Digestion of calcium

Calcium is very important for the maintenance of strength and health of the bones. It is also of vital importance in the process of blood clotting and proper functioning of the muscles and nerves inside the human body. There are certain medical conditions which may indicate that a person suffers from calcium deficiency. Those conditions may include growth retardation, bone deformities, numbness or tingling sensations in the feet and hands, muscle spasms, muscle pain and frequent bone fractures. The best natural sources of calcium include collard greens, mustard greens, turnip greens and spinach.

Calcium may be associated with certain interactions with some types of medications. Corticosteroids which are commonly used for the treatment of such medical conditions such as ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma and various other types of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, tend to decrease the absorption of calcium and increase its excretion in the urine. Certain types of antacids can be responsible for the increased stool and urinary loss of calcium. Thyroid hormones act in a similar way be increasing the urinary excretion of calcium. Some types of anticonvulsant medications tend to decrease the absorption of calcium. The same can be said for certain types of antibiotics, hormone replacement therapies and several other sorts of medicaments and therapies. On the other hand, calcium may also interfere with the absorption of Alendronate and tetracycline antibiotics. Calcium may also interact with various different types of nutrients and vice versa. Those nutrients include vitamin D, potassium, sodium, proteins, caffeine, dietary fiber, phytic acid, oxalic acid and several others. It may also affect the absorption of nonheme and heme iron. The same can be said for the absorption of magnesium supplements.

Calcium in both natural and supplemental form can be of great help when it comes to preventing and treating a large number of medical conditions. Those medical conditions may or may not include premenstrual syndrome, preeclampsia, pregnancy induced hypertension, polycystic ovarian syndrome, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer, cataracts and many more. There are a large number of people who prefer taking calcium in its supplemental form. Calcium supplements can be taken in the form of fortified juices, antacids, chewable tablets, capsules and tablets. Calcium supplements are commonly produced using chelated calcium, refined calcium carbonate and naturally derived calcium. The main problem with different types of calcium supplements is that they may contain certain harmful ingredients so they may be affiliated with various side effects.