It’s not enough to just consume calcium, the main thing is to absorb it! Calcium is a difficult-to-digest substance. In food products, calcium is contained mainly in the form of sparingly soluble salts (phosphates, carbonates, oxalates, etc.). For example, only 13.4% of the calcium contained in carrots is absorbed by the body. You need to eat 700 g of carrots to get 1/4 of your daily calcium requirement. Its digestibility largely depends on the substances accompanying it in food.
The solubility of calcium salts increases in the acidic environment of the stomach, but the dissolved ions are rebinded and precipitated to some extent in the jejunum and ileum, where the pH is closer to neutral. Did you know that a person at the age of 60 can only produce 25% of the amount of stomach acid that he produced at the age of 20? Therefore, the need for calcium only increases with age. In the gastrointestinal tract, food components (glucose, fatty acids, phosphorus and oxalates) bind to calcium, forming complexes. In general, the absorption of calcium supplements (especially less soluble ones) is improved if they are taken with food. This may be because food stimulates gastric secretion and motility, and dietary sources of calcium become more comminuted and soluble.
Dietary fiber reduces calcium absorption. Several constituents of dietary fiber bind calcium. Hemicellulose inhibits calcium absorption.
Phytic acid (a component of plants) binds calcium into an insoluble form. Cereals - rye, wheat, oats - are especially rich in phytic acid, however, when the dough is fermented under the influence of phytase contained in yeast, phytic acid is broken down.
Dark green, leafy vegetables often have relatively high calcium content. But calcium absorption is often hindered by oxalic acid. When combined with oxalic acid, calcium produces water-insoluble compounds that are components of kidney stones. These are sorrel, rhubarb, spinach, beets. Foods low in oxalic acid (white cabbage, broccoli, turnips) are good sources of calcium. Calcium absorption from cabbage is as high as from milk.
Insufficient protein in the diet impairs calcium absorption. The stimulating effect of proteins is probably due to the fact that the amino acids released during their hydrolysis form highly soluble complexes with calcium. A diet rich in protein may induce calciuria. Calciuria causes a negative calcium balance, but it does not lead to a compensatory increase in the efficiency of calcium absorption in the intestine. Within the same person there is a large diurnal variation in urinary calcium levels due to the calciuretic effect of foods. Digested carbohydrates and protein have a calciuretic effect that is linearly related to the intake of these substances, but is relatively independent of calcium intake. For every additional 50 g of dietary protein, 60 mg of calcium is lost in the urine. High level phosphorus content in some proteins reduces, but does not eliminate its calciuretic effect. The calciuretic effect of protein leads to a decrease in renal reabsorption of calcium, which is not compensated by an increase in its absorption in the intestine. Consequently, a protein-rich diet in adults leads to a negative calcium balance.
Calcium is absorbed from the intestines in the form of complexes with fatty and bile acids. The optimal ratio is 10-15 mg of calcium per 1 g of fat. Calcium absorption is facilitated by a sufficient content of unsaturated fatty acids. Insufficient and excessive amounts of fats, especially those rich in saturated fatty acids (cooking fats, lamb, beef lard, etc.), impair calcium absorption. With insufficient fat intake, too few calcium salts of fatty acids are formed, which produce soluble complex compounds with bile acids. With excessively fatty foods, there are not enough bile acids to transfer all the calcium salts of fatty acids into a soluble state, and a significant part of the Ca is excreted in the feces. Ca release also depends on the nature of nutrition. A diet with a predominance of foods with an acidic reaction (meat, cereals, bread) leads to the excretion of Ca in the urine. When foods with an alkaline reaction predominate in the diet (fruits, vegetables, dairy products), Ca is excreted mainly in feces.
An important factor affecting Ca absorption is the amount of phosphorus and magnesium in the diet.
The most favorable ratio of calcium to magnesium in the diet is 2:1. A ratio close to this is found in the following products - sardines, Atlantic herring, eggplant, cucumbers, lettuce, garlic, beans, pears, apples, grapes, raspberries, porcini mushrooms. If little magnesium is supplied, stones form, vascular calcification occurs, and calcium is deposited in atherosclerotic plaques. Magnesium is necessary for calcium absorption in the kidneys and urinary tract. Magnesium deficiency stimulates PTH, which leads to increased bone resorption and increased renal Ca excretion. Magnesium competes with Ca for bile acids, so excess magnesium has a negative effect on Ca absorption. In addition, magnesium is part of the enzymes necessary for metabolism in cartilage and bone tissue.
