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Calcium, mineral, nutrition, bones, teeth, deficient diet, decalcification, needs, ecommended dietary allowances, osteoporosis, vitamin D, intakes, absorption, Milk , dairy products ,cheese , yoghurts<BR>Calcium<BR><BR>Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, i.e. there is around 1 to 1.2 kg in adults. 99% of this calcium contributes to the formation and solidity of our bones and teeth. The rest, despite its low proportion (1%), plays a role in multiple key functions: blood coagulation, muscular contraction, nerve conduction, hormonal release, etc. <BR><BR>The values at which the level of calcium in our blood is maintained are very narrow, to the detriment of bone reserves. The impact of a diet that does not provide enough calcium (deficient diet) therefore only becomes visible when bone modifications occur (poor bone constitution in young people, decalcification in adults and elderly people). <BR><BR>It is therefore essential, at all ages, to ensure that your calcium needs are adequately met at all times. Having a similar dietary intake to the recommended dietary allowances helps. This is especially true when your maximum bone capital imposed through genetic heritage is being established (in childhood and adolescence), and when the inevitable physiological ageing of your bones sets in, so as to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in old age. In the French population, the percentages of people who do not consume 2/3 of the RDA for calcium (at high risk of osteoporosis) are relatively high: around 20% of men aged 18 to 65, 30% of adolescents and women aged 18 to 50, 50% of men over the age of 65 and 75% of women over the age of 55! <BR><BR>Even if calcium intake plays a considerable role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, it is also essential to practise other means of prevention whose effectiveness has been proven: vitamin D intake (which fosters intestinal absorption of calcium), substitute hormone therapy at menopause and physical activity. <BR><BR>The increasingly evident benefit of calcium in the reduction of arterial hypertension, colon and prostate cancers also points in favour of an appropriate intake. <BR><BR>Milk and dairy products (cheese and yoghurts) are our main food sources of calcium (over 2/3 of the calcium that we consume). Account should, however, be taken of the wide diversity of calcium content in cheese. Some green leaved vegetables, dried fruit and certain types of mineral water are also good sources of calcium. A diet excluding dairy products does not provide more than 500 mg of calcium a day. <BR><BR>Did you know? <BR><BR>Bone is a living tissue forms and deteriorates throughout our lifetime. This phenomenon means that old bone can be replaced by new bone, and damage caused to the bone can be repaired. <BR><BR>Over the first 20 years of life, bones form more than they deteriorate, which leads to the acquisition and consolidation of the bone mass. Then, from 30 onwards, physiological bone loss appears (formation is inadequate to make up for the deterioration), followed by an increase in this loss from the age of 50 in women and 60 in men; which favours the onset of osteoporosis. <BR><BR>Definition of osteoporosis<BR><BR>Osteoporosis (literally "porous bone") is one of the chronic incapacitating diseases among the elderly. It results from a pathological accentuation of physiological bone ageing and is characterised by very low bone mass and deterioration of the bone structure. Its most common signs are spinal compression, wrist and hip fractures. <BR>We are not all as susceptible to this disease as others: it is 3 times more common in women than in men. Between the ages of 30 and 80, women lose on average 45% of their initial capital, while this bone loss is only around 15-20% for men. This is explained by the difference of oestrogen deficiency from menopause. <BR>Due to the increasing ageing of the population, the number of fractures caused by osteoporosis, around 140,000 a year, could triple in the next half century. Moreover, mortality rates (40% of deaths, both sexes considered, in the 2 years following a fracture) and the associated socio-economic cost show the extent to which prevention of this disease is a major public health issue. Prevention can be achieved through sufficient and regular calcium and vitamin D intake, regular physical exercise, reduced consumption of tobacco and alcohol and, in women, substitute hormone therapy at the beginning of the menopause. <BR> <BR><BR><BR>Find here the recommanded nutrient intakes:<BR>Human food<BR>Home,Anses,News,Press room,Agenda,Our topics,Food,Animal health and nutrition,Environmental health,Occupational health,Plants,Opinions and publications,Last opinions and reports,Food opinions and reports,Animal health and nutrition opinions and reports,Environmental and occupational health opinions and reports,Plants opinions,Opinions and reports in English,Bulletins and periodicals,Other publications,Subscribe to Anses newsletter,Research and reference,Research program,Laboratories and reference activities, + ,Job opportunities,Public procurement contracts,Our websites,Partners,Extranet / ExpertNet,Kid's area,Legal notice,Contact, ,<A HREF='PNEBI0.htm'>Calcium</A>
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Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, i.e. there is around 1 to 1.2 kg in adults. 99% of this calcium contributes to the formation and solidity of our bones and teeth. The rest, despite its low proportion (1%), plays a role in multiple key functions: blood coagulation, muscular contraction, nerve conduction, hormonal release, etc.
