Calcium is the major mineral contained in your bones; it hardens bones, providing the support needed for muscle contraction and body movements. Calcium concentration in your blood is tightly regulated, since it also affects the function of the heart, digestive tract and in some cases, the kidneys. Acidity interferes with calcium regulation.
Calcium Absorption
Calcium is mostly absorbed from food sources that contain high amounts of calcium, including cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, orange juice fortified with calcium, spinach, almonds and soybeans. Calcium absorption in the intestine is facilitated by active vitamin D.
Calcium Regulation
The thyroid and parathyroid glands are the major organs directly involved in calcium regulation. Your thyroid gland releases calcitonin in response to high blood calcium; calcitonin prevents bone breakdown by inhibiting bone resorption. The parathyroid glands release parathyroid hormone in response to low calcium in your blood, thereby increasing bone breakdown and releasing calcium to blood.
Blood pH
Your blood pH is a measure of the acidity of blood. Normal blood pH is 7.4; the blood is acidic when pH is below 7.4. Your blood may become acidic as a result of infection, low blood pressure, diabetes, toxin ingestion and ischemia, or insufficient blood flow, to the digestive tract.
Acidosis and calcium
Under parathyroid hormone stimulation, your kidneys reabsorb calcium from filtered blood; acidosis inhibits calcium reabsorption in the kidneys, thereby increasing calcium loss in urine. Acidosis increases the concentration of calcium in the urine and therefore, the probability for kidney stone formation.
References
- Citracal.com: Calcium Rich Foods
- Anapsid.org: Calcium Metabolism and Metabolic Bone Disease
- Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine: Kasper M.D., Braunwald M.D. and Fauci M.D.; 2005
Member Comments