The best calcium to phosphorus ratio for adults is 2:1.2-1.8. A ratio close to this is typical for cottage cheese, cucumbers, garlic, and grapes. If Ca is supplied more than phosphorus, then bone tissue does not form normally, problems arise with vascular calcification, the formation of kidney stones, gallbladder. And if, on the contrary, more phosphorus is supplied than necessary, Ca is washed out of the bones and its absorption decreases.
The absorption of calcium is also influenced by potassium, the excess of which impairs its absorption, because Potassium, like magnesium, competes with Ca for bile acids.
Calcium absorption is hindered by: chocolate, excess sugar consumption, excess coarse fiber foods. Tea is not compatible with any trace element.
Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, Fanta and other similar drinks contain sodium acid phosphate (an antagonist of Ca, preventing it from being absorbed), their pH = 2.2-2.5, to neutralize them the body uses Ca, which is washed out of bone tissue .
Caffeine also increases urinary calcium loss. Abuse of coffee and alcohol can cause calcium deficiency, since some of it is excreted in the urine.
Lactose increases calcium absorption. Lactose, when fermented, maintains low pH values in the intestines, which prevents the formation of insoluble phosphorus-calcium salts.
Along with vitamins A, C, D, E, K, the following elements can increase calcium levels in the body: Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, P, Si, as well as protein, gastric juice (HCl), pancreatic enzymes and Lactobacillus acidophilus .
Silicon crosslinks bone tissue collagen. Zinc and chromium play a large role in the energy supply of bones, necessary for the growth of bone tissue. Boron affects the synthesis of estradiol, selenium with iodine affects the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Vitamin E affects the condition of membranes, including bone tissue.
A serious enemy of Ca and P is aluminum. Aluminum ions can replace Ca ions and thereby cause serious changes in Ca metabolism. People get too much of this metal from using aluminum cookware, drinking juice from aluminum-coated bags, or drinking canned beer.
In food modern man Calcium deficiency is significant, especially for urban residents whose diet is dominated by refined foods, semi-finished products, etc. suffice it to say that the main source of calcium, dairy products, come to the table of the city dweller significantly depleted in calcium: 1 liter of fresh natural milk (from a cow) contains 1400 ml of calcium, and pasteurized, and even more so, sterilized, from which cottage cheese is made in dairies and cheese, only 140 mg. The modern city dweller receives, in good case, only a third of the daily calcium requirement.
It is recommended to take any Ca products at night due to the circadian rhythm of bone resorption. Resorption is suppressed only by evening intake of Ca, while morning intake does not produce a significant effect.
Many people, especially older people, eat cottage cheese and cheese for breakfast, believing that this The best way enrich your body with Ca and P. Resorption of Ca and P by bone tissue occurs in the evening and at night. So, if you ate fish or cheese for breakfast, you are in vain counting on their beneficial effects. Ca and P either will not get from the intestines into the blood at all, or due to their lack of demand by bone tissue, they will settle in the kidneys in the form of oxalate stones. The point is also that in the morning corticosteroid hormones are produced and delivered into the blood, which block the absorption of Ca and P from the intestines into the blood. Therefore, it is better to take foods containing Ca and P in 2/2 days, for dinner.
It must be remembered that calcium is lost during heat treatment (for example, when cooking vegetables - 25%). Losses will be insignificant if the water in which the vegetables were boiled is used (for example, broth or gravy).
The lower the fat content of dairy products, the higher the Ca content.
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Osteoporosis
Chronic Lewis problems (constitutional, acquired or hereditary). Deep phases of genitourinary degeneration. Compensating rate:
In the morning: Arnica-12, Glonoin-12, Veratrum album-12.
During the day: Phosphorus-12, Calcarea fluorica-12, Baryta carbonica-12.
In the evening: 1). Hina-12, Lycopodium-12; 2). Lachesis-12, Mercury biod-12.
The course lasts three months.
Calcium metabolism is mainly based on the functions of the bladder, without correcting it (relieving dysfunction) trying to improve it is useless.
