CALCIUM,CALCIUM Functions,Ca Nutrition in Pakistan

CALCIUM

Calcium and bone

l  Calcium has many essential functions

l  It is a primary bone forming mineral

l  Over 99% of calcium is in the skeleton

l  Adult skeleton: contains about 1kg Ca

l  Mineral crystals attached to collagen fibrils

Calcium – A Nutrient

•         Calcium eases insomnia

•         Regulate the passage of nutrients through cell walls.

•         In deficiency muscles wouldn’t contract correctly, blood wouldn’t clot and nerves wouldn’t carry messages.

•         If you don’t get enough calcium from the food you eat, your body automatically takes the calcium needed from your bones. If your body continues to tear down more bone than it replaces over a period of years in order to get sufficient calcium, your bones will become weak and break easily - osteoporosis.

Symptoms of Ca deficiency

•         Muscle cramping, Muscle irritation, Eye twitching  Muscle headaches,Jaw pain, and  Periodontal disease,      Tooth loss Generalized muscle pains     Coarse Brittle hair     Back and leg muscle cramps     Dry and scaly skin    Candida infections Spasm of facial musculature     Neuromuscular irritability       Laryngospasm Convulsion ocular cataracts   Lip, tongue,finger and feet paresthesias (pins & needles)    unexplained dementia, depression, or psychosis          Osteoporosis

Symptoms

Collapsed vertebrae may initially be felt or seen in the form of severe back pain, loss of height, or spinal deformities such as kyphosis or stooped posture.

Prevalence In Pakistan

Postmenopausal women

(Study sample 1000 females)

  > 45 years       75.3%

75-84 years      96.8%

   Habiba et al. 2002

postmenopausal women

Study sample 200 females

 Age       50 - 65 Years

 Bone weakness =30.5%

   Najib et al. 2003

< 40 or > 40 years

Study samples 60

   normal BMD 50%

    osteopenic    33.4%

    osteoporotic 16.6%

over 40 years (Study samples 43)

Osteopenic or osteoporotic  67.44%

poor and malnourished communities

Naheed et al.05

CALCIUM Functions

–        Formation of bones and teeth

–        Coagulation of blood

–        Contraction of muscles

–        Cardiac action

–        Milk production

–        Keeps the membranes of the cell intact

–        Metabolism of enzymes and hormones

Dietary sources of calcium 

Milk and cheese(70%)

     Leafy vegetables(16%)

Seeds and nuts(16%)

Fortified foods

Ca-rich water 6-7%

Supplements

Ca Nutrition in Pakistan  A few relevant facts

•         Pakistan =7th largest milk producing country

•         Milk availability = 156 L /Capita/Year

About 0.43 L /day-1

•         Annual milk production = 27 Billion Liters

•         Vitamin D Fortification of all edible oils is mandatory since 1965