Fun Facts on Calcium
What is Calcium?
Discover fun facts on calcium, the most plentiful mineral in the body, which is found in some foods, is added to others, available as a dietary supplement, and also present in some medicines (such as antacids).
Muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and enzymes, and transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system 1 requires calcium.
Another fun fact about calcium is how the body strives to maintain a constant concentration of calcium in blood, muscle, and intercellular fluids, even though to support these functions only requires less than <1% of total body calcium.2
More fun facts on calcium are how the the body stores the remaining 99% of its calcium supply in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure,3 and how with the continual resorption and deposition of calcium into new bone, bone undergoes continuous remodeling.4
The grand finale of fun facts on calcium are how the balance between bone resorption and deposition changes with age. In growing children, bone formation exceeds resorption, whereas both processes are relatively equal in early and middle adulthood. Bone breakdown exceeds formation in aging adults, to a great degree among postmenopausal women resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time.5
Related Links
What is calcium? | What are some important links between calcium and my health? | What foods provide calcium? | How much calcium do I need? | What happens if I do not get enough calcium? | Do I need extra calcium? | Can calcium be harmful? | Does calcium interact with any medicines or supplements?
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Disclaimer Reasonable care has been taken in preparing this document and the information provided herein is believed to be accurate. However, this information is not intended to constitute an "authoritative statement" under Food and Drug Administration rules and regulations. The information contained on this website is not intended to be prescriptive. Any attempt to diagnose or treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician who is familiar with nutritional therapy.
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Footnotes
- Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997 [↩]
- Weaver CM, Heaney RP. Calcium. In: Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 10th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006:194-210. [↩]
- Weaver CM, Heaney RP. Calcium. In: Shils ME, Shike M, Ross AC, Caballero B, Cousins RJ. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 10th ed. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2006:194-210, [↩]
- Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997. [↩]
- Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997. [↩]