By the way, back at the beginning of the last century, medicine realized that calcium is an important element in the body - these are bones, metabolism, and the potassium-sodium pump (and this is water metabolism in all phases - cells, lymph, tissues). Therefore, most diseases, including severe systemic ones, are either significantly alleviated or completely cured when calcium balance is restored, which is why the slogan “all diseases are caused by calcium deficiency” was quickly voiced and applied. At the same time, the general calcification of the population (in Europe) was on a large scale, so much so that it reached the point of taking 100-200 g of calcium per day - firstly, calcium is just chalk, the composition is, let’s say, inexpensive, and secondly, the idea “the faster – so much the better,” plus citizens’ own initiative. It must be said that health deteriorated very quickly, even to the point of death (by the way, by default it was assumed that chalk was a neutral substance, let’s say, not a poison), after which this entire company was folded (all this happened for a maximum of six months). And here's the problem. Let's imagine that our body is configured to receive all the necessary elements from food products, i.e. You and I have a certain “factory” in our bodies that is required to absorb and process calcium. Lack of calcium - it is clear that the factory is not working well. Accordingly, with a sharp increase in load (loading of equipment), the effect was completely opposite - the equipment was worn out, and instead of increasing the pace, it simply failed. So, before increasing the load, it was necessary to first repair the “factory”, or normalize calcium metabolism - activate the processes for its absorption. Therefore, it is impossible to increase the dose of calcium without stimulating metabolism - the effect is strictly negative.
The metabolism of calcium, especially fluoride, is stimulated by the simple drug Calcarea fluorica (in general, calcium fluoride). Regarding the last one. Since, again, calcium is an important element, after the crisis with taking chalk (for several years), another boom began - one of the German pharmaceutical companies began to produce and recommend to the population for use that same homeopathic calcium, only not fluorica, but carbonica . Since, as you and I know, this drug normalizes calcium metabolism in the body - the first effect was very successful - it was here that a large-scale improvement in the well-being and healing of citizens began - the effect is clear to you and me. About a year later, the reverse process suddenly began - aggravations and deterioration began, after which one citizen from Holland even filed a lawsuit against the company. At the same time, the German company was an honest manufacturer and did not refuse his claims - they themselves did not understand what was the reason that the drug stopped working as desired. But it turned out that after the first year of selling the drug, which at the beginning was made according to the classical homeopathic scheme (for which a particle of chalk was taken from the middle layer of chalk deposits and dynamized), they decided to improve the composition. The German mind suggested one simple idea - it is clear that they did not take pure calcium from the earth - there were many impurities and related elements. After which they decided to improve the drug and began to make homeopathy from chemically obtained calcium, suggesting that pure calcium is much better than natural one. But the result turned out to be exactly the opposite. Since then, all homeopathy has been prepared only from environmental components (no chemicals), and this drug in German pharmacology began to be designated as Calcarea austermani - a homeopathic drug obtained from natural calcium (sea sediments).
Therefore, to normalize exchange we need the following course:
First dose: Hina-12, Cantharis-12, Calcarea fluorica-12 – 2 peas of each.
Second dose: Hina-12, Cantharis-12, Calcarea carbonica-12 – 2 peas of each.
Third dose: Hina-12, Cantharis-12, Calcarea phosphorica-12 – 2 peas of each.
The time for taking the drugs is from 21.00 to 23.00, they should be taken alternately, starting with the drugs of the first group, the next day - the drugs of the second group, and then the third, then again the first - and so on in a circle.
The hallmark of calcium deficiency is “widow’s hump” or osteoporosis
So, dear reader, we continue to study the same question: " Why is calcium not absorbed?, which, as we know, is extremely abundant in the surrounding nature. It is simply impossible to name all the reasons for its deficiency in article format. When you begin to get acquainted with the conditions for the absorption of this microelement, you even begin to wonder how any teeth and bones are still preserved. Indeed, the older a person is, the worse the situation is with these organs, and with health in general. Judge for yourself...
Let us summarize the second group of reasons that deprive the body of essential calcium - DECREASED ITS ABSORPTION
1 . The first obstacle to calcium absorption occurs in our stomach. The fact is that in order to start chemical reactions to extract calcium and a number of other trace elements, for example, iron, from the food eaten, you need acid reaction of gastric juice. Look how we ourselves, with hot food, in our daily diet, alcohol, etc., first cause inflammation, which, gradually turning into a chronic form, leads to the replacement of normal secretory cells of the stomach with scar “patches”. This is how atrophic gastritis is formed with a deficiency of hydrochloric acid and enzymes in the gastric juice.
2. Calcium salts in the intestines actively bind fatty acid, which enter the intestines as part of bile. Calcium salts of fatty acids are formed, the so-called soaps, which, by the way, are difficult to remove from the intestines. The conclusion is that excessively fatty foods block calcium absorption.
