Best Selling Medicine
Dr. Aditya Shah
Expert In Clinical Pharmacology And Drug SafetyView moreWhether it is the male body or inside a female, calcium, as we all know, is important for the health of bones and the skeletal system.
It provides the main ingredient of the bones in your body, that is, calcium, which helps support the skeletal structure and functions of the bones. However, along with this, calcium has many other roles, like-
- Muscle functions and tissue movement
- Signaling of nerves
- Blood clotting
When it comes to the female body, as per studies, calcium is crucial, especially during adolescence and thereafter. Even during the other life stages of a woman, like pregnancy, breastfeeding, and menopause, calcium has other functions that ensure smooth metabolism in such phases of a woman’s life.
In this blog post, we will find out about the best calcium supplements. However, before we get into that, we will try to study the deficiency of calcium in women and how big a concern it is.
Since it is a non-promotional article, we will not favor you to use any particular brand of calcium supplement but give you an idea about the best ways to boost calcium in a general way.
Calcium Deficiency In Women- An Idea Of How Big An Issue It Is
As per leading studies and research done by top global health institutes such as the FDA and the WHO, women suffer more from calcium deficiency issues. A study done by a group of researchers in 2017 shows that close to 45% of women suffer from a lack of calcium during the times of breastfeeding or menopause.
Even though scientists have no clear idea, they believe that it is the sudden hormonal changes during these times that kick in the changes and cause low calcium content.
Close to 20% of these issues in women grow severe and end up causing major bone health disorders that last the entire lifetime in women. Some of the major complications include having the risk of-
- Osteoporosis increases the risk of fractures.
- Arthritis, which is simply inflammation in the joints.
Signs Of Low Calcium Levels In Women
If a woman’s body is low in calcium levels, some of the obvious signs include-
- Brittle nails
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Muscle cramps
- Dental issues
In case your calcium levels are down severely, some of the more severe issues include-
- Irregular heartbeat
- Confusion
- Lack of memory
- Inability to focus and concentrate
Risk Factors
The problems with having low calcium levels are many and may differ based on the life stage of the woman.
-
During Adolescence
For example, if you have low calcium levels during the time of puberty or adolescence, it may lead to low structured development of the skeletal system, which increases the risk of fractures or brittle bones.
Sometimes, there is a risk of deformation inside the body because the bones are not strong enough to support the mass of tissues and muscles.
-
During Pregnancy And Breastfeeding
Around 40% of pregnant women suffer from calcium deficiency during pregnancy and right after childbirth due to hormonal changes.
During pregnancy, low calcium levels not only affect the health of the mother but may also lead to less skeletal development in the baby, and eventually, the child may be born with some structural deformity.
Calcium is a key component of your milk during breastfeeding, and in case you have low calcium levels already, your milk production may be low in the mammary glands, and thus your baby may not get enough milk needed for their daily nutrition.
Options For The Best Calcium Supplements Through Your Diet
Now, there are mostly two ways to boost calcium for women. One is, of course, with food items that are rich in calcium. Along with this, you can also take help from the doctors to choose a regulated calcium supplement brand or product.
Food Items Rich In Calcium- The Best Natural Form Of Calcium Supplement
Taking food items rich in calcium is a simple, natural way to boost the level of the micronutrient in your body. Some of your options are-
- Milk
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Chia seeds
- Sesame
- Celery
- Poppy seeds
- Sea fish like sardean and salmon
- Beans
- Almonds
- Collard greens
- Spinach
- Kale
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Figs
Use Of Supplements To Increase Calcium Levels In Women
Use of calcium supplements is thus the obvious choice for women who have low levels of this micronutrient in their bodies at any stage of their lives.
Such supplements come in the form of pills or powder, which can be taken along with a regular, healthy diet to increase calcium content in your body. Most of these supplements have a compound in them, like calcium carbonate or calcium citrate, which the body is easily able to break down and derive calcium from.
Apart from this, sometimes, the doctors can also tell you to use whey protein products. Each scoop of such a product can boost up to 160 mg of calcium per serving, which helps you gain up to 12% of your daily intake needs.
Final Thoughts
Therefore, as you can see in this blog post, we have given you a fair bit of information about the issues of low calcium in women. We have also given you some ideas about the best ways to boost calcium through your diet and using supplement products.
FAQs
Q. Choosing A Calcium Supplement, What Are The Points That One Should Keep In Mind?
Here are some of the key things that you have to keep in mind at the time of buying any calcium supplement-
- Tolerability to your health
- Amount of calcium in the product, along with the compounds
- Quality and ratings of the product
- Whether it is a prescription product like a medicine or just an product
Q. What Are The Best Compounds Present In Calcium Supplements?
These are some of the major calcium compounds present in most supplements-
- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium citrate
- Calcium gluconate
- Calcium lactate
Q. Can A High Dose Of Calcium Supplements Cause Heart Issues?
Yes, as per studies, taking an overdose of calcium supplements can increase the risk of heart disorder by 30% in women.