Our Habits That Can Reduce Calcium Absorption

Calcium is a mineral that the body needs in large quantities to maintain a healthy body. The benefits of calcium is to maintain bone density, maintain heart rhythm, nerve impulse transmission, muscle contraction, blood pressure control, and plays a role in blood clotting process. Unfortunately, calcium included in the mineral can not be fully absorbed in the body. Consumption of calcium from food can only be absorbed approximately 70 percent by the body, while the supplement is only about 30 percent.

The amount of calcium that is absorbed can be smaller again due to some less conscious habits. There are some particular habits that impact on the decrease in the body's ability to absorb calcium, among others:

1. Alcohol consumption: Alcohol consumption is significant in reducing the body's ability to absorb calcium consumed. Even moderate alcohol consumption can affect the dose is large enough.

2. Coffee consumption: Almost the same as the consumption of alcohol, coffee may block the absorption of calcium in the body. Then coffee consumption should be no more than one cup per day, and drink do after mealtime.

3. A diet less in calcium: Absorption body can not be 100 percent, require people to consume more calcium. Lack of calcium from foods can aggravate deficiency in the body.

4. Excessive exercise: Excessive exercise makes bones extra work that requires more calcium. If we are not able to increase the consumption of calcium, your body will take it from the bones.

5. Consumption of steroid drugs: Drugs steroids are consumed in the long term will result in the body are deficient in calcium. That is because steroids can menghalani calcium absorption in the body.

6. Diets high in salt: Salt is one of the ingredients that block the absorption of calcium. High-salt diet also increases the risk of hypertension associated with calcium deficiency.

7. High-protein diet: Just as salt, protein also can block the absorption of calcium. Although protein is required for the growth and regeneration of cells, but should be consumed balanced as needed.

Tips to increase calcium absorption

Calcium deficiency can lead to stunted growth in height. However, consuming excessive amounts of calcium are also not good for health. Research shows that too much calcium tends to increase the risk of prostate cancer and kidney stones. 

Therefore, it is advisable to consume calcium effectively to maximize height without ignoring the health factor. In addition, by consuming calcium should also be appropriate, in order to maximize the absorption of calcium by the body. Here are some tips to help increase calcium absorption.

1. It certainly avoid habits that could interfere with the absorption of calcium which have been mentioned above.


2. Try to consume calcium from natural sources and not synthetic. Because natural resources are healthier and easily absorbed. Natural sources include milk, cheese, fish, etc.


3. Do not consume high amounts of calcium in one swallow. Preferably a little in one day. Drinking half a glass of milk as much as four times better than drinking two glasses of milk at once. Because it is more easily absorbed by the body. Remember! Intestines, have limited ability to absorb nutrients. If you consume two glasses of milk at the same time there is a tendency most nutritional wasted because only partially absorbed by the intestine is capable of. Especially if you are experiencing stomach pains, then the absorption ability is also reduced.


4. Avoid smoking. Because it can dispose of the body's calcium supply. Moreover, also avoid consuming 3 other foods that may inhibit the body improvement program that will follow.

Calcium should be in synergy with vitamin D. Because the vitamin D can help calcium absorption useful for forming and maintaining bone density and teeth. And don't forget that always keep update  information about calcium rich foods.

Be aware of hypercalcemia symptoms to prevent serious impacts!

Hypercalcemia is a condition in which the level of calcium in the blood above normal. Calcium is needed for bone formation, and plays an important role in muscle contraction, ensures that nerve and brain function remains good, and releasing hormones. However, this process can be affected by calcium levels that are too high. Signs and symptoms of hypercalcemia may not exist, or even with severe symptoms. Treatment is based on the cause of hypercalcemia.

Causes of hypercalcaemia 

Hypercalcemia may be caused by increased absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract as well as increasing calcium intake or release, for example on:

• People who consume large amounts of calcium, such as drinking lots of milk or taking antacids containing calcium
• Overdose of vitamin D, since it increases the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract
• Excessive parathyroid hormone, such as a tumor or cancer of the parathyroid glands, as well as in those who received radiation therapy in the neck
• Certain cancers that produce proteins that have effects such as parathyroid hormone, such as kidney cancer, lung cancer, or ovarian cancer.
• Certain diseases that cause bone destruction, thereby releasing bone calcium into the blood, for example in Paget's disease, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer.
• People who do not move much, for example, people who suffered paralysis or lying in bed for a long time. 

Signs and symptoms
The earliest symptoms of hypercalcemia are usually constipation, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Abnormal kidney can produce urine in large quantities. As a result, the body fluids will be reduced and dehydration can occur.

Severe hypercalcemia often causes symptoms of brain dysfunction, such as confusion, emotional disturbances, loss of consciousness, hallucinations, weakness and coma. It could also be followed by an abnormal heart rhythm and death.

