Lack of calcium in the body: symptoms in women, men. Role, norms, which one is better absorbed, how to accept. Diet, vitamin complexes

For the smooth functioning of the body, a sufficient amount of minerals, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins is required. Calcium is one of the most important trace elements. Its lack in the body can lead to the manifestation of symptoms and the development of diseases in women, men, children.

Calcium acts as a building material. Bones and teeth are 99% of this mineral, another 1% is present in the blood, soft tissues.

• actively participates in the activity of various hormones, enzymes;
• helps the work of nerve cells;
• accelerates blood clotting, tissue metabolism;
• endowed with anti-allergic action.

Due to the presence of calcium, the level of absorption of other substances by the body increases.

Calcium norms for women, men, children

The need for calcium varies with age. Chronic diseases, ecology, nutrition, lifestyle, general condition of the body also have an impact. Detailed information on averages by age is presented in the table below:

Daily intake of calcium, vitamin D3:

Causes of calcium deficiency

Every day, approximately 700 mg of calcium is excreted from the human body naturally. If the element ceases to flow in sufficient quantities, then the consumption of reserves from the bone mass begins, which can provoke hypocalcemia.

The following factors exacerbate the loss:

Risk groups prone to calcium deficiency

The risk groups are as follows:

• Professional athletes. With strong physical exertion, the process of energy consumption increases. Accordingly, the body needs more nutrients than in the normal rhythm of life. For bodybuilders, this topic is most relevant.
• Pregnancy and lactation. The process of fruit formation entails an additional consumption of the mineral.
• Vegetarians, as well as people on strict diets.
• Women suffering from menstrual irregularities.
• Individuals diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency in the body

Lack of calcium in the body, the symptoms in women and men of which are accompanied in the initial stages by fatigue, irritability, weakness, greatly affects the condition. Severe headaches, insomnia are possible. The condition of the teeth worsens, there is a high risk of developing caries.

Other symptoms:

1. Nervous system and muscles: the appearance of a feeling of numbness of the limbs (first of all, the fingers, as well as the corners of the mouth), in the future - cramps and pain in the bones. Spasms of the larynx can lead to changes in the voice. In the later stages - the development of osteoporosis, a tendency to deformities and fractures, often observed in the elderly.
2. At the level of the cardio system, heart rhythm disturbances occur.
3. Skin, hair, nails: excessive dryness and brittleness. Weakened immunity serves as good soil for the development of dermatological diseases (psoriasis, eczema) and allergic reactions.
4. Perhaps the development of glaucoma, nosebleeds, loss of consciousness.

Infant age

Calcium deficiency is diagnosed in newborns in the first days of life. The cause may be premature birth, diabetes in the mother.

The main symptoms in infants:

1. Nervousness or restlessness.
2. Bad appetite.
3. Slow breathing rhythm.
4. Tachycardia.
5. Excessive sweating while sleeping or eating.
6. The child is often frightened by noisy and sharp sounds.

To identify calcium deficiency in a baby, you can do simple steps:

• Use your fingertip to tap on the cheek (near the corner of the mouth).
• Squeeze the child's hand in the middle third of the shoulder.

If twitching or convulsions occur during the performance of actions, then a lack of calcium is possible.

muscle cramps

Calcium plays an important role in human motor activity: the process of changing its ions regulates the contraction and relaxation of skeletal muscles. Its imbalance in the body can lead to convulsions, loss of balance, and impaired coordination of movements.

Dry skin, brittle nails

The main functions of calcium for the skin are:

1. Helps restore the barrier function of the epidermis.
2. Maintaining water balance.
3. Helps to produce collagen and elastin, which slow down the aging process of cells.
4. regulation of capillary tone.
5. It plays the role of a "cross-linking agent" in the lipid layers of the skin and provides them with a denser structure.

The lack of an element leads to age-related changes in the skin, its dryness, a decrease in firmness and elasticity. The nails become brittle, begin to exfoliate, spots and stripes of white color appear.

