A body deficient in calcium is proof of an inadequate supply of calcium or a failure to metabolize calcium. This is the chief bodybuilding element of bones and teeth, and is among the vital minerals that contribute to the growth, repair and reproduction of the human body. In situations when the blood calcium level falls below normal, calcium is retrieved from the bones and returned through food intake. But if ones diet is so low in calcium that it cannot return the borrowed amount of calcium back to the bones, it leads to a condition called osteopenia, the precursor of osteoporosis or fragile and brittle bones. About 75 percent of Americans fall below the mandatory calcium recommendations for their age and gender, putting them at great risk for osteoporosis. Low calcium levels bring on osteoporosis, colon cancer and hypertension. Of these, osteoporosis threatens the health of 44 million Americans, in the 50-years+ age group or 55 percent of people, causing over 1.5 million fractures a year. To prevent the growth of polyps in the colon, linked to invasive colorectal cancer, take calcium supplements. High blood pressure or hypertension affects roughly one out of every four adult Americans or 50 million. According to studies conducted, women who took 800 mg/day of calcium had a 23 percent lower risk of high blood pressure than women who took only 400 mg/day. Pregnant women with low calcium levels (1500-2000 mg/day) have a greatly reduced risk of developing pregnancy-related hypertension. Studies also point to the fact that calcium taken in by the mother affects the babys blood pressure. Where women had high calcium intakes, they gave birth to heavier babies and lower blood pressure. This low blood pressure level was found to be the same for the first five years of the infants life. |
