Can your bones handle a calcium deficiency?
In the typical human diet, calcium is often lacking. It’s to the point where calcium deficiency is a pretty common problem. As stated by the Federal government in the good old US of A, 21% of the United States population is actually taking in the right amount of calcium. That’s just a little too low for a truly healthy population.
Calcium deficiency is a potentially dangerous condition. Some of the problems associated with a lack of dietary calcium are bone thinning, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis. In addition, it is especially important to take in optimal amounts of calcium as a child. Rickets is a common condition caused by the lack of calcium metabolism during childhood. Hypertension and colon cancer are also possible risks.
As listed above, osteoporosis is one possible result of a below minimal dietary calcium intake. Unfortunately, this particular condition is often diagnosed much too late. Nearly ten million people in the United States have been diagnosed with osteoporosis that resulted from a lack of dietary calcium. To make it even worse, another 34 million individuals are at risk of developing this disease.
Insufficient dietary calcium intake occasionally results in the body pulling from teeth and bone calcium reserves. This is especially dangerous because both of these areas will become lighter and weaker. This weakness enhances the possibility of life-threatening fracture.
There are many more symptoms of calcium deficiency that may be easily observed. A couple of these symptoms include tooth decay and brittle nails. It is also important to understand that small amounts of calcium must be present in tissues and fluids for optimal body function. Without proper amounts of calcium, you may be subject to:
· Muscle spasms
· Pain in the joints
· Cramping
· Numbness
It should be clear at this point that calcium deficiency isn’t something to play around with. Luckily, there are a number of great dietary calcium supplements to boost your calcium intake. Although dietary calcium supplements have the ability to work wonders, you should first consult with your doctor to make sure that your dietary calcium intake is low enough to warrant use of these aids. Good sources of calcium rich foods are spinach, dairy, kale, Salmon, Tofu, Rhubarb, Okra, White beans, Baked beans, Broccoli, Peas, Brussel sprouts, Sesame seeds, Bok choy and Almonds
