Calcium Benefits
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Calcium's benefits include:
- Low calcium intake in childhood leads to rickets
Insufficient calcium intake in childhood leads to the disease rickets, where the bones (and teeth) become too soft and deformed, growth is stunted and the skull is not formed properly. Rickets is entirely preventable and rarely occurs in developed nations where foods rich in calcium are in abundant supply. It is more of a problem in countries where there is famine. - Calcium helps to prevent osteoporosis
Calcium is one of the most important minerals that is needed by the body to help prevent osteoporosis - a disease which causes a break-down in the bone tissue matrix by a lack of calcium and which causes the bones to be very brittle and break easily. - Calcium is vital for the parathyroid and thyroid glands to work properly
The thyroid and parathyroid glands rely on a specific (but very small) amount of calcium to function properly and if these levels are disturbed, then either or both these glands can malfunction. When blood calcium levels are too low, the parathyroid hormones release parathyroid hormone (PTH), which stimulates the break down of bone tissue to release enough calcium into the blood (this means that there is a decrease in any new bone tissue formation). The release of PTH also stimulates increased activation of vitamin D and decreased excretion and increased intestinal absorption of calcium and magnesium. This has huge implications on bone tissue loss and osteoporosis. Conversely, if there is too much calcium in the blood, the thyroid gland releases the hormone calcitonin, which stimulates the bone cells to increase new bone tissue formation and to stop any break-down of bone tissue. - Calcium may be implicated in Alzheimer's Disease
Recent research suggests that a disruption of the calcium in synapses of neurones (the endings of nerves that send the messages to other nerves) could cause the impairment in nerve signalling, thus causing cognitive defects, which are part of the initial symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease. - Calcium may reduce incidence of colon cancer
Recent research shows that people who get enough vitamin D from sunshine and enough calcium from dairy foods, have a reduced incidence of colon cancer and that those people who had colon cancer and had a low calcium had a higher chance of dying from the cancer than the people who had a higher calcium intake. Another study showed that people with colon cancer who were supplemented with calcium, had a significant decrease in the number of cancer cells in the lining of the colon after about the second month of supplementation.
The thyroid and parathyroid glands rely on a specific (but very small) amount of calcium to function properly and if these levels are disturbed, then either or both these glands can malfunction
- Calcium may be implicated in muscular dystrophy disease
Recent research shows that there is a correlation between misregulation of calcium levels and underlying cellular activity and pathogenesis of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Further research is going on in this area to determine the exact cause and how misregulation of calcium interferes with proper muscle activity, with a view on how to prevent muscular dystrophy. - Calcium regulates the heartbeat, ensuring it beats regularly
Calcium, along with magnesium, is vital for ensuring the heart beats properly and regularly. Calcium regulates the way that the heart muscle cells contract and then relaxes in each heartbeat. The strength of heartbeat depends entirely on the amount of calcium released and the cell's sensitivity to the calcium. - Calcium is vital for ensuring healthy blood pressure levels
Many recent studies show that high blood pressure (hypertension) could be a result of low dietary calcium intake together with a high dietary sodium intake. The studies showed that both men and women who were given a calcium supplement had a dramatic reduction in blood pressure (back to normal levels), which was similar or better than the reduction achieved with conventional blood pressure medication and that the people with hypertension who were most sensitive to the blood pressure elevating effects of salt has the most benefit. In addition, other studies show that there is a definite correlation between pregnant women who had high blood pressure (a major risk factor for pre-eclampsia, a condition which poses a risk for the mother and baby's lives) and a low calcium dietary intake. - Calcium helps prevent heart disease
Two important studies have shown a link between atherosclerosis and osteoporosis. In one study, it was determined that women who had osteoporosis were more likely to have calcium-containing plaque blocking their carotid arteries (these are the arteries that lead to the brain) and thus bring a higher risk for stroke. The other study showed that both men and women how had low levels of vitamin D also had higher rates of calcium-containing plaque in the arteries leading to the hearts, which has a higher risk of heart attack. - Enables the blood to coagulate properly when required
Sufficient calcium is required to enable the blood to coagulate (or clot) properly when any of the body tissues are damaged, to help heal and repair the tissues more quickly. - Calcium is needed to maintain cell membrane elasticity and general cell health
Calcium helps to maintain and restore a normal electric cell potential between both sides of the cell membrane. Calcium is also effective in transporting essential minerals through the cell membrane wall and into the cell. In these important ways, calcium is vital in maintaining the health of cell membranes, without which leaves the cells open to attack by undesirable chemicals and toxins and can cause or contribute to a wide range of diseases. Calcium regulates of both cell death and the mechanisms underlying cell proliferation, which can become defective and cause cancer. Research has shown that the various characteristics of calcium signalling in the cell ultimately determining the cell's fate.