Symptoms of late puberty and PMS

Late puberty in girls can be a sign of calcium deficiency in the body. Another symptom is the occurrence of premenstrual syndrome, accompanied by cramps, spasms, irritability or moodiness, increased cravings for food, and a violation of the menstrual cycle itself.

Tooth decay

With calcium deficiency, softening of the enamel occurs. As a result - a rapid darkening of the teeth and their increased sensitivity. The greatest danger is the appearance of caries, which is formed in the process of demineralization of hard tissues of the tooth: under the influence of organic acids, calcium and phosphorus salts, which are part of the enamel, are washed out.

The tooth consists of 95% of these elements and only 5% of water.

Frequent fractures

Calcium is the main component of bone tissue. The formation of bones in length in humans ends at the age of 15-20 years. Sufficient intake of the trace element during this period will contribute to the formation of a dense bone structure and its strengthening.

Bone tends to renew itself over time. Despite the flexibility and strength of the bones, they are subject to microtrauma.

To eliminate them, there are two groups of cells in the body: some remove and destroy the affected tissue, while others fill the bone area, which subsequently calcifies. This action is called remodeling. With age, the process of self-renewal of cells slows down, which increases the risk of fractures.

Insomnia

Frequent awakenings may indicate a lack of calcium in the body. The level of the microelement increases during the deep phase of sleep. Calcium helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan, which promotes the synthesis of the "happiness hormone" serotonin, which, in turn, produces melatonin, which is responsible for sleep and wakefulness.

Difficulties with losing weight

Obesity leads to disruption in the body of closely related processes.

Many internal systems fail:

• the heart rhythm goes astray, there are serious hormonal
• changes, the digestive tract suffers.

The launch of a significant number of processes inside the cell occurs with the help of calcium. Due to its effect on intracellular metabolism, metabolism is accelerated, which contributes to weight loss.

Obesity problems that provoke a mineral deficiency:

paresthesia

The disease is characterized by a loss of sensitivity and is almost always secondary, that is, it is formed against the background of other ailments. Its main cause is nerve damage, which leads to a mass of unpleasant sensations in the patient in the form of tingling, burning, crawling "goosebumps" on the skin. A lack of calcium can serve as the beginning for the onset and development of paresthesia.

Complications

The lack of a substance can cause a number of serious shifts in the functions of vital systems. Violations in the formation of the bone skeleton, teeth, neurological disorders, hyperexcitability - a small list of consequences.

A dangerous manifestation of trace element deficiency is insufficient blood clotting. The transition of calcium deficiency to the chronic stage increases the risk of heart disease, subcapsular cataracts.

Osteoporosis

Calcium metabolism is regulated by the 4th parathyroid glands, which are responsible for the activity of parathyroid hormone. When they receive information about the deficiency of a substance, the physiological reaction of maintaining a constant internal environment of the body is switched on.

At the command of parathyroid hormone, part of the calcium from the bone mass is excreted into the blood to make up for the resulting deficiency. With frequent deviations, the quality of bone mineralization decreases, respectively, and strength decreases. This is how osteoporosis occurs.

The lack of calcium in the body, the symptoms of which in women and men lead to the development of osteoporosis, is often accompanied by tedious pain in the bones and muscles.

In addition, there are:

• The appearance of excessive stoop.
• Frequent bone fractures when falling even from a slight height or with little physical exertion. Periodic damage to the joints, especially small ones.
• Sudden appearance of gray hair.

The groups most at risk for osteoporosis are:

• Aged people. As a rule, this period begins after reaching 50 years.
• People who have a fragile physique or short stature.
• Late onset or early cessation of menstruation), scanty or infrequent periods.
• Infertility.
• Prolonged lactation (over 6 months).
• Fracture susceptibility.
• Early onset of menopause (up to 44 years).

