcium helps in our bones' formation and growth when we are young.
When bones stop growing after becoming adults, calcium still helps in the maintenance of the bones and prevents bone diseases. Calcium loss is very common in women. When women experience menopause, they are more likely to lose bone density.
Menopause causes some hormonal changes in the body and calcium deficiency, which leads to osteoporosis.
Muscle ContractionÂ
Calcium helps regulate muscle contraction. By reacting with myosin and actin, it causes muscles to contract. Our body produces calcium when a neuron stimulates a muscle. The calcium helps the muscle's proteins perform the task of contraction. Muscles get relaxed when our body extracts calcium from them.
Calcium is Involved in Neuronal Signaling
Calcium is essential for nerve cells because it helps send messages between them. It does this by making nerve cells release special chemicals called neurotransmitters, which pass messages from one nerve cell to another.
Calcium Minimizes Excessive Bleeding
Blood clots build up with the assistance of vitamin K and calcium. This prevents excessive blood flow after an injury. The cascade reactions that lead to clotting of blood need calcium as an essential component.
Impact of Calcium Deficiency on Our Body
Calcium is crucial for our body, so it's important to pay attention to the signs that indicate low calcium levels. Look for these signs to see if you need more calcium:
Increasing Blood Pressure
Low calcium intake can increase your blood pressure, while an appropriate calcium intake can help you regulate your blood pressure. But the reason for increasing blood pressure should be checked by a doctor first. Increase calcium intake only when a doctor recommends it. The range of decreasing and increasing blood pressure is still being researched.
Tooth Decay
Our teeth contain most of our calcium after bones; that's why calcium deficiency can be seen in our teeth as well. Due to chronic calcium deficiency, our body starts taking calcium from our teeth. This causes many dental problems, including tooth decay and little gums.
Dry Skin and Eczema
Calcium is found on the outer layer of the skin. This outer layer is called the epidermis. Calcium helps in replacing the old dead skin with the new ones; calcium contains keratinocytes, which help in healing and self-repairing. There are some studies that prove calcium deficiency causes skin aging. Low calcium in your body makes your skin dry and itchy. Dehydration might not always be the reason for skin dryness; sometimes it is calcium deficiency.
There is a skin disorder called eczema that can develop from a chronic deficiency of calcium. Eczema causes skin rashes and inflammation. Some other symptoms of eczema are itchiness, redness, and blisters on the skin. Eczema can be cured by some topical solution, but if this is due to calcium deficiency, do increase your calcium intake.
Irregular Heartbeat
The most important muscle in the human body, our heart, needs calcium for its normal contractions. Calcium is very important for the nerves to communicate with the heart muscle, which pumps blood throughout the body.
Dry and Weak Hair
Calcium also helps in keeping our hair healthy. Calcium helps in the release of hormones along with certain nutrients that promote the growth of hair, such as biotin. Lack of calcium in the body may cause the hair to become weak, coarse, and brittle. These signs and symptoms might indicate a calcium deficiency.
Osteopenia and Osteoporosis
As discussed earlier, 99% of our body's calcium is stored in the bones. Low calcium intake can result in diseases of the bones like osteopenia and osteoporosis. When our calcium level is low, our body starts taking calcium from our bones, which makes them weak. Osteopenia can reduce the density of your bones. Osteoporosis makes our bones porous and prone to fractures. It causes pain and poor posture. These two diseases take years to develop, and they are not good for our bones or overall health.
Conclusion
Calcium deficiency can be caused by health issues, dietary factors, and some other medical conditions. The greatest strategy to enhance your body's calcium levels is to eat more calcium-rich foods. Or you should consult with a doctor to diagnose the exact cause and start appropriate treatment.
Sometimes we do not know the exact cause of the pain and just start taking calcium tablets or painkillers. I was also suffering from hip pain for a very long time. Painkillers and increasing calcium intake did not help me. I am from Dehradun, but I am currently living in a college hostel in Delhi. I informed my roommate about my pain, and he advised me to consult with a hip surgeon in Delhi NCR. I was recommended for total hip replacement surgery by my surgeon. I underwent the surgery successfully and today I am fit and fine.
The doctor I met is a reputed hip and knee surgeon in Delhi NCR. If your pain is consistent and painkillers and calcium supplements are not giving you relief, you should consult with an orthopedic doctor.
