Calcium phosphate is the name given to a family of molecules that are composed of two different components: the mineral calcium and the inorganic salt phosphate. Together they share a relationship with and an affinity for each other that your body uses to maintain proper bone health.
Molecular Affinity
Calcium and phosphate have distinct and independent functions within living organisms. Calcium helps regulate nerve and muscle activity. Phosphate has an important role in the structure of DNA, RNA and the energy molecule known as ATP. However, positively charged calcium atoms commonly bind to negatively charged phosphate molecules to form calcium phosphate---one of many potential kinds of "calcium salts."
Bone Health
About 99 percent of the calcium and 85 percent of the phosphate in your body is present within the bones. One of the main functions of bone tissue is to store calcium phosphate so that it can maintain a strong and stable structure. The dissolution of the bone tissue results in the release of calcium and phosphate into the blood. The opposite effect results in their deposition in the bones. The kidneys and gastrointestinal tract regulate the amount of calcium phosphate by controlling the absorption to ensure that it's kept within a proper homeostasis. Under certain conditions problems with calcium and phosphate can occur in people with kidney disease or failure.
Milk Protein
Casein is a unique protein found in milk. The presence of calcium phosphate holds the various parts of the casein together and allows the milk to contain more calcium than would be possible if all the calcium were merely dissolved within a solution. This is why dairy products are the best source of calcium in your diet. Casein also has another unique property. If the various parts of casein become disturbed or acidify, then it can coagulate and turn into cheese, which is related to its phosphate content.
Cholesterol
A 2005 study published in "The Journal of Nutrition" by researchers from Friedrich Shiller University in Germany found that supplementation of calcium phosphate affects cholesterol metabolism in humans. The researchers posited that calcium phosphate may increase the excretion of bile acid, of which cholesterol is a major component. The liver then regenerates bile acids from cholesterol, pulling it out of circulation from the blood. This could explain why a doubling of calcium intake and the addition of a special supplement reduced blood cholesterol levels by 5.2 percent in the study.
References
- Colorado State University; Endocrine Control of Calcium and Phosphate Homeostasis; R. Bowen; October 2003
- National Kidney Federation; Bones, Calcium, Phosphate, and PTH in Kidney Failure; November 2010
- Cornell University: Milk Protein
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Cholesterol Metabolism Is Affected by Calcium Phosphate Supplementation in Humans; Bianka Ditscheid, et al.; July 2005
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