The #1 Most Common Mineral Deficiency in the World
A study of 16,444 participants showed that 44% of Americans don’t meet the recommended daily intake of calcium. This means that almost one out of every two of us needs to urgently take action. Calcium is very important for many different functions—it’s a building block for bone and tooth tissues. Together with magnesium, it also plays an important role in muscle contraction and the transmission of stimuli in the nervous system.
It is difficult to measure calcium deficiency using blood tests because of the huge reserve of calcium stored in the bones. On average, men’s bones contain 1 kg of pure calcium; women’s bones contain around 0.8 kg. If the calcium concentration in the blood drops, the parathormone regulates the supply from the bone stores. If the calcium levels are within the normal range, this primarily means that the hormones are working properly, but those levels don’t provide information about actual supply status. This means that normal calcium blood values may be accompanied by reduced bone density—and this is long before any effects on the skeleton or teeth occur.eople with Vitamin D deficiency: Calcium is actively absorbed in the body from food with the help of Vitamin D. In the absence of the vitamin, calcium can passively diffuse through the intestinal wall, but the amount absorbed this way is usually insufficient to meet daily requirements.
Lactose intolerant people and vegans: Milk and dairy products provide easily absorbable calcium. Anyone who has to do without this food group due to an intolerance to lactose or a milk protein allergy should keep an eye on their calcium intake. The same applies if animal products are generally not a part of your regular diet.
Young people who are underweight: Up to the age of 30, the body can store large amounts of calcium in the bones. Studies show that a low body mass index (BMI <18.5) is associated with lower bone density. This is attributed, among other things, to the low calcium supply of an overall reduced intake of food.A magnesium-rich diet is essential. The front-runners among magnesium-containing foods are sunflower seeds (with approx. 420 mg/100 g), followed by linseed, wheat bran, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, peanuts, almonds, and oat flakes. In contrast, bananas, which are generally considered a good source of magnesium, contain only about 36 mg/100 g.
Anyone who has signs of a deficiency or is in the risk group should take a magnesium supplement. The combination of several magnesium compounds is preferable to a mono-supplement with only one compound. Each compound has a typical pH range in which it is most soluble. Special supplements contain several magnesium compounds to ensure uniform solubility along the entire digestive tract.
Important: Magnesium should be ingested regularly in low doses. Excessively high doses of magnesium (250 mg or more) are not completely absorbed into the body’s cells and can lead to diarrhea; therefore, it’s important to spread magnesium intake throughout the day (e.g., 2 to 3 x 120–140 mg/day).