You may have heard that a mom lost a tooth for every child she delivered. You may also have heard of people who have seemed to have become shorter as they age, more commonly starting in their 50s. These are related to the calcium levels in the body.
Calcium is a nutrient that is abundant in milk, small fishes and shells. It is deposited in the body during our younger years – up to late adolescence and young adulthood. By age 30-35 years, deposits may be very little or even none. Thus, it is very important to have adequate calcium intake during the growing up years to have adequate deposits.
In the body, 99% is deposited in the bones and teeth while making them strong. The 1% which is the body’s priority, is found in the blood to sustain many processes. Inside the cells, calcium binds and activates proteins enabling their participation in muscle contractions, nerve impulses, secretion of hormones and the activation of some enzyme reactions. When the food we eat is lacking calcium, the body withdraws from the deposits in the bones and teeth if only to have enough calcium circulating in the blood. Withdrawals from calcium deposits can weaken the bones making the person prone to osteoporosis and eventual loss of teeth. While the body has a mechanism to balance calcium levels together with vitamin D, there may also be times of abnormal regulatory control when bone calcium may also be compromised. The problem – the effects may remain unnoticed until later in life, say, late adulthood to senior years when the effects of weakened bones become more noticeable as the person’s height now becomes affected. Osteoporosis sets in as the risk of fracture increases so even with a minor slip, an adult or elderly can be fractured.
The goal still is to get enough calcium from food when calcium deposition is most efficient (until adolescence) to ensure that the skeleton will be strong and dense. Also, to prevent the bone and teeth weakening from adulthood to older ages when calcium deposition is least efficient or none at all, have enough calcium in the diet to maintain the 1%.
Milk is a good source of calcium and everyone should consume at least one serving (5 tablespoons powdered, ½ cup evaporated or fresh milk) every day. Pregnant and lactating women should have two servings each day. Small fishes and sardines being eaten with bones, shellfish, tuna and other are very good sources of calcium. Cauliflower, watercress, cabbage, broccoli, and some seaweeds also provide calcium. Some dark green leafy vegetables like spinach provide little because of its oxalate which can bind calcium making it less absorbed. Accordingly, it takes 8 cups of spinach which contains 6x as much calcium in milk, to deliver the equivalent in absorbable calcium. While calcium supplements may help, excess calcium is also bad for health. Further, calcium-rich foods and supplements should not be taken with iron-rich foods or supplements to maximize absorption.
Understand why the “oldies” and elderly look for high calcium milk even if their bodies cannot absorb calcium anymore. It is to keep the 1% in the blood at normal levels and thus prevent withdrawal of calcium deposits.