Cardiovascular diseases

The spectrum of cardiovascular diseases is wide:

Calcium contributes to the proper functioning of muscle cells and hormones that regulate the heartbeat. When a microelement enters the cells, the protein is activated, thereby activating the heart muscle. Calcium plays an important role in the process of blood clotting and maintaining the tone of blood vessels.

A low level of the element leads to a decrease in pressure, a weakening of cardiac activity, and convulsions. High - the development of paralysis, arrhythmia, paresis.

High blood pressure

Calcium may be a good preventive measure in the fight against hypertension, especially for the elderly, suffering from increased sensitivity to salt.

In people of this category, the use of large amounts of sodium affects blood pressure. Calcium makes the walls of blood vessels strong and elastic, controls the heart rate, lowers cholesterol levels.

Oncology

According to some studies, taking calcium supplements can reduce the risk of the appearance and development of colorectal cancer, that is, a malignant neoplasm in the large intestine. Its ions form insoluble compounds with bile and fatty acids in the gastrointestinal tract.

Due to this, the destructive effect of acids on cells is reduced. Calcium also improves cell signaling and can cause cancer cells to differentiate.

Diagnosis of calcium deficiency

You can determine the calcium content in the body by donating blood for biochemical analysis. This will allow to identify and start timely treatment of serious pathologies resulting from an imbalance of the microelement.

Such a study may be needed in the following cases:

Preparatory steps:

• Eliminate any meals for 10-12 hours.
• For a day, remove sugar, foods containing dyes, a lot of fat, and alcohol from the diet.
• On the day of the test, reduce sports to a minimum.

How to make up for the lack of calcium in the body?

To normalize the balance of the microelement, the following products will help:

• Calcium is absorbed most effectively with the help of phosphorus, vitamins B9, C, D. For example, a lot of the trace element B9 is present in various greens, vegetables, cereals, nuts, and fruits.
• Plant foods that serve as a good conductor of calcium.
• Animal products: eggs, fish and meat.
• Fruits and vegetables.
• Dairy products.

Excessively salty foods, smoked meats, alcoholic beverages, strong tea and coffee contribute to the active withdrawal of calcium.

Diet correction

You can balance your daily diet by knowing the calcium content in food.

The amount of trace element in popular products in mg per 100 g:

Supplements with calcium

For women, men and children, the use of dietary supplements is acceptable to replenish calcium and eliminate the symptoms of its deficiency. When choosing a drug, it is important to pay attention to the presence of vitamin D3 in it, because due to its presence, calcium in the body is absorbed better.

These include:

• vitrum-calcium-D3;
• calcium-D3-nycomed;
• alpha-D3-teva;
• Complivit-calcium-D3.

Injections

In some severe pathologies, accompanied by a decrease in the level of calcium in the blood, intramuscular or intravenous administration may be required. For these purposes, calcium gluconate is used. For children, it is administered only intravenously.

The diseases it helps to cope with include:

• bronchial asthma;
• cold;
• allergy;
• jade others.

Which doctor treats calcium deficiency?

Lack of calcium in the body (symptoms in women and men in most cases can be determined in the first stages) is diagnosed by a therapist after passing the appropriate tests, and in children - by a pediatrician. The choice of the attending physician largely depends on the level of involvement in the pathological condition of other organs and systems.

Osteoporosis can be treated by an orthopedist or osteopath. Often, an appeal to a gastroenterologist is required to check the condition of the digestive system. It will be useful to consult a nutritionist who will help you make the right, balanced diet. Science is moving forward, and now some advanced clinics offer personalized genetic analysis diets.

Measures to prevent calcium deficiency

Calcium deficiency in the body, the symptoms of which can be prevented in women and men, is replenished with simple preventive measures.

They are:

Calcium is a health mineral. Many life processes are carried out with his participation, including the beating of the heart and blood circulation. Timely replenishment of the lack of calcium in the body will support this process and prevent the onset of symptoms of various diseases in both women and men and children.

Article formatting: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about the lack of calcium in the body

Symptoms, treatment and prevention of calcium deficiency: