Calcium - An Important Mineral for Your Health
Calcium (chemical symbol Ca) is an alkaline earth metal and the fifth most abundant element on Earth. In the human body, it exists as a divalent cation (Ca2+), mostly in the form of inorganic salts such as calcium carbonate (CaCO3) or calcium sulfate (CaSO4). Calcium in foods can be free or mostly bound, associated with proteins or in the form of salts. Nutritionally, calcium belongs to the group of macrominerals and accounts for the largest share of body mass among them. The total body content of an adult ranges between 1000 and 1500 g of calcium.
Adequate calcium intake is essential for maintaining vital body functions. Some of the key properties of calcium include:
- Calcium contributes to normal blood clotting.
- Calcium contributes to normal energy metabolism.
- Calcium contributes to normal muscle function.
- Calcium contributes to normal signal transmission between nerve cells.
- Calcium contributes to the normal function of digestive enzymes.
- Calcium plays a role in cell division and specialization.
- About 99% of the total body calcium is present as calcium apatite in bones and teeth. Calcium is therefore required to maintain normal bones and teeth. If necessary, it is released from hard tissues and enters the bloodstream.
Calcium homeostasis is controlled by vitamin D. Both nutrients work closely together in metabolism, with vitamin D being the most important factor influencing calcium absorption from the intestine. Calcium is also a physiological antagonist of magnesium.
A calcium source provides at least the significant amount of 800 mg of calcium per day.
Scientific Sources
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of the Commission of 16 May 2012
National Institutes of Health (NIH). Calcium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.
EFSA Journal 2010;8(10):1468. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to calcium.