Calcium

Calcium is a mineral essential for the body. It is the fifth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. It is especially important for the health of cells and bones in the human body.

Calcium is normally not found in its elemental state and occurs most often in other mineral forms. Calcium sources include minerals such as calcite, dolomite and gypsum.

The history of calcium goes as far back as to the ancient Romans, who prepared lime as calcium oxide.

Foods high in calcium are dairy products, such as milk and cheese. For people having problems with dairy and lactose there are other foods high in calcium such as seaweeds, nuts and seeds (almonds, sesame), beans, oranges, collard greens, broccoli and even sardines. If this is not enough, there are also calcium fortified food sources such as orange juice and soymilk. But all these calcium rich foods are of no help without vitamin D, necessary for calcium absorption.

A calcium deficit can have negative effects for bone and tooth formation, while a calcium overdose can actually cause kidney stones.

As with all other vitamins and minerals out there calcium supplements are one way of correcting the calcium level in the human body. This is especially necessary for certain diseases, where the corrected calcium level is measured and ensured to appropriate. Calcium supplements can also be found in different forms on the market, including powder, pills and even liquid calcium.

If there is instability in the vitamin and mineral levels in the body, it is possible for negative reactions to spread throughout the body. One of these negative reactions can end up in calcium deposits in the soft tissues of the body, which if not prevented can be very painful for the person experiencing such effects.

One version of calcium supplement offered on the market and even marketed with dubious statements is coral calcium. Coral calcium or also marketed as coral calcium supreme is a supplement derived from fossilized coral reefs. Since current living coral reefs are actually an endangered species and harvesting would damage or destroy the whole reef ecosystem calcium for coral supplements can only be harvested lime stone formations above ground that were once part of coral reefs. Another important fact to know about coral calcium is, that it is chemically not any different than the calcium carbonate derived from other sources even though companies praise its abilities way higher than any product available on the market.

If you ever heard the word calcium channel blocker you probably wonder what it is. Calcium channel blockers are an important class of medications using calcium to treat several symptoms. A calcium channel blocker is most commonly used for patients with hypertension. Its properties help with lowering blood pressure in those patients.