In patients with chronic hypercalcemia may form calcium-containing kidney stones. In the event of severe and chronic hypercalcemia, calcium crystals will form in the kidneys and cause permanent damage.

While hypercalcemia symptoms in children are seizures. In addition, the child's body will show discomfort, such as pain, suffering from fever or influenza like. Moreover, usually the child will fussy when these symptoms strike. If the child is likely to show one of these symptoms, you should immediately be taken to the doctor for a blood test. Therefore, this calcium overload disease shows only a few symptoms.

Treatment
Treatment depends on high levels of blood calcium and causes. If hypercalcemia occurs not heavy, the handling is often sufficient to correct the causes. People who have normal kidney function and experienced mild hypercalcemia, or have a tendency to develop hypercalcemia, it is recommended to drink plenty of water. Thus stimulating the kidneys to excrete calcium and helps prevent dehydration.

Dialysis is a highly effective, safe, and reliable way to cope with hypercalcemia, but dialysis is usually only used for people with severe hypercalcemia that can not be solved by other means.

Hypercalcemia caused by cancer are usually difficult to overcome. If the cancer can not be treated, then the hypercalcemia usually will reappear even though most have got a good handling.

Hyperparathyroidism is usually treated with surgery to remove one or more of the parathyroid glands. So that the results are good, all parathyroid tissue that produces hormones in a very large number to be removed. Surgery success rate is approaching 90%.

Benefits of Calcium Not Only For Teeth & Bones

When compared with other minerals, the amount of calcium in our body have a greater number. However, during this time a lot of people know calcium is only to help maintain strong bones and healthy teeth, are also useful for preventing osteoporosis. All of these things are not wrong, because 99% of the calcium in the body is stored in bones and teeth. However, the usefulness of calcium more than that. Calcium is one of the major nutrients needed by the body to cope with health problems such as high blood pressure, heart attack, premenstrual syndrome and colon cancer. Calcium also supports the activities of enzymes, hormones, nerves, muscles, and blood clots. Calcium in the blood even be a measure of balance calcium levels throughout the body, which is determined by parathyroid hormone.

To meet the needs of the calcium in our body, the body will take it from the food we eat everyday. If the food does not contain enough calcium to meet the needs of the body, then the body will take the calcium contained in our bones, so that bones can be regarded as the body's calcium reserves. and if this happens in the long term then maybe we will suffer from osteoporosis in old days later.

 

We are always advised to take calcium supplements to reduce the risk of osteoporosis if we do not consume enough calcium-rich foods. However, according to a new meta-analysis, this recommendation has been questioned by some researchers.

Meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal sparked debate among scientists. A group of researchers from University of Auckland in New Zealand, analyzed the data that already exists, which examined the effects of calcium and vitamin D supplementation of heart problems in 29,000 postmenopausal women. They concluded that calcium supplements (with or without vitamin D) increases the risk of heart attack by 25 percent and stroke by 15 percent. These findings indicate that the risk of heart problems outweigh the potential benefits of taking calcium supplements.

So, if you already read those news, and want to met recommended calcium intake from natural source, you can read at calcium rich foods post. Here are some benefits of calcium for humans:

• Activate nerve
• Improve blood circulation
• flex its muscles
• Normalize blood pressure
• Balance blood acidity levels
• Maintaining the balance of body fluids
• Preventing osteoporosis (brittle bones)
• Preventing heart disease
• Reduce the risk of colon cancer
• Overcoming cramps, back pain, hemorrhoids, and rheumatism
• Address complaints during menstruation and menopause
• Minimize bone shrinkage during pregnancy and lactation
• Help mineralization of teeth and prevent tooth root bleeding
• Overcoming dry and cracked skin feet and hands
• Restoring libido decreased / lower
• Overcoming diabetes (activates the pancreas)

How Much Recommended Calcium Intake Per Day?

Of all the nutrients we need, calcium is one of the most important. Calcium is not only important for the growth and maintain strong bones and teeth, but also very instrumental in the performance of the heart, muscles, and nerves in the body. So, how much calcium is needed daily? 

A study titled "Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior" states that adolescents and adults often have a calcium deficiency due to lack of milk consumption. Often they are also not so concerned about the importance of calcium for the body. This study focuses not just about milk but rather to calcium itself.

Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in the human body. Approximately 99% of calcium contained in the hard tissue that is in the bones and teeth. 1% calcium present in the blood and soft tissues. Without this 1% calcium, muscle contraction disorders, blood will be hard freezes, nerve transmission is interrupted, and so on.

To meet the 1% requirement, the body takes from food eaten or from the bone. If the food eaten can not meet the requirements, then the body will take it from the bone. So the bone can be regarded as the body's calcium reserves. If this is the case for a long time, the bone will experience bone loss.