3. Eat natural calcium antagonists- plants containing oxalic acid. Combining with calcium in the intestines, it is an acid and forms poorly soluble salts. oxalates, the excess of which is hidden in stones, tendons, and intervertebral discs. Such products include sorrel, white cabbage, radish, bran, coffee, tea, chocolate. If you use preparations with calcium, then you simply do not need to combine them in one dose with the above-mentioned food products.
4 . In the chemical chain that ends with the entry of calcium and phosphorus into the bone cell, an obligatory component is present vitamin D". In the summer, under the sun's rays, it is produced in the skin. Next, it is activated in the kidneys, and for its absorption, fats such as W 3 and W6 are needed (fatty fish, eggs, vegetable oils). It is clear that a lack of sunlight, kidney and liver diseases, as well as intestines, where this vitamin actually enters the blood, will interfere with the absorption of calcium. Therefore, such individuals should treat diseases of the listed organs, eat fatty fish, or use W 3 fatty acid (fish oil) supplements. We get enough fats of the W6 type in vegetable oils.
Deformation of the legs due to vitamin D and calcium deficiency. In children, everything can be corrected.
Vitamin D is a particularly important component in calcium metabolism. When it is deficient, children develop rickets, and in adults osteomalacia- softening of bone tissue, which is accompanied by curvature of the bones of the spine and lower extremities.
5. Climax. How many problems do women have when their production decreases either with age or due to illness? estrogen - female sex hormone, which also ensures that calcium enters bone and other cells. But what, in my opinion, is unacceptable is when a woman artificially reduces estrogen production, and at a prime age, when menopause is still far away. How? Yes, by taking hormonal contraceptives.
If you, dear women, read in the annotation that the drug suppresses the maturation and release of the egg from the follicle, then you are triggering a series of the same processes as during menopause, of course, not to the same degree of severity. Estrogen is needed to prepare the uterine lining to receive a fertilized egg. If the cell does not mature and does not emerge, then there is nothing to fertilize. There is no need to be afraid of pregnancy. But we know that for everything good you have to pay. Ask yourself the question: “Aren’t we paying too high a price in the form of a toothless mouth, a bent back, high blood pressure and other diseases of old age by extinguishing ovulation in our youth?”
With this method of contraception, even if it is in abundance, calcium will not enter the bone tissue in the required amount. The painful process is extended over time and is not immediately noticeable, since in this situation estrogen produced by the adrenal cortex, as well as... fat cells, will provide protection. This is why thin girls and women are more likely to lose teeth and become victims of osteoporosis.
6,7,8. ..and many more points. Physical inactivity, taking corticosteroids, “overdoing” the intake of black and green tea, which with their tannins (tannins) bind microelements, including calcium, also dysbiosis and in general all problems with the intestines, where all nutrients begin their journey into the blood.
That is why the doses of drugs taken with calcium exceed physiological ones (300-500 mg) by 4-5 times. You need to take special medications regularly. Doses depend on the specific health situation, age, time of year, diet, etc. If you are using eggshells, then, for obvious reasons, boiled egg shells are useless. Another tip: taking 1 teaspoon of crushed shells, add a few drops of lemon juice to it.. Let's continue to study...
Diseases of our skeleton can be conditionally divided into 2 groups: the first is associated with joint diseases (arthrosis and arthritis), the second group includes diseases caused by metabolic disorders in the bone tissue itself. It belongs to this group osteoporosis, the reasons for which we will try to consider.
The essence of the disease is loss of calcium from bone tissue, which causes bone fragility and fractures even after minor injuries. There are known cases of compression fractures of the vertebral bodies after a bumpy ride, prolonged sitting or heavy lifting.
The most serious fractures of the femoral neck are in old age, leading to the need for prolonged immobility and, as a complication, congestion in the lungs and increased thrombus formation.
To understand why calcium begins to “disappear” from bone tissue, it is necessary to explain how it gets there, where it comes from and why the body needs it at all.
Functions of calcium in the body.
Calcium is the main mineral in our body. 99% of it is found in bones and teeth, where it is used not only as their main part, but is also stored for the needs of the entire body. Calcium is represented by salts: phosphates, carbonates, oxalates, urates. Its content in blood serum is strictly constant (1% of the total amount of calcium).
Why does the body need calcium? Its deficiency leads to more than 150 diseases.
- Calcium ions are involved in hematopoiesis processes.
- Calcium regulates cell growth and activity everyone types of fabrics.
- Creates resistance to infections, having anti-inflammatory properties.
- Reduces weather dependence.
