How does the body metabolize calcium?

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Calcium is a mineral that has many functions in the body, especially participating in the structure of bones and teeth - important parts of the human body. This mineral also participates in the formation of thromboplastin, thrombin, fibrin - substances that help the blood clotting process take place smoothly and participate in nerve transmission and muscle contraction.

1. The importance of calcium in the body

Calcium is an essential mineral of the body, playing a very important role in many body activities such as participating in muscle contraction, nerve transmission, releasing hormones and blood clotting.
Children with calcium deficiency, in addition to rickets, slow to increase height, also stunted, cried at night, startled crying, sweating...
For adults, elderly people, women After menopause or menopause, chronic calcium deficiency due to various causes will lead to decreased bone weight and increased bone resorption. In addition, calcium deficiency can also cause nervous weakness, forgetfulness, mental instability, insomnia or lethargy, irritability or sleepiness, headaches, mood swings and may lead to osteoporosis, osteoporosis or hypertension.
In case of lack of calcium in the blood, it will cause hypocalcemia syndrome, which occurs in all ages. When hypocalcemia is mild, it usually begins with signs such as numbness in some parts of the body (tongue, lips, fingertips, toes), severe, muscle contractions may occur. over the whole body (suddenly constricted legs and arms, stiffness, difficulty in movement, pain, localized or regional convulsions) and possible constriction of respiratory muscles causing difficulty in breathing, ease mistaken for tetanus. In addition, the patient may experience dysuria and abdominal distension.

2. The body's calcium metabolism

The body's calcium needs change with age, and each person's calcium absorption is also different.
The amount of calcium reserves and calcium metabolism in the body are maintained stably depending on 3 main factors including: by food, by drinking water; absorption of calcium from the intestines; excreted by the kidney.
Therefore, the daily requirement with an adequate diet must ensure to provide about 1,000mg of calcium through the mouth, about 200mg of calcium will be excreted through the bile or other digestive juices.
Nearly 99% of the calcium in the body is concentrated in the bones, mainly in the form of Hydroxyapatite crystals. Only 1% of the calcium in the bone remains in free exchange with the extracellular fluid, so it is always available to regulate the steady blood calcium concentration. Normal total calcium levels in the blood are usually maintained between 8.8 and 10.4 mg/dl (2.20 - 2.60 mmol/l).

3. Factors affecting the body's absorption of calcium

When the daily diet does not provide the necessary amount of calcium, we can use calcium supplements. However, the absorption of calcium from these supplements is also influenced by many factors as follows:
Age: For infants and young children, the calcium content can be absorbed up to 60%. In adulthood, the rate of calcium absorption will decrease by 15-20%; Drinking a lot of alcohol, coffee, tea will reduce calcium absorption; Smoking reduces calcium absorption and vitamin D metabolism, reduces vitamin D blood levels; Foods containing phytic acid such as: legumes, cereals, potatoes, strawberries, broccoli, carrots.., will combine with calcium to form insoluble calcium salts, reducing calcium absorption; Not having enough acid in the gastric juice will reduce calcium absorption because stomach acid helps dissolve calcium for easy absorption by the body; Physical inactivity, psychological stress will reduce calcium absorption; Vitamin D3 deficiency is also a factor affecting calcium absorption in the body, because vitamin D3 attaches to the intestinal mucosa to help increase calcium absorption through the intestinal wall, acting as a calcium conductor to the place where it needs to be attached to the bone system. Women in menopause, due to decreased estrogen levels also interfere with calcium absorption. Some drugs also interfere with calcium absorption, such as steroids, tetracycline antibiotics, and fluoroquinolones.

4. How to add calcium safely

Use calcium supplements When taking calcium supplements, you must have a doctor's prescription. In the process of calcium supplementation, it is necessary to exercise so that the amount of calcium put into the body has time to transfer to the target bone. Therefore, drinking in the morning with plenty of water will be most effective. If taken in the afternoon or evening, calcium will be deposited, prolonged use causes other diseases such as kidney stones, constipation, difficulty sleeping.
Active exercise Muscle movement will stimulate, promote energy metabolism, metabolism, help reduce the possibility of gradually losing calcium, slow down the aging process, promote body growth, Increase the amount of calcium into bone tissue to help bones stronger and develop better.
Regular sunbathing This is a very effective way to synthesize vitamin D. However, it should be noted at the time of sunbathing, do not sunbathe too much and in the hot sun, this can lead to skin cancer.
Enhance meals with calcium-rich foods Milk and dairy products: Drink soy milk, cow's milk, goat's milk, cheese, yogurt....; Seafood: Eat seafood like sardines, mackerel and canned fish with bones, which are great sources of calcium. In addition, try to eat at least once a week shellfish, snails, mussels and shellfish to add a significant amount of calcium to the body; should cut down on coffee, alcohol and salt because these substances often inhibit calcium absorption.calcium metabolism in the body; Beans and bean products: Add white beans, peanuts, Japanese beans, red beans and green beans to your weekly menu...; Vegetables: According to nutrition experts, to increase calcium supplement, you should eat vegetables like celery, carrots, sesame, wood ear, mushrooms, coriander, bok choy, okra, red radish.... The above is the information surrounding the importance of calcium to the development of the body as well as the metabolic mechanism of calcium in the body. Hopefully this information will be useful to us when we have a better view of calcium, thereby making adjustments in the diet to supplement calcium in accordance with the needs of the body.
Besides calcium, children need to provide enough elemental zinc/day for them to eat well, reach the correct height and weight and exceed the standard. Zinc plays a role in affecting most biological processes taking place in the body, especially the breakdown of nucleic acids, proteins... Organs in the body when zinc deficiency can lead to a There are a number of diseases such as neurological disorders, irritability, etc. Therefore, parents need to learn about the role of zinc and guide them to appropriate zinc supplements for their children.
In addition to zinc, parents also need to supplement their children with other important vitamins and minerals such as lysine, chromium, B vitamins,... errands.
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