Calcium

Calcium in the food is never too much

Author: Alexander Yezovit

Scientists say the man's calf bone can withstand the axial load over a ton. Life convinces us the opposite: sometimes we break legs on a smooth place. Where is the truth? Why bones, such a strong beginning, suddenly become so brittle and fragile? And that over there to talk about teeth...

The fact that the elderly have brittle bones, has long been known. But about osteoporosis as a dangerous disease it began to say recently - somewhere from 60 years of XX century. Intrigue of this disease is that it can proceed unnoticed and appear only in fractures. This disease called terrible because it is one of the commonest causes of morbidity and mortality of people in modern society. The leaders are cardiovascular diseases, in second place is cancer, the third - diabetes mellitus, the fourth - osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and a violation of the structure of bone tissue, leading to increased bone fragility. In every human being as the natural aging bones and wash them calcium decreases bone mass, which annual losses are amount to about 1% of the peak value.

But for women in menopause when the ovaries produce insufficient amount of estrogen - hormones that are actively involved in the processes of bone metabolism, - bone loss could reach 4-5% per year, which in turn leads to bone fragility and fractures. According to the statistics, fifty-years women have a probability of different fractures associated with reduced bone mass during the remaining life at the level of 40%.

It's not news that osteoporosis is now a problem in the whole world, especially for women aged over 45 years. According to statistics, at a rate of consumption of 1200 mg of calcium per day, only 5% of women get it. But more than 70% gets a day with meals only 200-300 mg of calcium.

Danger is greatest in people with blood group 0(I), also to a lesser degree - A(II), since for them, most dairy products are contraindicated. And because the problem with refilling of calcium deficiency in the body is so desperately, it is important to know what determines the depth of the deficit. By the way, according to some experts, the problem of osteoporosis affects the male population also, so this danger is the total for all.

"First of all, we must remember that people suffering from osteoporosis, or predisposed to it, under any circumstances do not get along without calcium preparations" - says the president of the Ukrainian Association of osteoporosis, MD, Professor Wladyslaw Povorozniuk. "In Ukraine "silent epidemic of the century" - this is called osteoporosis - seized more than three million people. The fair sex more prone to this disease: a risk group includes the rapidly growing adolescents, pregnant women, nursing mothers and women of mature age. After fifty years, the lack of calcium in women is often more than 50% and the risk of osteoporotic fracture is more than risk of breast cancer. Patients with osteoporosis in a sense, doomed to such problems. Pain in the back, layer nails, crumbling teeth, dull hair can indicate a calcium deficiency, osteoporosis."

Unbalanced diet, "dirty" environment, smoking, alcohol abuse contribute to the development of calcium deficiency. "Chernobyl footprint" also makes itself felt. According to the international medical statistics, every fourth patient with osteoporotic hip fracture die within a year. Therefore, people suffering from osteoporosis, calcium is essential as air. Unfortunately, even a balanced diet can not fully satisfy the needs of the organism in this element.

The daily intake of calcium is 1-1,5 grams. In most foods, this element is present only in small quantities, and you must eat them every day kilograms for standards. Only dairy products contain calcium in sufficient quantities, but the bad thing is that with the milk man gets excessive amount of low-value to the health of fat and carbohydrates - the so-called milk sugar.

Many factors affect the absorption of calcium in gastrointestinal tract. Some types of plant fiber contain substances that form insoluble compounds with calcium (oxalates in the leaves of green vegetables such as spinach; oxalic acid from sorrel, rhubarb; phytic acid from the bran of whole grains). On the assimilation of calcium affect cocoa, soybeans, food with high content of phosphorus, including carbonated drinks, as well as high protein content. Thus, at low protein diet is absorbed only 5% of calcium, whereas in the high-protein diet - 15% of calcium obtained from food. Coffee increases the excretion of calcium by the kidneys.

Science has long known of the two pathways for calcium from the intestine into the blood. The first way is through the mechanism of "ion channel" formed by cells lining the surface of the small intestine. Protein coating of the intestinal mucosa are negatively charged, so the metal ions are attracted to it and in turn, penetrate into the entrance gate "ion channel" which at the same time only one of any ion can pass through. Therefore, supplementation of, for example, calcium preparations in the ionic form can lead to deficiency of other minerals.

However, there is another mechanism of absorption of minerals, including calcium. This is associated with the process of chelation. Chemical substances that form complexes with amino acids, are absorbed by intestinal cells, bypassing the "ion channel", since the cells are actively searching for amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Such complexes are formed by chelate bonds, and calcium preparations in the form digested much easier than in the ion form, besides not getting into competition with ions of other metals. In addition to the assimilation of chelated calcium need less vitamin D.

Famous nutritionist Robert Atkins argues that the central place among the factors that provide calcium absorption and retention in the bones, is the ratio of calcium and magnesium. This ratio should normally be 2:1. If the content of magnesium in the blood falls, the kidneys will automatically restore the balance, deriving from the body an additional amount of calcium. Taking drugs with alone calcium, you turn this balancing mechanism, so the excess calcium is partially excreted in the urine, and partly deposited in the form of insoluble compounds in the organs and tissues.

Dietary supplement Strong Bones contains in each capsule calcium and magnesium in chelate form in a 2:1 ratio. In such form and in such a ratio with magnesium, calcium is best absorbed by the body. The organic form of calcium in this preparation (chelate) minimizes the risk of kidney stones, which exists when prolonged use of other drugs of calcium. As a result this supplement, strengthening bone tissue, does not harm the kidneys. This drug may also take people suffering from endocrine diseases (including diabetes), receiving hormonal.

Strîng Bînes is one of the most modern preparations containing calcium and magnesium in easily digestible organic form.

Improved supplement Strong Bones Plus contains, along with calcium and magnesium, also vitamin D. It can recommend to people for whom it is important to fill the deficiency of vitamin D - the elderly, as well as those who suffer from cardiovascular disease or cancer.

This article is copyrighted by Alexander Yezovit. It cannot be reprinted without permission from Alexander Yezovit.