- Helps reduce vascular permeability by forming bonds between phospholipids, structural proteins and glycoproteins (structural components of the membranes of all cells).
- SA ions are necessary for the process of transmission of nerve impulses. In children, disruption of this process manifests itself in increased nervous excitability, moodiness, outbursts of irritation, a tendency to bite nails, and frequently move legs and arms.
- Calcium prevents accumulation in the body strontium-90 and lead, since it is their antagonist.
- Calcium alkalizes internal environment of the body. Why is this necessary?
Calcium against cancer.
The discovery of Otto Warburg, who spent 24 years of his life studying the nature of cancer, shocked the scientific world. He proved, and his discovery was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1932, that the process of cancer development is anaerobic.
Now this fact is known to all specialists involved in oncology, but then it was a sensational statement. Cancerous cell degeneration and reproduction is possible only in a sharply acidic environment, which occurs with oxygen deficiency (on average, the normal blood pH is 7.4). In practice, the biochemistry of all diseases is accompanied by an increase in local or general acidity.
Interesting fact: back in 1909, at the University of Pennsylvania, leeches were placed on the tumor area, it decreased several times in size, then it was removed and tampons with caustic soda (alkali) were applied to the wound. Subsequently there were no relapses or metastases.
Until 1967, Otto Warburg worked with the famous American scientist and physician Carl Rich to study the possibility Prevent cancer with calcium! They found that it is calcium that can cure cancer, since its main role in the body is in alkalization blood and other body fluids. Those. it removes the environment in which a mutated cell could potentially appear and begin to multiply. Scientists examined the blood serum of hundreds of thousands of people suffering from stage 3-4 cancer. Everyone was found to have a reduced level of calcium in their blood serum! These people were prescribed calcium + vitamins “A” and “D”, and the cancer receded, it could be localized and removed, significantly prolonging people's lives.
Calcium deficiency in the body.
The strength of teeth, as well as the bones of the upper and lower jaws, is determined by the amount of calcium in them. As already noted, 1% of calcium found in our body fluids and soft tissues is constant size. If you do not supply SA in sufficient quantities through food, the body begins to “steal” it from its own bones, primarily from the teeth and jaws.
This is explained by the fact that it is in these formations that the largest percentage of this mineral is found. There comes a time when the bone tissue of the jaws, losing calcium and other microelements associated with it, becomes loose, the teeth become loose, the enamel cracks, forming niches for the proliferation of microorganisms. This is how it begins periodontitis (periodontal disease) and caries, accompanied by chronic inflammatory processes with periodic exacerbations (fluxes), bleeding gums followed by loss of apparently healthy teeth.
These diseases manifest themselves from adolescence to old age. But the predisposition to them is laid in the prenatal state, during breastfeeding, then childhood and especially in adolescence (from 12 to 15 years). During the period of rapid puberty, the child’s body feels a greater need for calcium, various groups of minerals and vitamins, in particular “A” and “D”. If you do not take care of proper nutrition at this age, defects in the development of the endocrine, nervous, and hematopoietic systems in the future will manifest themselves in various diseases that are difficult to treat.
Causes of calcium deficiency.
A whole “team” of microelements and their compounds is involved in the absorption of calcium: selenium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, chromium, iron, silicon, iodine. The matrix for calcium intake consists of these elements and, if it is not ready (there is a lack of some microelement), calcium will “fall through” through it. Calcium atoms can be represented in the form of bricks, and these microelements play the role of a binding solution used, for example, in the construction of a house - cement.
What are Causes of calcium deficiency in the body of almost all modern people (it is enough to analyze the condition of their teeth):
Little of it comes from food;
- receives enough, but is not absorbed;
- excessively excreted;
- higher doses are required for certain body conditions.
Let's consider these cases in more detail.
Calcium in food.
On average, 1000 mg (1 g) of calcium is needed per day. For a full metabolism, 0.5 g would be enough, but it has been proven that, at best, 50% of the mineral taken is absorbed. The fact is that the organic calcium of vegetables and fruits, milk, during heat treatment, instantly turns into an inorganic state, in which insoluble salts are formed that are not absorbed during the metabolic process (remember the scale on the walls of kettles and pans).
Archaeologists have long noted the fact that in the found skeletons of ancient people there are no deposits of salts and increased sponginess of bones, which are well known among contemporaries - that same osteoporosis. At first they thought that they simply did not live to that age.
