Health Glance

Calcium.
T T

o you know that calcium is Calcium is most essential to our body. But it is the most essential mineral in our body? 99% of calcium important to take it in the right amount. To is concentrated in our bones and learn more, read on... teeth and the remaining 1% is used to maintain the heart, muscles, nerves, and as an aid in blood rigid. Hence, we need to have too low or too high. The first enough calcium to maintain strong checkpoint is the intestines. If you clotting. and healthy bones and teeth. eat too much calcium or already Why is calcium so important? have enough calcium in your blood, The body has a marvellous system If our calcium intake isn't adequate, to keep the concentration of calcium the intestines simply absorb less our body will take calcium from our in the blood and tissues just right. calcium from the food you eat. If bones to maintain the calcium This is essential because certain your body needs calcium, the levels in our blood. If this carries organs will be unable to function if intestines absorb more. Bones are on, our bones will no longer be the calcium concentration is either the second checkpoint. The
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Health Glance
intestines deposit the calcium in the bones, which act as a reservoir of calcium. When the amount of calcium in the blood becomes very low, calcium is borrowed from the bones. This works for a period of time. Diets low in calcium can lead to a continuous withdrawal of calcium from the bones and consequently a sufficient amount of it isn't available to be returned to the bones. Over time, this net loss will deplete the bones of calcium and lead to calcium deficiency, and our bones will no longer remain healthy and strong. Bone density reaches its peak between the age of 20 and 35, and a meticulous attention to diet coupled with the right exercise will be of immense help. Building strong bones with a calcium-rich diet and exercise should start early in life. The stronger the bone development during childhood, the healthier the bones will be in adulthood. That is, the stronger the foundation, the sturdier the skeletal system. Bones grow rapidly during adolescence; so teens need a lot of calcium in their diet. In a grown-up person, the need for calcium stabilises. However, there are times when calcium needs increase, such as pregnancy, lactation, menopause, and while recovering from injuries/fractures. During old age, the bones begin to lose their sturdiness and become fragile (a condition called osteoporosis). There are a number of reasons for this - some hormonal and some related to the fact that calcium absorption reduces in the intestines of elderly people. Also, certain medicines decrease the body's ability to absorb calcium. Of course, the indiscipline of a junkeating and sedentary youth always catches up with his/her bones later in life. pains may develop. Continuous withdrawal from the bone bank in the long run can lead to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is characterised by low bone mass. People with osteoporosis have weak and brittle bones. This means that these people are susceptible to fractures, especially of the hip. Osteoporosis should not be treated lightly. There are often no symptoms of osteoporosis, except that some older people may lose height or develop a hunch. Moreover, there is no cure for this disease. Hence, prevention is very important.

But lack of calcium isn't the only factor that causes osteoporosis. You are also at high risk of developing osteoporosis if you are female, over 65 years of age with a What happens when I do not family history of osteoporosis, have a slender build, have menopause or take in enough calcium? have removed your ovaries, do not When calcium intake isn't adequate, exercise regularly, smoke and drink fractures (especially in the wrist and too much alcohol. hip region) may occur from minor falls, bones may break under their What if I take too much calcium? own weight, muscle aches, leg Although sufficient calcium intake cramps, yellowing of teeth and joint is important to maintain healthy

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Health Glance
bones and teeth, too much calcium is bad for our health. When you take in too much calcium, the excess calcium is lost through the urine. It is thought that taking in too much calcium can cause kidney stones. Kidney stones are often made up of calcium. Normally, excess calcium is taken from the blood by the kidneys and passed out in the urine. However, in this case, the excess calcium builds up in the kidneys and urine, combining with other waste products to form kidney stones. People with lactose intolerance Those who cannot drink milk or eat food containing milk sugars have lactose intolerance. They experience unpleasant symptoms like bloating, gas, nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Milk is often the main source of calcium. But since people with lactose intolerance cannot drink milk, they do not get enough calcium. Such people can have yogurt, lactosereduced or lactose-free milk and dairy products, calcium-rich foods such as soya bean milk and green leafy vegetables.

What's a birthmark?
Birthmarks are called so for one simple reason - many newborn babies have these marks on their skin. A baby can develop birthmarks either before he or she is born, or soon after. A lot of newborn babies have these birthmarks on the back of the neck or between the eyebrows (called angel kisses). These birthmarks disappear within the first few weeks or months of life. One of the most common types of birthmarks happen when many new blood vessels group together in one place on the skin (Blood vessels are tiny tubes that carry blood through the body). No one knows what causes blood vessels to group together, but it's good to know that most birthmarks don't hurt at all and that they usually aren't a sign of illness. If you've had brown, blue, red or black spots on your skin since the time of your birth, they are probably just moles. Moles are tiny collections of pigment cells - cells that contain colour. Like birthmarks, moles don't hurt and usually aren't a sign of illness. They are sometimes called beauty marks or beauty spots.

calcium in the urine; too much stress also decreases the capacity of the intestines to absorb Foods that hinder calcium calcium. absorption - Fried foods, refined Rich sources of calcium foods like maida, pasta, sugar, Include at least one source ready-to-eat foods like wafers, etc. of calcium in every meal. lose calcium in the process of Have at least one leafy refining. Restrict your v e g e t a b l e e v e r y d a y. consumption of fat, as excessive fat Consume milk in any form hinders the absorption of calcium (curds, paneer, skim milk, etc.) in our body. Aerated drinks to supplement calcium in the contain citric and phosphoric acid, diet. Some good sources of which decrease the absorption of calcium are sesame seeds, calcium. Excessive salt in the diet almonds, walnuts, fenugreek and excessive consumption of tea (methi) leaves, dried figs and and coffee lead to excretion of oranges.
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