The values at which the level of calcium in our blood is maintained are very narrow, to the detriment of bone reserves. The impact of a diet that does not provide enough calcium (deficient diet) therefore only becomes visible when bone modifications occur (poor bone constitution in young people, decalcification in adults and elderly people).
It is therefore essential, at all ages, to ensure that your calcium needs are adequately met at all times. Having a similar dietary intake to the recommended dietary allowances helps. This is especially true when your maximum bone capital imposed through genetic heritage is being established (in childhood and adolescence), and when the inevitable physiological ageing of your bones sets in, so as to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in old age. In the French population, the percentages of people who do not consume 2/3 of the RDA for calcium (at high risk of osteoporosis) are relatively high: around 20% of men aged 18 to 65, 30% of adolescents and women aged 18 to 50, 50% of men over the age of 65 and 75% of women over the age of 55!
Even if calcium intake plays a considerable role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, it is also essential to practise other means of prevention whose effectiveness has been proven: vitamin D intake (which fosters intestinal absorption of calcium), substitute hormone therapy at menopause and physical activity.
The increasingly evident benefit of calcium in the reduction of arterial hypertension, colon and prostate cancers also points in favour of an appropriate intake.
Milk and dairy products (cheese and yoghurts) are our main food sources of calcium (over 2/3 of the calcium that we consume). Account should, however, be taken of the wide diversity of calcium content in cheese. Some green leaved vegetables, dried fruit and certain types of mineral water are also good sources of calcium. A diet excluding dairy products does not provide more than 500 mg of calcium a day.
Did you know?
Bone is a living tissue forms and deteriorates throughout our lifetime. This phenomenon means that old bone can be replaced by new bone, and damage caused to the bone can be repaired.
Over the first 20 years of life, bones form more than they deteriorate, which leads to the acquisition and consolidation of the bone mass. Then, from 30 onwards, physiological bone loss appears (formation is inadequate to make up for the deterioration), followed by an increase in this loss from the age of 50 in women and 60 in men; which favours the onset of osteoporosis.
Definition of osteoporosis
Osteoporosis (literally "porous bone") is one of the chronic incapacitating diseases among the elderly. It results from a pathological accentuation of physiological bone ageing and is characterised by very low bone mass and deterioration of the bone structure. Its most common signs are spinal compression, wrist and hip fractures. We are not all as susceptible to this disease as others: it is 3 times more common in women than in men. Between the ages of 30 and 80, women lose on average 45% of their initial capital, while this bone loss is only around 15-20% for men. This is explained by the difference of oestrogen deficiency from menopause. Due to the increasing ageing of the population, the number of fractures caused by osteoporosis, around 140,000 a year, could triple in the next half century. Moreover, mortality rates (40% of deaths, both sexes considered, in the 2 years following a fracture) and the associated socio-economic cost show the extent to which prevention of this disease is a major public health issue. Prevention can be achieved through sufficient and regular calcium and vitamin D intake, regular physical exercise, reduced consumption of tobacco and alcohol and, in women, substitute hormone therapy at the beginning of the menopause.
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