In order for the body to function normally, it is necessary to provide it with vitamins, minerals and other useful elements. One of these substances is calcium, which is necessary for the preservation of teeth and bones. Archaeological studies have shown that primitive people already had a lack of calcium in the body, the signs of which were manifested by a decrease in bone mass.
The role of calcium in the human body
The body of an adult healthy person contains about 1000 g of this microelement (in teeth, skeleton, urine, blood). It is found in ionized and non-ionized states. This chemical element ensures the normal structure of bones and teeth, blood coagulation, the coordinated work of the muscular apparatus, conduction of nerve impulses, and the efficiency of the parathyroid glands. Lack of calcium in the body leads to disturbances in important processes. He takes part in protecting the colon from tumor processes, in the fight against inflammatory and allergic phenomena.
During puberty, the daily need for an element reaches a maximum (about 1200 mg), because it is then that the process of bone mass accumulation is completed. Then, starting from 25 years old, it gradually decreases (800 mg). An increase in the need for a trace element may be associated with active physical activity, the period of breastfeeding or bearing a child.
Why is there a disadvantage
Calcium deficiency in the body can have a different origin. Among the most common causes, doctors name the following: parathyroid pathology (parathyroid hormone is produced that enhances calcium absorption), Cushing's disease (excess of glucocorticosteroids prevents the transport of calcium into the blood through small intestine cells), glucocorticosteroids, thyroid diseases.
A lack of calcium in the body, the symptoms of which interfere with a normal lifestyle, can also be caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, intestinal diseases. And also with urolithiasis, a lack of estrogens, a low-calcium diet, physical inactivity, excessive sweating, work with fluoride dust and phosphate fertilizers.
Signs
When there is a lack of calcium in the body, its signs are due to leaching of this trace element from the skeleton into the blood. In the initial period, such a condition does not pose a health hazard if adequately replenished. But if calcium is not supplied to the body when it is deficient, then one can encounter various adverse consequences.
So, patients with this problem begin to suffer from bone pain (caused by loss of bone mass and thinning), muscle cramps, tooth decay, pathological fractures, arrhythmias, memory loss, and skeletal formation disorders. In pregnant women, severe toxicosis shows a lack of calcium in the body. Signs may affect the condition of the unborn baby.
Calcium deficiency in a child
Calcium is a very important substance for children, because it takes part in the growth and development of the child. This microelement should be daily supplied to the baby in an amount of 500 to 1000 mg. In addition to participating in bone growth, it also affects the performance of the whole organism. It is important to prevent the occurrence of a deficiency, as this may affect the further development of the child. Deficiency can result in problems in tooth growth and skeletal development, and abnormal functioning of the nervous system. To prevent this condition, doctors recommend giving your child calcium supplements for children.
The consequences of a micronutrient deficiency in the baby's body can occur in the form of seizures, worsening of blood coagulability, skin fragility, hair loss, tooth decay, brittle bones, a cloudy eye lens, and skeletal development disorders. A lack of calcium in a child is detected by external signs - the condition of hair, nails, teeth worsens.
Diagnostics
For the effective elimination of a problem, it must be diagnosed in time in order to protect a person from possible consequences. A lack of calcium in the body, the signs of which at the initial stage seem to appear little, is diagnosed with some difficulty. This is due to the fact that the clinical symptoms (for example, bone pain) of a mineral deficiency may also have a different origin. A low level of calcium in the blood is often not associated with its deficiency in the body, but may be due to a decrease in serum proteins.
To diagnose a deficiency, doctors analyze the mineral composition of the hair, evaluate the density and structure of bones (densitometry), determine the level of ionized calcium in the blood.
Diet treatment
A lack of calcium in the body, the symptoms of which can lead to the development of more complex diseases, requires immediate treatment. Doctors resorted to two ways to correct the deficiency: diet therapy and drug treatment.
The first option is to prescribe a diet that contains food sources of the trace element. These are food products, including dairy dishes (sour cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese), green vegetables (broccoli, white cabbage), canned fish (sardine), turnips, seeds, sesame seeds, juices, calcium-fortified flour, bean curd, legumes, nuts.
Diet therapy also includes the rejection of food, which negatively affects the absorption of calcium in the body. These products primarily include alcoholic drinks, soda and coffee.
Drug treatment
When a person is faced with a problem such as a lack of calcium, for the safety of his health and for the prevention of consequences, he should contact a clinic where he will be assigned certain ways out of this situation. If the patient's condition is no longer amenable to diet therapy, then in this case it is recommended to take drugs that contain a large amount of this microelement. Therefore, if the question arose of how to make up for the lack of calcium, it is better not to answer it yourself, but to entrust this matter to experienced specialists.
So, medicines are divided into several categories: calcium preparations ("Calcium gluconate"), products containing calcium and vitamin D ("Calcium-D3 Nycomed", "Natecal"), vitamin-mineral complexes ("Nutrimax", "Multitabs", "Complies"). The latter are more suitable for prevention, as they contain a small dose of the mineral.
Prevention
To protect yourself from the deficit problem, you need to periodically apply measures to prevent it. First of all, it is recommended to include foods that are considered natural sources of calcium (dairy products) in your daily diet. Refusal to drink alcohol will also benefit.
For patients who need an extra dose at a certain time, calcium supplements are recommended. This applies to athletes, pregnant women, breastfeeding women. For a healthy growth and development, a child also needs an additional dose of a trace element, so parents should give them calcium preparations for children so that they have strong bones, teeth and beautiful hair.