It turned out that this was not the case. This conclusion was refuted by naturopaths: adherents of a raw food diet, who also do not know these diseases. Alas, predominantly boiled food deprives us not only of sources of plastic material (proteins), vitamins, but also of various mineral salts, including much-needed calcium, since it contains it in an indigestible chemical form.
Dairy food, which is an excellent source of calcium in nature, also reaches city dwellers only in pasteurized form. This applies to yoghurts, kefir, cottage cheese, etc. These are the nutritional features of modern man and diseases that are inextricably linked with these features. This is confirmed by the time of appearance and condition of the teeth, as well as the frequency of cases of rickets in children fed with breast milk and the so-called “artificial children”. The named diseases occur in the second group of infants much more often!
Another eating habit prevents calcium from being absorbed. In the presence of fats in the intestines, poorly soluble salts are formed from fatty acids and calcium (soap). Fried foods and excess fat in the diet also reduce the ability to absorb this deficient microelement.
Let's list foods that contain a lot of calcium: green salad, celery, chickweed, onions, oats, peas, buckwheat, spinach, egg shells.
Calcium and other trace elements.
As already noted, calcium is absorbed only in the presence of other trace elements in the intestines and blood serum. For example, there is such a “bundle” as calcium - phosphorus. As a rule, there is never enough phosphorus in the body; there is even more of it than needed. This leads to the fact that excess phosphorus leaches calcium from the bones (if it is deficient in food) to normalize the ratio of these microelements in the blood serum.
Why is phosphorus in excess? There is a lot of it in cereals: oats, buckwheat, millet, wheat, cheese, fish, carbonated drinks! There is also a lot of phosphorus in yolks, beans and peas. The townspeople were found to have exceeding the “P” content by 7-10 times! There is a lot of phosphorus in food, but little calcium. The result is osteoporosis.
Calcium - strontium. There is a lot of strontium in the environment. In case of calcium deficiency, it takes its place in the crystal lattice of the bone, acting as a “patch”, but strontium is not able to perform the functions of calcium.
Calcium-iodine. Without iodine, all types of metabolism are disrupted, including calcium metabolism. Note that children living by the sea do not have rickets, and cases of osteoporosis are rare in adults.
Causes of calcium inability to absorb.
Low acidity of gastric juice. Calcium is absorbed only in an acidic environment.
- Simultaneous intake of antagonist microelements (magnesium, zinc, iron).
- Simultaneous intake of fatty foods, milk, tea. ( Attention milk tea lovers: tannins contained in tea bind calcium, preventing it from entering the metabolism).
- There is not enough vitamin D, often in winter. This is facilitated by both a lack of sunlight and various liver diseases. At the same time, defects appear in the production of cholesterol necessary for these chemical transformations. All together prevents the formation of vitamin D in the skin.
- Menopause, especially in white-skinned (genetically) fragile women with a small amount of subcutaneous fat.
Producing vitamin D alone is not enough. It must be activated in the kidneys. This requires female sex hormones – estrogens. Subcutaneous fatty tissue plays the role of an endocrine gland, producing estrogens necessary for the absorption of calcium during menopause. When the appendages cease to function and there is little fat, the lack of the required amount of estrogen leads to a deficiency in calcium absorption, even with sufficient calcium intake (which never happens). Therefore, obese women are practically not at risk of osteoporosis.
Contraceptive drugs that suppress ovulation.
- Ovarian dysfunction, adnexitis, cystic degeneration of the ovaries, removal of the ovaries.
- Late onset of puberty.
- Hypothyroidism – decreased function of the thyroid gland.
- Long-term treatment with corticosteroids (hormones).
- Chemotherapy and radiation.
Pathways for calcium absorption.
1. In the small intestine, under the influence of activated vitamin D3 and estrogen, calcium enters the blood. Calcium ions are actively seized by special cells of the intestinal villi.
2. Calcium absorption along the second path occurs in the large intestine through the mechanism of involuntary movement of fluid along with calcium salt from the intestinal lumen into the blood. The important thing is that this calcium pathway does not require vitamin D.
The second way of calcium absorption is present in people of any age when a lot of pectin, substances contained in large quantities in apples, quinces, persimmons, beets, and berries, comes from food. Pectins are not broken down by human enzymes in the small intestine. They transit into the large intestine, binding calcium and other mineral ions, making them unavailable for absorption in the small intestine.
Fortunately, in the large intestine they release bound mineral ions, although only under the influence of acetic acid produced by the normal microflora of the large intestine. By the way, refined carbohydrates (sugar, sweets, white flour products) shift the pH of the large intestine to an alkaline environment. This not only increases dysbiosis, but also removes calcium from the body!
