In many of our articles we have mentioned that calcium is not just for the bones and teeth. Calcium is needed for many vital functions in our body, along with strong bones, joints, and teeth. Every human being needs calcium. However, we always hear about the high importance of calcium for women's health. Several health care brands promote their products for women and women in their 30s. But why? Keep reading to learn more about two important micro-nutrients for women: calcium and vitamin D.
Calcium and Women's Health
Calcium is required to make bone tissue, which is the building blocks of the skeleton. Apart from strong bone and teeth health, calcium is required for the brain to function properly, to stop bleeding when you get wounded or hurt, for muscles to be strong and contract, e.g. period cramps, for your heart to beat at the right pace and heart rhythm.
An individual's maximal bone mass is influenced by their genetics, environment, food, and other elements that vary depending on the individual. One must ensure they adhere to the RDAs (Recommended Dietary Allowances) at their specific ages to reach their true potential peak bone mass.
Calcium from the diet contributes to bone formation until the age of 30. Women reach their peak bone mass around the age of 30. This means that if the body does not get enough calcium through the diet and supplements, bone mass begins to deteriorate.
Onset of Menstruation
During the menstruation cycle, the uterus squeezes the blood and tissue out of the body. Hence, women experience cramps. The muscles of the uterus need calcium for muscle mass and strength. In addition, to keep the pain under control. Good muscle tone means strong muscles, which means less menstrual cramping. Where does it come from? Calcium! Calcium deficiency leads to period cramps.
Her calcium requirement doubles at pregnancy stage. Pregnancy and then breastfeeding both requires enough calcium in her body. This is the time when a woman needs to check her calcium intake. If her calcium intake is insufficient, the calcium from her bones is drawn out to build the baby’s bones. A woman has to look after her calcium needs during pregnancy.The mother’s bone reserve comes down during breastfeeding.
Perimenopause and Postmenopause
Women tend to experience some variations in total bone mass between age 30 and menopause. Prior to menopause, many women tend to get extreme pain/cramps. Again, it is an indication of calcium insufficiency. However, the majority of women experience rapid bone loss in the first few years following menopause, which then decreases but persists throughout the postmenopausal years. Osteoporosis is commonly seen in women post menopause.
Menopause approaches between 48-55 years old. Bone loss occurs at menopause because bone metabolism is under the control of estrogen. As estrogen is used to make bone tissue in women, during menopause, bones start to become thin because of low estrogen levels. This loss of bone mass can lead to osteoporosis. Bone is a living tissue. Every day, new bone cells are being produced, and old bone cells are being resorbed. When estrogen levels fall, there is a reduction in the production of new bone cells and an increase in bone resorption. As a result, bones become less dense, weaker overall, and more prone to fracture.
Importance of Calcium and Vitamin D
You need calcium for bone formation and bone metabolism. Calcium is obtained from your diet and absorbed by intestine into the blood flow. Many of you may not know that to absorb calcium, you also require adequate levels of vitamin D. Low calcium levels in your blood stimulates parathyroid hormone, which increases the resorption of bone, freeing-up calcium from the skeleton and putting this back in the circulation, to keep the calcium levels within normal limits.
For various reasons, calcium levels may be lower than they should be. This occurs due to your diet is lacking calcium and/or vitamin D levels are low.Calcium absorption is dependent on Vitamin D in your body. Around the globe, vitamin D deficiency is a common problem and a major issue. As you become older, your ability to absorb calcium gradually decreases. Hence, we advice the youth, the millennial to have a strict check on their nutrient consumption. They are advised to take multivitamin and calcium citrate supplements.
Bone health in Women
There are many genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that affect bone health. Looking after your bones at menopause means addressing all these factors. However, you cannot make healthy bones without sufficient levels of calcium. Also, you need to look after your estrogen too, along with calcium. Beside bones being the reservoir of calcium, it is also present in the circulatory system, extracellular fluid, muscle, and other tissues is critical for mediating vascular contraction and vasodilatation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion.
Until you have a fracture, you don’t have a clue that your bone loss has started. Once this situation is there, it is very difficult to bring back bone mineral density. Hence, repeatedly it is mentioned to always take care of your health from the very beginning. That is why women should start looking after their calcium and other nutrients from their mid 20’s to avoid danger days in the future.
Do you need Calcium Supplements
Calcium supplements are probably prescribed regardless of the tests done or the course of treatment you select. 70 percent of postmenopausal women and 43% of the adult population both use calcium supplements. Incase of severe fracture you should see your doctor and get tested for osteoporosis in your 50s, such as a fracture of the hip, vertebra, wrist, or shoulder.You must measure your bone mineral density too.
Menopause arrives generally between 50-55 years, when shockingly women loose 10% of their bone. They are the fast bone losers. After approximately 5 years i.e. postmenopausal they even loss bone and other nutrients from body but in a slower rate. Hence Women post 30’s should start taking care as a preparatory measure. They need to make their body ready to go through a good menopause process. These losses leads to many other lifestyle health issues, even sometime acute disease.
Calcium is absorbed in the small intestine. In general, calcium absorption is dependent on levels of vitamin D. Calcium supplement comes in two forms Carbonate and Citrate. Calcium absorption is 24% higher from calcium citrate, than from calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate should be taken with food, but calcium citrate can be taken anytime, with food or without It is easy to absorb. Calcium citrate doesn’t require stomach acid to aid in its absorption.
Nutritional survey suggests that along with nutritional diet, calcium supplements are advisable to take.It is always advisable to take your calcium supplements regularly and reliably. Such reliable over-the-counter product is Tuskca Calcium with D3 is an essential for everyone to keep the calcium level tiptop. The best thing about Tuskca Calcium is it has vitamin D for best absorption and the calcium is in its citrate form. It ensures less risk of kidney stones as compared to calcium carbonate.