Calcium deficiency
What is calcium?
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca. In the human body, calcium is the most abundant metal and the fifth-most abundant element. Calcium is an essential mineral with critical functions in the skeletal, cardiovascular, endocrine, and neurological systems. This mineral contributes a great deal to the structure of bones and teeth and is essential for normal movement by keeping tissues rigid, strong, and flexible. Unlike teeth, bones undergo continuous remodeling, with resorption of and deposition of calcium into new bone. Approximately 99% of total body calcium is in the bone which acts as a calcium reservoir. The remaining fraction participates in metabolic processes, including vascular and muscle contraction, nervous system signal transmission, blood clotting, transmembrane transport, enzymatic activation, signal transduction, and hormonal function. The body has a constant level of calcium in men and women but calcium levels start to drop in women as a result of increased bone remodeling due to decreased estrogen production during menopause. Rich natural sources of calcium include milk, yogurt, and cheese. Nondairy sources include canned salmon and sardines with bones, as well as broccoli, kale, and Chinese cabbage (Bok choy). The recommended intake of calcium for adults aged 19 to 50 is 1000 mg per day. This amount can be increased for adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, and women older than 50.
What are the causes of calcium deficiency?
Calcium deficiency (also known as hypocalcemia) is usually caused by vitamin D or magnesium deficiency, poor diet, impaired parathyroid hormone function, impaired calcium resorption by bone, underlying condition, or using some medications. Furthermore, some subgroups of the population are at risk of calcium deficiency, including adolescents, postmenopausal women, women with amenorrhea, women involved in high-performance sports, and individuals with lactose intolerance or cow's milk allergies. Age can also affect the absorption of dietary calcium. Calcium absorption is as high as 60% in infants and young children, who need substantial amounts to build bones, but it decreases to about 25% in adulthood and continues to decline with age.
What are the health problems caused by calcium deficiency?
Dietary calcium deficiency is considered to be widespread globally. According to published estimates, approximately half of the world's population has inadequate access to dietary calcium. Because low serum calcium levels can affect most organs, symptoms may vary widely. Neuromuscular irritability is generally the most pronounced symptom, including numbness around the mouth, tingling in the hands and feet, and muscle spasms. In severe cases, individuals may experience renal calcification or injury, brain calcification, neurologic symptoms (e.g., depression and bipolar disorder), cataracts, cancers, congestive heart failure, seizures, or even a coma. Insufficient calcium can cause bone weakening and osteoporosis, a condition that leads to fragile bones and an increased risk of falling. Calcium deficiency can also cause rickets in children and other bone problems like osteomalacia in adults. Vitamin D levels are closely correlated with calcium for the prevention of rickets and osteomalacia, that is, the lower the vitamin D levels the more calcium is needed. The inadequate consumption of calcium has also been tied to other health outcomes such as pregnancy complications, tooth decay, dermatitis, brittle nails, as well as fractures, and osteopenia among older adults. Low calcium levels have been also linked to severe premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Why liposomal calcium is the best calcium supplement?
Some people need calcium supplements to meet their calcium requirements. However, the use of calcium supplements may cause individuals to suffer gastrointestinal side effects, including constipation, gas, bloating, or a combination of these symptoms. In addition, some compounds in the diet can form certain salts with calcium ions in the intestine and decrease its solubility and absorption. Calcium supplements may also interact with many different prescription medications, including blood pressure medications, synthetic thyroid hormones, and antibiotics that result in low calcium absorption and bioavailability in the intestine. Moreover, some calcium supplements need to be taken during meal time only because they need stomach acid to have better bioavailability and absorption. In order to solve these issues, liposomal delivery systems have been developed. Liposomal calcium doesn’t cause any side effects because it prevents calcium interaction with intestine mucosa. In addition, liposomes can protect calcium ions from interaction with compounds in the diet and prevents them from becoming indigestible calcium salt. Most importantly, liposomes have a different way of absorption from other medications. This protects liposomal calcium from interaction with other drugs. Also, liposomal calcium can be absorbed equally with or without food hence it’s suitable for individuals with low stomach acid. Therefore, liposomes can increase calcium bioavailability with no side effects. Nanoliposomes have a smaller size than liposomes and may be more effective at controlling calcium release and absorption. These nanocarrier systems can provide high stability, cell uptake, bioavailability, and sustained release. As a result, nanoliposomal calcium supplements are the best calcium supplement.
References:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22439169/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30449546/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32367335/
https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nyas.14758
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8056136/
https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1750-3841.15677
https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/pros-and-cons-of-calcium-supplements
NAME: CA120 LIPOSOMAL CALCIUM
FORM: chewable tablet, 30 tablets per box
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: liposomal calcium, 120 mg of elemental calcium per tablet