The role of calcium in the human body is difficult to overestimate. In confirmation of this we can say that the total pool of calcium in the human body is about 2% of the total body weight of the individual, which is ten times more than the amount of any other electrolyte in our body. Under physiological conditions, the bulk of calcium, which is about 99% of its total amount, does not participate in metabolic processes, and is in a bound state in bone tissue. The remaining 1% of calcium is in a dissolved state and 50-60% of this value is directly in the ionized state, it is this part of the total amount that participates in such vital processes as:

• Neuromuscular transmission of impulses;

• Blood clotting processes;

• The work of the heart muscle;

• Formation of a cellular action potential on cell membranes;

• Production and activation of a huge number of enzymes involved in almost all biologically significant processes of the whole organism;

• Formation of bone density.

How does the lack of calcium in the body manifest itself?

So, each of us, for one reason or another, may encounter conditions such as calcium deficiency (hypocalcemia) or calcium excess (hypercalcemia), which is equally bad for our health. But in order to correctly interpret these conditions, we first need to know what the normal values of ionized calcium in the blood are: 1.17 – 1.29 mmol/l. As you can see, the range of the norm is very small, therefore, from shortage to excess is just one step!

Hypocalcemia (plasma calcium is less than 1.17 mmol / l) – develops with hypoalbuminemia (deficiency of albumins in blood plasma), pancreatitis, long-term bile fistulas, vitamin D deficiency, malabsorption in the small intestine, after prolonged, traumatic surgical interventions, and most importantly - with a decrease in alimentary (with food) calcium intake into the human body (normally, the daily human need for calcium is about 700-800 mg / day).

First of all, this condition manifests itself:

• increased neuromuscular excitability;

• a feeling of goosebumps on the skin;

• paroxysmal tachycardia (sudden, rapid heartbeat);

• cramps of the calf muscles;

• slowing down blood clotting;

• brittle teeth, hair, nails;

• osteoporosis, increased risk of bone fractures;

• delayed development in infants.

Correction of hypocalcemia is carried out after clinical and laboratory determination of calcium in blood plasma, by intravenous administration of drugs containing ionized calcium. Similar drugs include: calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium chloride or calcium bicarbonate. But all these measures will have an effect only if the plasma albumin level is corrected beforehand. That is why, when determining the amount of plasma calcium, it is also necessary to determine the amount of plasma albumin, because the combined correction of the level of these substances and determines primarily a favorable outcome of this condition.

Hypercalcemia (plasma calcium is more than 1.29 mmol/l). This condition occurs in all processes accompanied by increased bone destruction (this is osteomyelitis, as well as various tumor processes of bone tissue), as well as this condition often manifests itself in diseases of the parathyroid glands (for example, adenoma, parathyroiditis), excessive administration of calcium drugs against the background of treatment of hypocalcemia.

The clinical picture of this condition:

• Rapid fatigue during the working day;

• Muscle weakness and marked lethargy;

• Nausea, vomiting, constipation and flatulence;

• Kidney stones are formed.

Severe hypercalcemia leads to:

• Hallucinations

• Coma

• Cardiac arrhythmia

• Fatal outcome

In contrast to the therapy of the above mentioned condition, hypercalcemia therapy requires a more serious approach…

Recently, a series of analysis have been conducted that have confirmed the role of calcium in the processes of obesity. The experiment was based, in particular, on the fact that a group of women was assembled, some of whom received products rich in calcium and by eating these products, these women fully satisfied their daily need for it, while the other part, respectively, received products containing a minimum amount of this electrolyte. As a result, women who consumed insufficient amounts of calcium with food during the experiment gained weight, the same women who consumed enough calcium, on the contrary, not only did not gain weight, but also lost it. In particular, the experiment proved that people who consume small amounts of calcium want to eat more and more often, due to the desire of the brain to compensate for the lack of calcium in the body.

In the comments to this experiment, I would like to add that if you, our dear women and men, decide to fight overweight, then before starting this war, make sure that your flanks are covered. That is, you need to undergo a Complete physical examination, and in particular donate blood for the quantitative content of calcium in blood plasma.

Considering all of the above, I would like to say that calcium is really a very important electrolyte in the human body and maintaining it at the proper level is not a priority, but quite an important task on the way to our health and longevity. In this regard, we would like to advise you to determine the level of calcium in your blood at least once a year.

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Read also, “Calcium - to eat or not to eat?”