Calcium is a mineral that can be found in foods such as milk, cheese, tofu, tempeh, spinach, broccoli, beans, and sardines (read calcium rich foods post). This substance is essential for the growth and maintenance of teeth and bones. In addition, calcium is also required by the nerves, heart, and blood clotting system to function properly. Calcium supplements are used to treat and prevent calcium deficiency, as well as reducing phosphate levels.

Sometimes the human body requires a higher calcium intake, especially in the growth in childhood, as well as in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Besides obtained from foods, calcium requirement can also be obtained from calcium supplements.

Recommended Daily Intake of Calcium

Taken from nlm.nih.gov

Consuming calcium properly

Use of calcium supplements in accordance with the information on the packaging or recommended by your doctor if prescribed by a doctor. Make sure there is enough time distance between one dose with subsequent doses. For patients who forgot to take calcium supplements, are advised to drink so remember if the schedule is not too close to the next dose. Do not double the dose of calcium supplements on the next schedule to replace the missed dose.

Get to know the side effects and dangers of calcium supplements

If consumed at the recommended dose, calcium supplements will not harm and very rarely cause side effects. But if this mineral supplements taken in high doses, it can cause the risk of diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Tips to get more calcium from food

There are many ways to improve the daily calcium intake without much changing your diet everyday. Some of the most recommended are:

Ensure adequate intake of vitamin D
The more vitamin D obtained good body through food, sunlight, or supplement, the better the rate of absorption of calcium by the bones and blood flow in the body.

Knowing when to take supplements
When you feel that your diet menu and can not meet the body's calcium intake, you should take supplemental vitamin D before bed.

Reduce consumption of caffeine, sodium, and alcohol
Research suggests that caffeine, sodium and alcohol also can reduce the rate of absorption of calcium by the body. In fact, caffeine and excessive alcohol actually makes the kidneys to excrete calcium, rather than absorbing it.

Warning:

• For women who are pregnant or breast-feeding, adjust the dose of calcium supplements recommended by your doctor.
• Ask doses of calcium supplements for children to the doctor.
• Please be careful if you suffer from kidney disorders, disease sarcoidosis, as well as for those who content of calcium in the blood and urine are very high.
• If an allergic reaction or overdose, see your doctor immediately.

Calcium Deficiency Can Lead to Serious Health Problems

Calcium is a substance that is needed since infancy to old age. The amount of calcium can be differentiated by sex and age. Calcium deficiency can lead to some serious health problems, therefore, advisable to include calcium-rich foods in the daily menu. Calcium is synonymous with bone health, but it turns out, calcium can also affect the health of other organ systems. Every day the body needs about 800-1000 mg of calcium intake for adults. In fact, this dose can be increased during pregnancy and lactation.

More than 200 diseases associated with calcium deficiency. Acidity, body fluids are too acidic, is a major indication of diseases associated with calcium deficiency. Scientists discovered that the body fluids of healthy people are have high alkaline and pH, whereas the body fluids of the sick are have a low pH and acidic. Meeting the needs of the body's calcium prevent hundreds of diseases or help the recovery of hundreds of diseases.

7 health problems caused by calcium deficiency

1. Osteoporosis: loss of bone mass, generally occurs with age. Research shows that at age 25, the body will begin to experience a shortage of calcium as much as 1 percent per year. Entering the age of 50 years, the amount of calcium will be reduced by 30 percent and lost at the age of 70 years will reach 50 percent calcium.
2. Muscle cramps: calcium deficiency can trigger muscle contraction unstable resulting in muscle cramps. One of the events that is often found in pregnant women. Besides triggered venous pressure is not smooth due to the increased weight of the uterus, cramps in pregnant women is also triggered by calcium deficiency. So before pregnancy, women need adequate intake of calcium.
3. Palpitations: Although can be caused by many things, palpitations or heart palpitations can also be experienced as a result of calcium deficiency. This is related to the function of calcium as one guards the heart rhythm. 
4. Hypertension: A new study shows that most people who have hypertension are also experiencing a shortage of calcium in the body. This may be related to disruption of calcium uptake due to consumption of foods high in salt, but can also be due to calcium alone function is to control the blood pressure.
5. Rickets: Rickets is a bone bending due to lack of calcium intake on bone are still growing, ie in childhood. Therefore, since the calcium intake was a child also needs to be considered. 
6. Cognitive impairment: Often forgotten or not being able to concentrate the task is a symptom of cognitive decline. Calcium deficiency may play a role in this regard. Nanny said, calcium is an essential mineral that plays a role in the transmission of nerve impulses. Thus, deficiency of calcium can lead to the transmission is not running smoothly, then the occurrence of cognitive decline. 
7. Depression: The study found a significant association of depression with calcium deficiency. Average patient depression calcium deficiency in the body. This is probably due to the decrease in the function of the body to absorb calcium due to depression.

