Calcium deficiency

In our body, more than 1 kilogram of calcium is stored in the bones. Only a small part of the calcium ingested with food circulates in the blood or is present in the body's cells. There it is involved in many metabolic processes and is essential for our body. When the calcium level falls below the normal value, we speak of a calcium deficiency. What are the causes and symptoms of a calcium deficiency, and how can it be treated?

Calcium deficiency develops gradually because your bones are a large store of calcium. If you take in too little calcium, calcium is dissolved from the bones to keep the calcium level in the blood constant. Symptoms of deficiency appear wherever the mineral takes over its functions when there is a sufficient supply:

• A tingling sensation on the skin, due to an increased excitability of muscles and nerves.
• Muscle cramps
• Dry skin and eczema
• Hair loss and brittle nails
• Increased brittleness of the bones, progressive osteoporosis
• Cardiac arrhythmias, low blood pressure
• Mood swings, fatigue and mental disorders such as depression and anxiety

Long-term calcium deficiency has a negative effect on teeth and bones. This is because the body draws on the reserves in the bones to keep the calcium level in the blood constant, and in the process the mineral is dissolved out of the bones. In the long run, osteoporosis, i.e. bone loss, can develop.

A typical sign of severe calcium deficiency is hypocalcaemic tetany. At the beginning, there is a tingling in the hands and arms, then the muscles cramp. The hands assume a "paw position", and a "pointed foot position" occurs on the feet. Cramps in the mouth muscles lead to the formation of a "fish mouth". Muscle cramps in the intestines lead to diarrhoea and abdominal pain, cramps in the laryngeal muscles can lead to life-threatening shortness of breath. A life-threatening tetanic seizure must be treated immediately by a doctor.

The calcium value is determined - often together with the phosphate value - when there is a suspicion of various diseases, because a lower value indicates an inflammation in the body. Calcium is recorded in the large blood count. The normal value for an adult is between 2.5 and 2.6 millimoles per litre, with 2.2 as the lower limit and 2.65 millimoles per litre as the upper limit. If your calcium level falls below 2.2 millimoles per litre, you have a calcium deficiency.

Calcium deficiency can occur for a variety of reasons. In addition to reduced intake, increased losses or increased demand, deficiency often occurs in connection with diseases or due to hormonal disorders.

Often it is not a lack of food, but an unbalanced diet that is the reason for your calcium intake being too low. This is because the mineral is mainly found in animal milk products, which are not consumed by vegans and people with lactose intolerance. For this group of people, it is especially important to ensure a sufficient intake and, if necessary, to take calcium as a dietary supplement. The same applies to people with a nutritional disorder such as bulimia or anorexia. These people do not eat enough food and have a generally increased risk of mineral deficiency.

A disturbance of calcium absorption in the intestine but also increased losses via the kidneys can lead to a calcium deficiency. Increased losses occur in connection with a disease.

Children who are growing and young pregnant or breastfeeding women under 19 years of age have a higher requirement. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends a daily intake of 1100 milligrams for children aged 10 to 13, and 1200 milligrams for adolescents aged 13 to 19 and for young pregnant and breastfeeding women. The increased amount of calcium is important for the formation of the bones of growing adolescents and unborn or born babies. In deviation from the DGE, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends an increased requirement of 1300 milligrams per day for women after the menopause and for men over 65 years of age.

The body regulates the calcium concentration in the blood in a regulatory cycle in which the thyroid hormone calcitonin, parathyroid hormone and vitamin D are primarily involved. If the parathyroid gland is underactive, too little parathormone is produced. Parathyroid hormone, together with vitamin D, regulates calcium metabolism. When the calcium level in the blood drops, parathyroid hormone is produced in the parathyroid glands. This reaches the bones via the blood and ensures that bone tissue is broken down. Calcium is released in the process. At the same time, parathyroid hormone influences the kidneys and ensures that more calcium is reabsorbed. If the function of the parathyroid gland is disturbed, the calcium level in the blood drops.

Calcium and phosphate metabolism are closely linked. Hyperphosphataemia, i.e. an increased phosphate level in the blood, leads to calcium phosphate deposits in the tissues, which cause the calcium level in the blood to drop.

Vitamin D regulates the absorption and distribution of calcium in your body. If you have a vitamin D deficiency, only part of the absorbed calcium enters the blood. The rest is excreted unused via the kidneys.

Calcium deficiency is rarely caused by a calcium-deficient diet. So it wouldn't do much good to simply take in more calcium. Therefore, the treatment consists primarily of finding out the cause and eliminating it. Your doctor will then decide which is the right therapy. If there is a pronounced calcium deficiency, there is a risk of cardiac arrest; patients are often treated in hospital with infusions.

Beware of self-medication: too much calcium can also be harmful!

Calcium excess can trigger complaints such as cardiac arrhythmias, muscle weakness, gastrointestinal complaints, kidney stones and depression. Calcium-containing medicines or food supplements should only be taken after consulting your doctor if you have a confirmed calcium deficiency.

Calcium deficiency usually develops insidiously and manifests itself with symptoms in bones, muscles and nerves. A typical sign of severe calcium deficiency is hypocalcaemic tetany with "pawing" of the hands and "pointing" of the feet; it can lead to life-threatening respiratory arrest. Calcium deficiency can be caused by reduced intake, increased need or increased loss, but it can also be caused by hormonal disorders or existing diseases. The primary goal of therapy is to find and eliminate the cause of the deficiency. Caution with self-medication: too much calcium can also be harmful.