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 rarefaction of bone mass.
The role of calcium in the human body
The body of an adult he althy person contains about 1000 g of this trace element (in teeth, skeleton, urine, blood). It occurs in ionized and non-ionized states. This chemical element ensures the normal structure of bones and teeth, blood clotting, the coordinated work of the muscular apparatus, the conduction of nerve impulses, and the performance of the parathyroid glands. Lack of calcium in the body leads to disruption of important processes. He takes part in the protection of the colon from tumor processes, the fight againstinflammatory and allergic phenomena.
During puberty, the daily requirement for the element reaches a maximum (about 1200 mg), because it is then that the process of bone mass accumulation is completed. Then, starting from the age of 25, 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 there is a shortage
Calcium deficiency in the body can have different origins. Among the most common causes, doctors name the following: pathology of the parathyroid glands (there is a production of parathyroid hormone, which enhances the absorption of calcium), Cushing's disease (an excess of glucocorticosteroids prevents the transport of calcium into the blood through the cells of the small intestine), taking glucocorticosteroids, diseases of the thyroid gland.
Lack of calcium in the body, the symptoms of which interfere with a normal life, can also be caused by vitamin D deficiency, intestinal diseases. And also urolithiasis, lack of estrogen, hypocalcium diet, physical inactivity, profuse sweating, work with fluorine-containing dust and phosphate fertilizers.
Signs
When there is a lack of calcium in the body, its signs are due to the leaching of this trace element from the skeleton into the blood. In the initial period, such a condition does not pose a he alth hazard whenadequate replenishment. But if you do not supply calcium to the body when it is deficient, then you may encounter various adverse consequences.
Thus, patients with this problem begin to suffer from bone pain (caused by bone loss and thinning), muscle cramps, tooth decay, pathological fractures, arrhythmias, memory loss, skeletal disorders. In pregnant women, a lack of calcium in the body is manifested by severe toxicosis. Signs can affect the condition of the unborn baby.
Baby calcium deficiency
Calcium is a very important substance for children, because it takes part in the growth and development of the child. This microelement should enter the baby's body daily in an amount of 500 to 1000 mg. In addition to participating in the growth of bones, it also affects the performance of the whole organism. It is important to prevent the occurrence of a deficiency, as this can 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 the child calcium supplements for children.
The consequences of a microelement deficiency in a baby's body can manifest itself in the form of seizures, deterioration of blood clotting, skin vulnerability, hair loss, tooth decay, bone fragility, cloudy lens of the eye, skeletal development disorders. A lack of calcium in a child is detected by external signs - the condition of the hair, nails is deteriorating,teeth.
Diagnosis
To effectively eliminate a problem, it must be diagnosed in time to protect a person from possible consequences. Lack of calcium in the body, the signs of which at the initial stage appear little outwardly, are diagnosed with some difficulty. This is due to the fact that the clinical symptoms (for example, bone pain) of a mineral deficiency may have another origin. A low blood calcium level is often not due to its deficiency in the body, but may be due to a decrease in whey proteins.
To diagnose a deficiency, doctors analyze the mineral composition of the hair, evaluate the density and structure of bones (densitometry), and determine the level of ionized calcium in the blood.
Treatment with diet
Lack of calcium in the body, the symptoms of which can lead to the development of more complex diseases, requires immediate treatment. Doctors resort to two ways to correct the deficiency condition: diet therapy and drug treatment.
The first option is to prescribe a diet that contains food sources of the micronutrient. These are food products, including dairy dishes (sour cream, cheese, kefir, yogurt, cottage cheese), green vegetables (broccoli, white cabbage), canned fish (sardines), turnips, seeds, sesame seeds, juices, calcium-enriched flour, soybean curd, legumes, nuts.
Diet therapy also involves the rejection of food, which adversely affects the absorption of calcium in the body. These products are primarilyqueue of alcoholic drinks, soda and coffee.
Medicated treatment
When a person is faced with such a problem as a lack of calcium, for the safety of his he alth and the prevention of consequences, he must go to the 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 trace element. 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", "Natekal"), vitamin-mineral complexes ("Nutrimaks", "Multitabs", "Complivit"). The latter are more suitable for prevention, as they contain a small dose of the mineral.
Prevention
To protect yourself from the problem of deficiency, you need to periodically apply preventive measures. First of all, it is recommended to include in your daily diet foods that are considered natural sources of calcium (dairy products). Avoiding alcohol will also help.
For those patients who need an additional dose at a certain period, it is recommendeduse calcium supplements. This applies to athletes, pregnant women, breastfeeding women. A child also needs an extra dose of micronutrient for he althy growth and development, so parents should give them calcium supplements for children in order for them to have strong bones, teeth and beautiful hair.
