The Element Calcium is one of the most abundant, essential mineral in the human body, vital for building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. The mineral enables crucial functions like muscle movement, nerve signal transmission, blood clotting, and hormone regulation.
What you need to know about calcium:
Physiological Roles: Beyond bone health, calcium is critical for vascular contraction/dilation, heart rhythm, and intracellular signaling.
Absorption: Vitamin D is required for the body to effectively absorb calcium.
Sources: Dietary sources include dairy products, leafy greens, fish with soft bones, and fortified foods.
Deficiency/Excess: Low levels can lead to weak bones (osteoporosis), while excessive calcium (hypercalcemia) may cause kidney stones and digestive issues.
Scientific Definition: It is a reactive alkaline earth metal, denoted by symbol Ca and atomic number 20
Sources Of Calcium
milk, cheese and other dairy foods.
green leafy vegetables – such as curly kale, okra but not spinach (spinach does contain high levels of calcium but the body cannot digest it all)
soya drinks with added calcium.
bread and anything made with fortified flour.
Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air.
Calcium is a very ductile silvery metal (sometimes described as pale yellow) whose properties are very similar to the heavier elements in its group, strontium, barium, and radium.
The most common calcium compound on Earth is calcium carbonate, found in limestone and the fossils of early sea life; gypsum, anhydrite, fluorite, and apatite are also sources of calcium.
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