Calcium in Human Body

Calcium in Human Body
Calcium is the most abundant cation of the human body, averaging approximately 1 kg in a 70 kg man. Bone and teeth which contain about 99% of the calcium are primarily dependent upon this mineral for their strength and structure. The 1% of the body’s calcium is distributed between the extracellular fluids and various soft tissues, where it performs a variety of regulatory functions.

Calcium is ingested in the form of relatively insoluble salts, whether the source is food or dietary supplements. Because the mineral is absorbed only in the ionized form, it must first be released from these salts; therefore bioavailability of calcium from its various sources assumes much important in calcium nutriture.

The efficiency with which calcium is absorbed from a particular source is only one of the factors involved in the availability of the mineral to the body. A greater absorption does not necessarily mean greater retention. Sometimes increased absorption of calcium is offset by its increased excretion in the urine or digestive juice. Calcium economy in the body is very complex, being influenced not only by exogenous factors but also by endogenous conditions.
Calcium in Human Body