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Calcium and Osteoporosis How Do We Keep It Working

By Steven Godlewski

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 24Jul2006 Word count: 629 Viewed: 263 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Most people know that calcium is important to building and maintaining strong bones, teeth, and muscles. However, many are unaware of the other important roles calcium plays in the body: it helps with digestion through the production of hormones and enzymes, helps nerves pass the messages needed to contract the heart and other muscles in the body, assists in normal blood clotting, and may help prevent high blood pressure and colon cancer.

Without a good supply of calcium, you are almost certain to end up with osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that causes the bones to become thin and brittle. 99 percent of all the calcium in your body is located in the teeth and bones.

The remaining 1 percent is in the blood stream, this 1 percent is so important to the normal functioning of our bodily functions that your body will take away calcium from its bones to perform them if you don’t get enough in your diet.

Other causes besides poor diet also cause osteoporosis. After the age 35, your bone density decreases. This is because the body produces less estrogen and testosterone, hormones that control how fast the body uses calcium. Fewer hormones in the system mean less calcium in the bones, and end up causing greater bone loss.

Women are at greater risk of developing osteoporosis after menopause because their bodies completely stop making estrogen. They also usually have thinner bones and smaller skeletons to begin with, which leaves them more vulnerable to the disease.

This does not mean how ever, that osteoporosis is a disease just for women, and this thought has not served men well. For example, doctors are more likely to educate women than men about the importance of a diet high in calcium and supplements.

They may not be so quick to give men the same instruction. Although men don’t go through menopause, they do produce fewer hormones as they age, and so are also at increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

Calcium and how we keep it working

The right amount of calcium intake is a major concern today, especially for older women, who are at high risk for osteoporosis. As the most common mineral in the body, calcium is important to everyone. We depend on calcium for the development of strong bones and teeth, proper muscle action, heart health, and a functioning nervous system. Calcium also helps in maintaining the body's acid balance, as well as in blood clotting and other processes.

Even when major symptoms like bone loss are not there, a calcium deficiency in the body can cause other problems, including muscle pains and cramps, anxiety, sleep disorders, and hyperactivity.

Do we need a better diet to stop this from happening? If we do, we should first think about making the most of the calcium that's already given to us in our food. We know that eating a particular food is not enough after a certain age. We also need to exercise, and take vitamins that help as well. Maintaining a healthy acid balance by following a diet that consists of the right foods such as vegetables and fruits is important as well.

The diet we choose to use needs to be able to do everything that is needed. It needs to maintain a good acid level, keep calcium high, and also keep us energized to be able to take on our day.

It is also important to get a good amount of sunlight so that our body can produce Vitamin D which is used to absorb calcium from foods. People who live in the northern parts of the world need a natural vitamin D supplement such as fish liver oil during the winter months, when sunlight and outdoor activities are at a low.

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