Attention! Another “enemy” of calcium absorption. Bran dietary fiber also captures mineral ions, but in the large intestine they do not release them back, irreversibly removing them from the intestine. Thus, with bran or grain bread, a person can lose a significant amount of minerals, including calcium.
Which way out: at the table You should not mix bran with pectins (bread with fruit).
The most powerful calcium antagonist is oxalic acid (it is called an antinutrient, and its salts are oxalates). There is a lot of it in sorrel, rhubarb (used as a laxative), spinach, radish, parsley, soybeans, tomatoes, potatoes, chocolate, cocoa, gooseberries.
Other causes of calcium deficiency.
"Excessive excretion in urine and feces."
Taking laxatives and diuretics. Moreover, when using them, calcium is lost, but not phosphorus, which further aggravates the situation.
- Teas for weight loss, coffee. The fact is that with increased urine secretion, the kidneys do not have time to return salts from primary urine to the blood, and coffee and tea are strong diuretics.
- Enemas, laxatives, diuretics - a slow but sure path to osteoporosis.
"Increased calcium consumption".
Pregnancy.
- Lactation.
- Long-term non-healing wounds, ulcers.
- Bone fractures.
- Heat.
When calcium is especially important.
As you can see, not a single person is immune from this disease. Bone size and bone mass are genetically programmed. But prevention of osteoporosis should be taken care of in childhood and adolescence. During these periods of life, developing bones require especially large amounts of calcium, and the intestines absorb it twice as intensely as in later periods.
During puberty and growth, 400-500 mg of calcium is deposited in the bones daily. Around the age of 20, the so-called peak bone mass is reached. Further, for the reasons stated above, the loss of this vital mineral begins.
But it is precisely during the period of puberty that young people become interested in carbonated drinks, sweets, smoking, beer, etc.
A pregnant woman progressively loses calcium, giving it to the fetus. Remember, women, how your teeth decayed after each pregnancy. Together with milk, the mother loses 300 mg of this substance daily (in 10 months of lactation 90-100 grams!).
Ways to compensate for calcium deficiency.
It is necessary to normalize the intestinal microflora: this will acidify the environment in the large intestine and ensure calcium absorption even in conditions of vitamin D deficiency (in winter). Normal microflora secretes a sufficient amount of acetic acid. Will help this process
The body needs it. But one cannot be absorbed by the body; it needs a balance with magnesium and phosphorus. It should be noted that with a lack of magnesium, not only is it not absorbed, but, on the contrary, it is intensively excreted from the body. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce cottage cheese into the diet, since it contains phosphorus and is balanced and is in the optimal proportion at which the best results occur. calcium absorption.
Only eggs, fresh herbs and some types of fish (for example, horse mackerel, herring) can replace cottage cheese; legumes (peas, beans) are excellent. Thus, tofu contains calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the ratio necessary for the absorption of calcium. Cocoa and whole grain bread are rich in magnesium. Milk and dairy products contain calcium in the form of lactate, which is easily absorbed and enters the body as intended. It is also well absorbed and contained in broccoli, kale, greens, almonds, figs, turnips, and fish.
The amount of calcium in our body is very easy to calculate. It will be about 2% of the total body weight, that is, approximately 1000 - 1500 g. About 99% of it is part of the bones, dentin and enamel on the teeth, and the rest is part of the nerve cells and soft tissues.
Amount of calcium needed per day
A person needs 800-1000 mg of calcium per day. If you are over 60 or an athlete, then increase this amount to 1200 mg.
Under what conditions does the need for calcium increase?
Everyone knows that children from an early age need to be fed a lot of cottage cheese and other dairy products, and all because at an early age the need for calcium is very high. If a child receives a sufficient amount of this element in childhood, he will be healthy and will not experience problems with bones.
Pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding should also eat plenty of calcium-rich foods. The health of a future or existing child depends on this!
Doctors also recommend increasing the daily dose of calcium for athletes and people who sweat profusely.
Beneficial effects of calcium on the body
Calcium is a material for the structure of teeth and bones. Blood cannot exist without calcium, because it is part of it. Tissue and cellular fluid also contain calcium. Calcium prevents viruses and foreign bodies from entering the body and plays an important role in blood clotting.
Calcium takes part in controlling the functions of hormones, is responsible for the secretion of insulin, exhibits anti-allergenic and anti-inflammatory properties in the body, takes part in the synthesis of nucleic acids and proteins in muscles, increases the body's defenses, and takes part in restoring the salt-water balance of the body.