19 List Of Calcium Rich Foods Besides Milk

Calcium is a mineral that is essential for humans, among others, for the body's metabolism, connections between nerves, heart action, and muscle movement. The main function of calcium is as a driver of the muscles, the main deposits are in the bones and teeth, if necessary, it can move calcium into the blood. So you need to meet the need of daily calcium requirement with calcium rich foods.

Calcium is a mineral that is essential for humans, among others, for the body's metabolism, connections between nerves, heart action, and muscle movement. The main function of calcium is as a driver of the muscles, the main deposits are in the bones and teeth, if necessary, it can move calcium into the blood. In our body, the amount of calcium much more when compared with other minerals. Of all the calcium that is in the human body, 99% of calcium present in the bones and teeth which is the hard tissue, and the remaining 1% are in there in the soft tissues and blood.

After age 20, the human body will begin to experience a shortage of calcium as much as 1% per year. And after the age of 50 years, the amount of calcium in the body will shrink as much as 30%. Losing will reach 50% when reaching the age of 70 years, and so have problems of calcium deficiency. To get maximum calcium intake, you can get from list of foods with high calcium content below.

1. Cheese: Cheese is a food made ​​from milk, cheese has almost all of the nutritional content of milk, such as protein, vitamins, minerals, calcium, phosphorus, fat and cholesterol. But remember, the milk will also cause health disorders if consumed in excessive amounts.
2. Yogurt: Yogurt is milk that is made ​​by fermentation of bacteria. Yogurt can be made from any milk, including soy milk. But most of the yogurt itself is made from cow's milk. Yogurt is also a high-calcium foods as milk-based, which certainly has most of the nutritional content of milk.
3. Soybeans: Did you know, soybeans also contain calcium which is quite high, if one cup of soy beans mixed with boiled without salt, it will produce 261 mg of calcium. Soy milk is also a good source of calcium.
4. Salmon: Salmon is rich in healthy fats as well as protein, in addition to the 3 ounces of canned salmon are already having spine also contains a high content of calcium is 181 mg of calcium. 
5. Dried fruits: Dried fruits can meet the needs of calcium that the body needs. Dried fruit offers 135 mg of calcium for 5 types of dry fruits. 
6. White Beans: White beans have a relatively high calcium content, in 100 grams of white beans contained 442 mg of calcium. White beans, included into the category of beans with a fairly high calcium content. In general, white bean has a calcium content of 175 mg / portion.
7. Radish: Radish contains calcium which is fairly high, about 200 mg / trunk. Eating vegetable soup mixed with radish in addition to meeting the needs of vitamin A can also be used as one way to meet calcium needs.
8. Sesame seeds: Who knew Sesame seeds have a high calcium content. In 1 ounce of sesame seeds contained 280 mg of calcium, the amount is almost equal to the amount of calcium in 1 cup of milk. 
9. Soy milk: In addition to soybeans, soy milk is also rich in calcium which is about 300 mg of calcium, if presented without being mixed with any food.
10. Oranges: Oranges can be found in most parts of the world. In addition to having the content of vitamin C, oranges also have a calcium content of 60 mg 
11. Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a food that is good for the heart, rich in fiber and carbohydrates. It also contains calcium which is quite high, in 1 cup of oatmeal contains 105 mg of calcium.
12. Sardines: Sardines can meet 33% of calcium that the body needs. Thus, sardines consume at least 1 time a week. 
13. Tofu: Tofu is a food made from fermented soybeans sediment, as well as know. Tofu is arguably knew the Japanese version. Tofu itself is softer and less resistant to treatment. Due to the high calcium content, tofu itself is recommended as a food substitute for milk.
14. Kale: Kale is a vegetable that belongs to the type of cabbage or more commonly known with less cabbage. In every 1 cup of kale contains 90 mg of calcium. In other words, 3.5 cups of kale would be more beneficial than 1 cup of milk. 
15. Quinoa: Quinoa is a pseudo cereal crops that have been the staple of Indian society in the Andes, South America. Quinoa is called a pseudo cereal because it is not produced from the seeds of grains. The leaves can also be eaten as spinach seeds. Quinoa seeds is ideal as a source of nutrition because it contains carbohydrates and protein as well. If cooked, 1 cup quinoa provides 60-100 mg of calcium.
16. Broccoli: Broccoli is a vegetable that is included in the cabbage tribe. Broccoli health benefits can even be said that broccoli is the vegetable with the highest calcium content of 180 mg. 
17. Almonds: Almonds are commonly used as snack foods are rich in vitamin E. In addition, almonds also contain 70-80 mg of calcium. 
18. Bananas: Bananas are fruits that are already familiar to us. Because the bananas are in almost all places. Bananas are rich in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and calcium.
19. Broccoli and spinach: Who would have thought, it turns the vegetables also contained a high content of calcium and can be utilized to meet calcium needs. Vegetables containing high calcium are broccoli and spinach.