Calcium

Physical Function 

Structural component of bones and teeth; role in intracellular and hormonal secretion regulation, muscle contraction, and activation of some enzyme systems.

Calcium is maintained relatively high concentration in the blood and extracellular fluids, where it is needed to facilitate such functions as blood coagulation and intercellular communications.

The calcium in bones serves as a reservoir for calcium that is needed throughout the body. Bones and teeth contain more than 99 percent of the body’s calcium.

Calcium also is the key factor in normal transmission of nerve impulses. The movement of calcium into nerve cells triggers the release of neurotransmitter at the junction between nerves.

Calcium is a key component of the cell membrane and controls cell permeability and electrical properties.

Deficiency symptoms
A low calcium intake during the growing years limits the bones’ ability to reach their optimal mass and density.

The symptoms of calcium deficiency includes rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, scurvy, tetany, parathyroid hyperplasia, stunted growth, laryngospasm.

Deficiency of calcium in young girls causes late puberty, irregular menstruation, excessive bleeding with crampy pain during this period, anemia and lowered state of body resistance against infection.

Food sources 

Food sources of calcium include milk, milk products, sardines, clams, oysters, turnip greens, broccoli, legumes and dried fruits.

Calcium is classically associated with dairy products: milk, yoghurt and cheeses are rich sources of calcium, providing the major share of calcium from foods in the general diet in the United States and Canada.

When substantial amounts of grains are consumed, for like breads or as maize, these can be important sources, although the calcium in cereals tends to be less bioavailable than that in dairy products.

Calcium

Food fortification with minerals and vitamins

Food fortification with minerals and vitamins The addition of vitamins and minerals to fortified foods and beverages represents added sales for many food manufacturers.

Under ideal condition of food access and availability, food diversity should satisfy micronutrient and energy needs of the general population. Unfortunately, for many people in the world, the access to a variety of minerals and vitamins rich foods is not possible.

During processing and preparation, foods such as wheat and rice may lose some of their vitamin or mineral content.

Some of the nutrients, such as vitamin B (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), niacin, iron and calcium, may be added back to the processed food.

Fortification is intended to deliver nutrients to the neural public in an effort to deter certain nutrient deficiencies.

Ninety percent of teenage girls don't get enough calcium in their diet, according to the USDA.

Research shows that a calcium-poor diet in childhood and adolescence is the greatest predictor of future bone fractures due to osteoporosis. The mineral may also help to lower high blood pressure, protect against colon cancer and lead poisoning, and ease premenstrual syndrome.

Potassium also has been shown to lower high blood pressure, which affects one in four adults. While magnesium may decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, prevent migraines, and protect against stress and fatigue.

Selenium may protect against cancer of the colon, esophagus, lungs and liver. In addition, a diet low in selenium could play a role in male infertility.

Thiamin used in food fortification are usually in the form of thiamin hydrochloride or thiamin nitrate. Of the thiamin is absent or too low in the diet for prolonged periods, this can result in beriberi. Beriberi can cause damage to the nervous system, heart and muscles.

A pregnant women needs to increase her intake of folic acid, iron and certain trace elements,. This can b done through supplementation as well as food fortification.

Folic acid, or folate, reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida, when consumed in adequate amounts by women before and during early pregnancy.

Since not all pregnancies are planned and pre-pregnancy preparation is not common, fortification of flour with folic acid has been made mandatory in Canada and the United States in order to prevent neural tube defects.

In 1998, the FDA ordered producers of most grain-based products to fortify with folic acid at levels ranging from 0.43 mg to 1.4 mg per pound of product.

In clinical trials, a significant increase in serum folate levels resulted in a substantial decrease in levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that has been linked to heart disease risk.

In addition, folate may improve the mental condition of the elderly population.

It is recommended the elderly Americans increase their dietary intake of vitamins C (200 mg/day) & E (200 IU/day) to protect against age-related chronic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease, cataracts and cancer.

Food fortification is a media to long term solution to alleviate specific nutrient deficiencies in a population. It involves the addition of measured amounts of a nutrient rich ‘premix’ which contains the required vitamin and minerals, to commonly eaten foods during processing.  

Food fortification with minerals and vitamins