Calcium is a major mineral in your body that helps promote bone growth and repair, cell signaling and communication, and regulation of various metabolic functions in your intestinal tract. The American Cancer Society recommends that you take between 1000 to 1200 mg of calcium per day if you're an adult and 1300 mg if you're a teenager. You can get calcium from dairy products, nuts, wheat germ, fortified cereals, tofu and some vegetables. Excessive calcium, which is more than 2500 mg per day, may lead to complicated problems in your organs and blood.
Kidney Stones
Too much calcium can lead to formation of kidney stones in the kidneys. These stones are made up of calculi, which are the crystalized minerals from calcium and other minerals. Deposits of calculi get stuck in the ureters--the muscular tubes that transport urine from your kidneys to your bladder--and cause pain when you urinate. If left untreated, the kidney stones get larger, inhibiting proper organ function. For treatment, you can get an ultrasound wave procedure that shatters the stones into small fragments that you can excrete, or a physician can do surgery--known as ureteroscopy--to remove the stones by using fiberoptics.
Zinc Absorption Reduction
Excessive calcium inhibits your body from absorbing zinc, which is a mineral that is involved in carbohydrate metabolism, blood pH balance, DNA and RNA synthesis, and protection from free radical damage to cell membranes. According to registered dietitian Mary Grosvenor, former researcher at the UCLA Medical Center, you would need to take in more foods that are high in zinc to prevent zinc deficiency. Too little zinc absorption causes appetite loss, dermatitis, hair loss, night blindness and a lowered immune system. These are secondary nutrition symptoms from excess calcium intake.
Nerve and Cardiac Abnormalities
If you have excessive calcium in your bloodstream, this may cause nerve impulse imbalances due to too much electrical impulse in the nervous system. This is known as excitotoxicity, which may cause stroke and other degenerative nerve diseases. According to Grosvenor, chronic high calcium blood levels cause cardiac arrhythmias, which are irregular heartbeat patterns.
Soft Tissue Calcification
Your connective tissues, muscles and other soft tissues can get calcium deposits if there is too much calcium in your bloodstream or if any mineral imbalances are in your body. Calcium causes your tissues to harden, resulting in joint immobility and pain. Calcification may also affect your lungs, arteries, heart and brain.
References
- American Cancer Society: Calcium
- "Nutrition From Science to Life"; Mary Grosvenor; 2001
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