Calcium, for Bones and Teeth

Maybe the title above is not odd to you because a lot of television advertisements that included the tagline on products such as toothpaste, milk, cheese, and some other products. Directly, calcium has become a weapon in product promotion strategy. If you look at the market, quite a lot of food products such as milk or non-food products such as toothpastes that claim high calcium. Milk, cheese, crackers, to toothpaste products also seemed to not want to miss include hi-calcium label on the packaging. So, what is the cause of the importance of calcium for humans so many companies vying to promote its product as having a hi-calcium?

According to Prof Dr Ir Deddy Muchtadi, MS in his book Pengantar Ilmu Gizi (Introduction of Nutrition), the majority (99%) of calcium in the body found in hard tissue such as bone and teeth, and the rest spread in the body. Most people might think that calcium is only needed by a small child who was in its infancy.

However, it is not only children who need calcium. Apparently, adults also need calcium, but not for the growth of course, but to maintain the integrity of bones and teeth. Based on research done by the National Academy of Science, the need calcium for infants aged 1-3 years is 500 mg per day, children aged 4-8 years is 800 mg per day, adolescents aged 9-18 years at 1,300 mg per day , adults aged 19-50 years by 1,000 mg per day, and for the elderly aged over 51 years of 1,200 mg per day. Good food sources to ensure adequate intake of calcium can be obtained from animal food, especially milk and other dairy products like cheese, butter, yogurt, and others. Through regular consumption, obtained some of the main benefits of calcium for the health of the body, including:

1. Bone formation - During its infancy, the hard part of the bone (bone shaft) extending through the formation of bone matrix. Own bone matrix composed of collagen and carbohydrates, which is the third part of the bone. In the bone matrix is ​​attached to calcium in the form of Ca-phosphate At the end of the shaft and the bone Trabeculae that there is a porous crystalline structure. This section relates directly to the veins in bones are useful to supply calcium and from blood. At the end of adolescence, the formation (elongation) stops bone. At adulthood, the bone renewal and re-establishment adjusted to hold the weight. In adults, approximately 20% of the bone, underwent a change every year, and about 600-700 mg of calcium deposited in the newly formed bone. If low calcium intake and lack of exercise, adults are susceptible to osteoporosis which shows a reduction of calcium from the bones and can cause adults susceptible to fractures.
2. Dental Establishment - Dental consists of two layers, the enamel is very hard coating with its main mineral form of calcium-phosphate and dentin layer is not as hard as enamel. Dentin layer to obtain calcium from the blood supply, while the enamel coating of saliva (saliva). The process of formation of the teeth nearly equal to bone formation, but the change of calcium in the teeth more slowly than in the bone.
3. Blood Clotting - Calcium is one factor that is needed in the process of formation of plasma thromboplastin thromboplastin active from the next function in the process of blood clotting. 

It should be noted in previous research has suggested that people who do not get adequate amounts of calcium may be at increased risk of high blood pressure, and that people who take more calcium may have a reduced risk of weight gain, stroke, and colon cancer. However, the evidence for this is not conclusive.

Recently, researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston reviewed 17 previous studies on the effects of calcium and vitamin D. They found that while some studies suggested vitamin D may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, this was not true of calcium. A recent Swedish study of more than 23,000 men over a nine-year period showed that taking extra calcium did seem to lower the risk of certain chronic diseases.

While there is some evidence suggesting that calcium may be associated with health benefits and reduced risk of some chronic diseases, researchers say more studies are needed to determine exactly what role calcium might play. *** [WIDYA INDRIANI | EVERY DAY HEALTH | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 30082012]

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