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Facts About Low Calcium Diet And Osteoporosis

For people who are not getting any younger, health is a very important topic to chat about. There are many debate these days about low calcium diet and osteoporosis. Because of our contrasting lifestyles today, sedentary and fast-paced, a lot of people are not getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals to help them stay healthy and perform their daily tasks.

In this article, we will try to discuss everything and anything about low calcium diet and osteoporosis for us to better understand what we are going to do to increase our daily calcium intake and prevent osteoporosis and other diseases that goes with it.

Calcium
Calcium is a very important mineral. But how much do we know calcium? What are its functions and where do we get it?

Calcium is a mineral that our body needs for so many functions. In its pure form, Calcium is a silvery, firm element which, like gold or silver is malleable. The symbol for calcium is Ca. Calcium also has lots of industrial uses like production of fixative and quicklime (calcium carbonate). In the human body, bones and teeth have plenty of Ca (about 99% of the total calcium in our body) and is also carried in our blood stream (the remaining 1%). Calcium when combined with Vitamin D is absorbed by our system more fruitfully and efficiently. That is why morning sunshine preferably between 7 and 8 am are beneficial especially with infants because sun light is a good source of Vitamin D.

Now that we have tackled what calcium is all about, the next logical question for us would be where or what are the good sources of calcium? In our body there are two ways to get calcium one is by eating foods that are rich in calcium the other by getting it from our bones. Good sources of Ca are dairy products and dark green leafy veggies. You may also take calcium supplements that also have Vitamin D already for better absorption.

As we have already mentioned, the other way to get the calcium needed by the body is by taking it from the bones. But this is not best. This only happens when the level of calcium in the blood stream gets too low. Although the calcium taken from the bones in times needed by the body is frequently replaced in time, this is not always the case. It is advised that calcium from outside sources be taken in regularly to avoid “borrowing” calcium from the bones.

Osteoporosis
What is osteoporosis then? Osteoporosis is often discussed alongside with calcium, vitamin D and aging. But there are things which are not fully believed about osteoporosis. Let us attempt to answer some of the questions about calcium and osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis or in other terms “porous bones” is the declining of the bones caused by the imbalance of calcium and vitamin D in the body and the natural bone loss in human as experienced later in life. More generally found in women, about 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis today (8 million women; 2 million men). One of the causes of loss of bone mass in the body is the low level of hormones which are estrogen for women and testosterone for men. In menopause, there is great decline in the estrogen level in women resulting to loss of bones leading to osteoporosis. This disease is also caused by aging, lack of physical activity and other genetic factors.

It is imperative to maintain a good calcium level in our body. Remember that to have strong bones, regular exercise is also needed. On the other hand, there is also such a thing as calcium deposits in our kidneys and gallbladder which may lead to other illnesses as well. That is why it is also important that a doctor prescribe you the proper daily calcium intake that your body needs at this point in your life.

By: Daryl B. Chapman

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