Learn How Calcium and Magnesium Play a Role in Bone Health
Calcium
Calcium is an important mineral in the human body that allows blood to clot, enables muscles to contract, allows nerves to send messages and helps some other body functions. Your body needs less than 1% of calcium to support those functions, storing the remaining 99% of the body’s calcium supply in the bones and teeth. It is essential to consume foods rich in calcium since the human body cannot produce calcium. This mineral can be found in many foods such as yogurt, milk and cheese. In addition, kale, broccoli and Chinese cabbage are good sources of calcium: kale, broccoli and Chinese cabbage.
Magnesium
Magnesium is another mineral in the human body that is needed to preserve stable heart rhythm, enable muscle and nerve to function normally, keep immune system healthy and preserve strong bones. Your body accumulates about 50% of total body magnesium in bone. Body tissues and organs keep the other half of magnesium. You can find a lot of foods containing magnesium. Green leafy vegetables like spinach are rich in magnesium due to the chlorophyll. Other foods are beans, peas, seeds, nuts and all unrefined grains. Please avoid eating refined grains as they contain low levels of magnesium.
Calcium and Osteoporosis
Low intake of calcium is associated with osteopenia, which is a lowered bone density that if unchecked may lead to osteoporosis or bone breakdown because the body takes the stored calcium in the bones to keep biological functions normal. Postmenopausal women might experience osteoporosis as part of the aging process and caused by reduced estrogen amounts. Osteoporosis is a disease that makes bones more porous hence less solid, which slowly makes them more brittle. “Osteo” means bone, and “porosis” means porous.
Bones with osteoporosis are fragile bones that are more vulnerable to breaks and fractures. Both women and men can suffer from osteoporosis, which causes fractures of the wrist, vertebrae, hip, ribs and pelvis. Some factors that are more likely to increase the risk of osteoporosis include being old, female, inactive, slim, drinking excessive alcohol, smoking cigarettes and having a history of osteoporosis in the family. Therefore, women should ingest more calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Adequate calcium intake can reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis. The recommended daily intake of calcium is approximately 1,000 mg – 1,200 mg for adult women and men ages 17 to 50. Levels greater than 2,500 mg/day are not recommended.
Magnesium and Bone Mineral Density
Magnesium deficiency might cause women to experience postmenopausal osteoporosis since magnesium deficiency affects the hormones that aid in calcium metabolism. Some research has shown that magnesium intake can improve bone mineral density and have benefits later in life. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a higher intake of magnesium might maintain bone mineral density to a greater degree than a lower magnesium intake. Foods containing magnesium are beneficial to our bone health as well as calcium. The recommended daily intake of magnesium is approximately 500 mg - 600 mg for adult women and men ages 17 to 50.
Calcium and Magnesium: Two Important Minerals that Need Each Other
Calcium and magnesium are two minerals that help each other. How calcium and magnesium play a role in bone health is interesting and decisive. Calcium maintains the health of bones and teeth, but magnesium helps calcium conversion as well. Magnesium allows the body to absorb calcium readily, prevents parathyroid hormone from making bones lose their density, promotes calcitonin hormone that pulls out calcium from tissues and blood into the bones, regulates calcium transport and transforms vitamin D into the active form to aid in absorbing calcium. Calcium should be taken with magnesium, generally in a ratio of 1:2 magnesium to calcium. For each 100 mg of magnesium, you can take 200 mg of calcium. If you have kidney problems, please do not take more than 3,000 mg of magnesium a day. This is how calcium and magnesium play a role in bone health.
References
Office of Dietary Supplements: Calcium
Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Osteoporosis
Jigsaw Health: Calcium and Magnesium: The Dynamic Duo
Association of Women for the Advancement of Research and Education: Osteoporosis
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