Calcium - not only important for the prevention of osteoporosis

Calcium - not only important for the prevention of osteoporosis

The mineral calcium strengthens the bones and thus prevents the dreaded Osteoporosis. 

The mineral calcium strengthens the bones and thus prevents the dreaded OsteoporosisThis vital substance also helps against allergies, obesity, Hypertension and numerous others DiseasesBut the dosage is important, because too much can also be harmful.

Calcium makes up 2% of our body weight. This makes it by far the most common mineral in our organism. 99% of the body's calcium is found in the bones and teeth. Calcium in the extremely hard biomineral hydroxyapatite gives bones and teeth their strength.

A small part of the calcium is dissolved in the body fluids or occurs within the cells and has very important functions there too. Calcium is involved in blood clotting, in the electrical excitation of muscles and nerves and in the activation of enzymes and hormones.

Too little calcium – these could be signs of:

• blood clotting disorders
• Arrhythmia
• osteoporosis (bone loss)
• Muscle spasms
• fatigue
• increased excitability, irritability

The normal calcium level should be in the range of 2,2 to 2,65 mmol/l. Blood calcium levels that are too low are not always a sign that you are not getting enough calcium from your diet. There is normally a reservoir of calcium in the bones that can often compensate for nutritional deficiencies for years - but this is often at the expense of bone stability.

However, deviations from the normal calcium level can indicate serious internal diseases. That is why it is so important to know and be able to assess your calcium level.

Too high calcium levels can indicate:

• Hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands (the parathyroid hormone produced there activates bone-degrading cells)
• Hyperfunction of the thyroid
• Cancer (including breast cancer, lung cancer, multiple myeloma; these tumor cells release bone-degrading messenger substances)
• connective tissue diseases (sarcoidosis)

Low calcium levels can indicate:

• digestive disorders (malabsorption syndrome)
• Vitamin D deficiency (the vitamin ensures calcium absorption in the intestine)
• hypofunction of the parathyroid glands
• Kidney diseases (chronic kidney failure, nephrotic syndrome; increased excretion of calcium)
• liver cirrhosis
• bone metastases
• inflammation of the pancreas

Milk is not an optimal source of calcium

In order to meet the calcium requirement, you must consume at least 1 g of calcium daily through food. You should not consume more than 2 g of calcium daily - from food and supplements combined.

Fresh green vegetables, whole grain products, nuts, olives and dried fruit and dairy products are all good options. However, not necessarily milk itself. Calcium from fermented milk products such as yogurt, curds, kefir and cheese is better absorbed in the intestines than from drinking milk.

Drinking milk also does not prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures. A study conducted by the University of Uppsala/Sweden in 2014 with over 100.000 subjects showed that three glasses of milk a day over a period of 20 years increased the risk of femoral neck fractures by around 15% - 30%.

Milk leads to an over-acidification of the body and seems to promote bone fractures because it contains not only calcium but also a lot of galactose (milk sugar). The sugar promotes aging processes and inflammation, and in order to neutralize the acids, calcium is removed from the bones. In cheese and yoghurt, on the other hand, the galactose is broken down and no longer has an acidifying effect.

A 2015 study by the University of Geneva, Switzerland, shows that women over the age of 65 who consume yogurt daily suffer significantly fewer bone fractures (19% within three years) than women who do not consume yogurt (30% within three years).

You can also drink calcium-rich mineral water, but their contribution to calcium supply is small. One slice of hard cheese, on the other hand, contains more calcium than four bottles of most mineral water.

Calcium content in foods (in mg per 100 g)

Hard cheese - 800 to 1.200 mg
Soft cheese - 400 to 700 mg
Almonds - 250 mg
Flaxseed - 230 mg
Kale - 177 mg
leaf spinach - 149 mg
Chickpeas - 124 mg
Milk, curd, yoghurt - 120 mg
cream cheese - 100 mg
Olives - 95 mg
walnuts - 90 mg
Dried fruit - 80 to 100 mg
Kohlrabi - 70 mg
wholemeal rye flour - 64 mg
chicken egg - 56 mg
rye white flour - 20 mg

However, if you don't eat enough dairy products, vegetables or nuts, you will have no choice but to take an additional nutritional supplement.

Allergies, obesity, high blood pressure – calcium helps here too

Calcium supplements are useful in numerous therapies against health problems.

An additional calcium supplement helps with these diseases:

• Osteoporosis
• allergies, sun allergy
• high blood pressure (blood vessels remain more elastic)
• Overweight (supports the reduction of body fat)
• Colorectal cancer (prevention and longer survival time after Diagnosis)
• Muscle spasms
• premenstrual pain
• hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands
• chronic intestinal diseases (lower calcium absorption)
• overweight
• Calcium also helps with weight loss

Studies show that overweight subjects who were diet Those who consumed about 1.200 mg of calcium daily lost 40 to 60% more body fat than those who did not take additional calcium.

Experts give the all-clear: No heart attacks due to calcium supplements

In the past, it has been repeatedly discussed that calcium could increase the risk of heart and vascular diseases.

In 2016, however, researchers at Tufts University in Boston, USA, summarized all studies and evaluated them together. They came to the conclusion that calcium intake of up to 2,5 g per day does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (diseases of the heart and blood vessels).

The US Osteoporosis Society and the US Society for Preventive Cardiology also declared in the same year that calcium supplements up to a daily dose of 2 g are safe from a cardiovascular point of view for generally healthy people.

Using calcium supplements safely

• Self-medication of the daily dose should be limited to 1 to 1,5 g of calcium. Those who eat a diet rich in calcium tend to need lower doses.
• A calcium supplement for osteoporosis should ideally also contain vitamins D and K, as these ensure that calcium is actually incorporated into the bones.
• Pure calcium supplements (usually as effervescent tablets) are available in every supermarket. These supplements usually contain calcium carbonate.
• Pharmacies also sell - much more expensive - preparations with organic calcium compounds (e.g. calcium gluconate, calcium citrate or calcium lactate). These dissolve better in water. However, as independent studies show, this has no impact on the usability in the intestine.
• When taking the inexpensive calcium carbonate effervescent tablets, care should be taken to ensure that no sediment remains in the glass.
• The calcium supplement should be taken after eating. This increases the absorption capacity in the small intestine by 30% to 40%.
• The daily dose is best divided into several smaller portions (4 x 250 mg instead of 1 x 1.000 mg). This also means that 30% more of the mineral is absorbed.
• Calcium supplements should not be taken together with foods that contain phosphates (such as cola drinks, cured meat or sausage, processed cheese). Phosphate hinders the absorption of calcium in the intestine.