The alkalizing effect in the acid-base balance also occurs with the participation of calcium. Calcium must be present in the body in the required amount to transmit nerve impulses, maintain heart function, muscle contractions, and regulate the stability of the nervous system. Calcium is stored in long tubular bones.
It is interesting that when the body has a poor supply of calcium, it itself uses the stored calcium for the “needs” of the blood. With the help of parathyroid hormone, phosphorus and calcium are transferred into the blood from bone tissue. This is how bones are sacrificed for the well-being of the blood!
Calcium absorption by the body
Calcium is a difficult-to-digest element, so providing the body with the right amount of calcium is not very easy. For example, cereals, sorrel and spinach contain specific substances that interfere with the absorption of calcium. In order for calcium to be absorbed, it is first treated with hydrochloric acid in the stomach and then exposed to bile so that the calcium salts can be converted into digestible substances.
In order not to reduce the absorption of calcium, you should not consume sweets and saturated carbohydrates at the same time, as they cause the secretion of alkaline gastric juices, which prevent hydrochloric acid from processing calcium.
On the other hand, excessive levels of magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) in the body interfere with the processing of calcium. The fact is that phosphorus (P) enters into a chemical reaction with calcium and forms a salt that cannot be dissolved even in acid.
Calcium is well absorbed from dairy products, as they contain lactose - milk sugar. Under the influence of intestinal microflora, it turns into lactic acid and dissolves calcium. Any amino acids or even citric acid form substances together with calcium that easily dissolve.
Fats also promote good calcium absorption. But there must be a certain number of them. If there is a lack of fat for the processing of calcium, there will not be enough fatty acids, and if there is an excess, there will not be enough bile acids. The ratio of calcium to fat should be 1:100. Thus, cream with, for example, 10% fat content is suitable for you.
Interestingly, pregnant women absorb calcium much better than pregnant women. Who is not expecting a child.
With a lack of calcium in people, growth slows down and nervous excitability increases. Such people suffer from insomnia, numbness and tingling in the limbs, joint pain and brittle nails. They have high blood pressure, an elevated pain threshold, and a rapid heartbeat. One of the signs of calcium deficiency is a craving for eating chalk.
Women with calcium deficiency experience frequent, heavy menstruation.
Children with a lack of calcium can develop rickets, and adults can develop bone fragility and osteoporosis. With a small amount of calcium in the blood, muscle contractility may be impaired: cramps and convulsions occur.
People with insufficient calcium levels may experience sudden deterioration in their mood. Such a person becomes nervous, he may feel nauseous, and his appetite may worsen.
Signs of excess calcium
Excess calcium can occur when too much calcium is taken at the same time as vitamin D. It can also occur if a person eats exclusively dairy products for a long time. Excess calcium can settle in organs, muscles and on the walls of blood vessels. With excessive introduction of calcium and vitamin D into the blood, severe relaxation of muscle tissue can occur. The person may fall into a coma or lethargic sleep.
What affects the calcium content in foods?
A significant amount of calcium can be lost during the preparation of cottage cheese, so it is often specially saturated with calcium.
Causes of calcium deficiency
If there is not enough lactose in the stomach, the enzyme that processes milk, calcium absorption may be impaired. 10 days before the onset of menstruation, women's calcium levels sharply decrease. During menstruation, this leads to contractions of the uterus, which causes pain. When eating exclusively plant foods, virtually no vitamin D enters the body, which reduces the absorption of calcium.
Products containing calcium
All dairy products contain calcium. Some are more, others are less. Cheeses can contain up to 1000 mg of calcium. Thus, processed cheeses contain 860-1006 mg of calcium, cottage cheese - 164 mg, feta cheese - 630 mg. Sour cream is very beneficial for the body, because it contains 90-120 mg of calcium, and our favorite whipped cream contains 86 mg. A variety of nuts can contain from 100 to 250 mg of calcium, so lovers of “nuts for beer” will not suffer from brittle bones.
Ordinary oatmeal contains up to 170 mg of calcium, and if you eat it every morning, then together with other products it will completely provide your body with calcium.
Interaction of calcium with other elements
When taking medications such as calcium carbonate with food, the absorption of ferrous sulfate is impaired. If you take calcium carbonate even in large quantities on an empty stomach, then iron (Fe) will be perfectly absorbed. Taking vitamin D helps improve calcium absorption.
