Calcium, the most important element in the human body, has several major functions. In excess of 99% of your body's total calcium is stored in bones and teeth, functioning to support their structure. Blood, muscle and fluid between cells holds the remaining 1% or less of calcium. Muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system are all vital body processes that require calcium for efficient functioning.
Calcium has proven to be an important element for health throughout one's entire life. Critical times, such as childhood, breastfeeding, or pregnancy, require careful attention being paid to calcium intake. In growing children, calcium plays in an important role in strengthening teeth and bones. It also prevents blood clot. In adults, calcium is an important factor in the prevention of osteoporosis.
In instances where one's lifestyle is such that inhibits an adequate daily intake of calcium, calcium supplements may be taken before or after meals with a large glass of water. Chewable calcium supplements should be chewed thoroughly before swallowing. In the event the individual has problems chewing the chewable supplements, they may be dissolved completely in water or juice before drinking. Calcium has been known to interact with other medications, so a time-lapse should be observed between taking calcium and other medications?ask your doctor to learn more.
So what is your daily recommended intake of calcium? Well it varies with age. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences recommends that children between 0 to 6 months consume an average of 210mg of calcium per day. Children 7 to 12 months old should consume an average of 270mg of calcium per day. Children 1 to 3 years old should consume an average of 500mg of calcium per day. Children 4 to 8 years old should consume an average of 800mg of calcium per day. Children 9 to 13 years old should consume an average of 1300mg of calcium per day. Children 14 to 18 years old should consume an average of 1300mg of calcium per day. People aged 19 to 50 years old should consume an average of 1000mg of calcium per day. People aged 51 years and older should consume an average of 1200mg of calcium per day.
So where do you get calcium from? To put things into perspective, the major contributors to calcium in the United States are milk, yogurt and cheese. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Guide Pyramid recommends that individuals two years and older eat 2-3 servings of dairy products per day.
Even though calcium supplements will help with strengthening your teeth and bones, it may not always be suitable for everyone. People with lung disease, kidney stones, stomach problems or diarrhea should always consult a doctor before taking calcium supplements. Pregnant or nursing women should also consult a doctor before taking calcium supplements, as they have been known to infiltrate breast milk.
Under normal circumstances, calcium supplements are good for everyone. However, high doses may cause adverse reactions, such as constipation, vomiting, nausea, a loss of appetite and a dry mouth. If you experience these symptoms when taking calcium supplements, immediately consult your doctor.
When talking to your doctor about calcium supplements, make it clear what medications (if any) you are taking and any history of diseases that may run in your family.
Calcium supplements may be the ideal answer in keeping strong bones and teeth and solving bone related problems. They are inexpensive and may be found in many online stores. Just run a search for "Calcium Supplements". But remember, consult your doctor before taking calcium supplements.
When stress hormones are released into the body due to a stressful situation, several things may happen. Your metabolic rate can increase, heart rate jumps, blood vessels contract and get tighter, the rate at which one breaths gets more frequent and shorter, muscles contract in response to stress among other things.
At the cellular level a significant inflow of calcium decrease cellular magnesium to calcium ratios which stimulates cellular function such as secrete fluids, contract, go into active mode. The muscles prepare to contract this includes the lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Nerves start to fire more frequent, the blood gets ready to clot, and secondary stress hormones are released. Normally when the stress crisis is over, magnesium moves back into the cells at the cellular level forcing calcium out relaxing the cells, this allows the body to slow down and relax, the nerves calm down and blood flow slows.
Magnesium plays a vital role to relax the body, once the stressful situation is over. The demand for magnesium goes up with stress. If there are inadequate amounts of magnesium in the body, this magnesium deficiency can in itself sustain a stress response. A magnesium deficiency itself can initiate and maintain a stress response without a trigger to cause the stress in the first place. Low magnesium states can prevent the body from relaxing and cause muscle cramping. After a stressful situation, adequate magnesium is needed to help the body shift over to a relaxed state.
Boarder-line magnesium individuals can have a mental, emotional, environmental or physical state of continuous stress where their bodies never come down out of the stress state. This can be detrimental to health and wellness. Drinking coffee, alcohol, and eating lots of sugary foods will cause the body to become depleted. Today's diets high in over processed foods are lacking magnesium; one should supplement by either changing ones diet or adding magnesium to their diet in mineral supplement form.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include signs such as, muscle cramps or twitches, insomnia, irritability, sensitivity to loud noises, anxiety, nervousness, autism, ADHD, heart palpitations, angina, constipation, spasms in the muscles, headaches, migraines, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, asthma and kidney stones (typically caused by a calcium-magnesium imbalance), diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, menstrual cramps, irritable bladder, irritable bowel, acid reflux, and premenstrual syndrome, depression, low energy, weakness in the muscles, weakening bones (bone density loss), and calcification of organs.
Women who consume high amounts of calcium can actually create a greater deficiency in magnesium leading to greater bone mineral density lost then if no calcium was consumed at all. Foods today that are being fortified with calcium are actually helping women loose more bone density because magnesium is not in the right proportions.
To word off the negative effects of a prolonged or over-reaction to stress including a shortened lifespan, one needs to balance out their magnesium to calcium ratios by adding adequate amounts of both magnesium and calcium to their diet. Supplementing with 400 mgs to 800 mgs of elemental magnesium is critical for one looking to live a healthier longer life that is free from stress.
Both Patrick Carpen & Darrell Miller are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.