What does Calcium do in the body? – By Harold Gunatillake

Too much calcium in your blood can weaken your bones, create kidney stones, and interfere with how your heart and brain work. Hypercalcemia is usually a result of overactive parathyroid glands. These four tiny glands are situated near the thyroid gland in the neck.

You probably don’t know that excessive calcium intake may cause heart problems. Here’s how that might happen: Some excess calcium from supplements could make its way into fatty plaques in your arteries. These plaques narrow arteries, reducing the blood supply to the heart muscle.

A long-term calcium deficiency can lead to dental changes, cataracts, alterations in the brain, and osteoporosis, which causes the bones to become brittle.

This is a topic you should be aware of. Its metabolism and conditions that can lead to excess and deficiency are discussed. Also, knowing its place in controlling your blood pressure is important.

During pregnancy, the baby in its mother’s womb needs plenty of calcium to develop its skeleton. This need is especially significant during the last three months of pregnancy. If the mother doesn’t get enough calcium, her baby will draw what it needs from her bones.

That is how essential calcium is for the developing fetus.

Calcium is a mineral most often associated with healthy bones and teeth. However, it also plays a vital role in blood clotting, helping muscles contract, and regulating normal heart rhythms and nerve functions.

As mentioned earlier, your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Your heart, muscles and nerves also need calcium to function properly. Some studies suggest that calcium and vitamin D may have benefits beyond bone health: perhaps protecting against cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

So, the functions of Calcium in the body are:

Calcium helps your body with the following:

Building strong bones and teeth. Clotting blood.

Sending and receiving nerve signals. Squeezing and relaxing muscles.

Releasing hormones and other chemicals. Keeping a normal heartbeat.

From where do you get your calcium, as it is not formed in your body?

Dairy products. These eight foods are some of the best sources of calcium available: products like milk, yoghurt, and cheese are rich in calcium and tend to be its best-absorbed sources. …

Soybeans. …

Dark Green, Leafy Vegetables. …

Calcium-Fortified Foods. …

Canned Salmon. …

Figs. …

Flour Tortillas. …

Canned Baked Beans.

How is Calcium Absorbed?

Calcium is absorbed in the small intestine by two general mechanisms: a transcellular active transport process mainly located in the duodenum and upper jejunum; and a paracellular, passive process that functions throughout the length of the intestine.

If you do not take sufficient calcium, you may get osteoporosis of bones.

Vitamin D is required to absorb calcium from your gut. Most adults under age 50 need 400- 800 international units of vitamin D (IU) daily, and most adults age 50 and older need 800- 1,000 IU daily.

I hope your doctor has recommended vitamin D tablets to be taken daily.

Carbohydrates may enhance calcium absorption, while coffee and cigarette smoke may impede it. The best way to get calcium is through food. Many foods are fortified with calcium. But some people may need calcium supplements to get the recommended amount.

How is calcium metabolism controlled in the body?

Calcium metabolism mainly depends on the parathyroid hormone (PTH) activity. The ionised serum calcium levels strictly control its secretion through negative feedback, achieved by activating calcium-sensing receptors (CaSRs) mainly expressed on the surface of the parathyroid cells.

What does Calcium in your blood do to your heart?

Calcium particles enter the heart muscle cells during each heartbeat and contribute to the electrical signal that coordinates the heart’s function. Calcium particles also bind to machinery within the cell that helps the cell to squeeze together (“contract”), which makes the heart pump blood.

Calcium intake may regulate blood pressure by increasing intracellular calcium in vascular smooth muscle cells of the heart and blood vessels, leading to vasoconstriction, and by increasing vascular volume through the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS).

Calcium channel blockers can block calcium action in your heart muscles, thereby reducing the force of contraction. Amlodipine, sold under Norvasc, is a calcium channel blocker medication used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects of calcium channel blockers include swelling, tiredness, abdominal pain, and nausea.

Diltiazem is another calcium channel blocker given to reduce high blood pressure. It works by affecting the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. This relaxes the blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload.

Should you take calcium supplements when you are on calcium channel blockers? Supplemental calcium may decrease the effects of calcium channel blockers, such as nifedipine (Procardia), verapamil, and diltiazem (Cardizem, Cartia XT, others). Calcium is delivered through an IV line to help reverse a calcium channel blocker overdose.

Should you take vitamin D when you are on calcium channel blockers?

Regular vitamin D-3 (4,000 IU a day or less) do not significantly affect calcium levels and may be taken with calcium-channel blockers.25 Oct 2016

The importance of calcium metabolism in the body is discussed. I hope this video presentation was helpful.

Stay safe, and Goodbye for now.

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