Dairy is one of the richest sources of the essential mineral calcium, which plays a critical role in the transmission of signals within the nervous system. Muscle contractions, digestion, breathing and the regulation of your sweat glands all rely upon calcium to properly function. Despite its importance, the nervous system only needs a limited amount of calcium. About 1 percent is present in the blood and soft tissue. The remaining 99 percent is in your bones and teeth. Fortunately, you can get much of the needed calcium, along with other important nerve-related nutrients, such as vitamin B-12, from simply consuming dairy.
Calcium Intake
The protein in milk has a unique way of holding its structure together. It binds directly with calcium. This is why milk is such an excellent source of the mineral. An 8 ounce serving of milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium. A serving of yogurt and cheddar cheese also contain similar amounts. By comparison, the recommended dietary allowance for adults is 1,000 milligrams, or 1 gram, of calcium per day. Older adults may need as much as 1,200 mg per day.
Nerve Impulses
Nerve cells rely upon two important structures to transmit impulses: the axon and the synapse. The axon is a long projection that conducts impulses away from the cell body and toward a target cell. The synapse is a small junction between cells that the impulse must traverse. When an impulse arrives at the axon, it triggers the opening of calcium channels within the outer layer of the cell. Calcium flows into the cell and triggers the discharge of neurotransmitters — which are chemical messengers — into the synapse and toward the target cell. In this way, the cell transmits nerve impulses. Calcium can then leave the cell to reset the process.
Calcium Deficiency
The human body tightly regulates and controls calcium concentrations within the blood. If you have a deficiency of calcium in your diet, then your body will make up for this deficit by liberating the calcium from the stores in your bones, so you are more likely to experience skeletal problems before neurological problems. However, any medical condition that directly affects calcium levels in the blood, such as chronic kidney failure and severe alcoholism, may bring with it a concomitant set of neurological problems.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 within dairy also appears to play a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system. Although this phenomenon isn't entirely well-understood, it might have something to do with the contribution of vitamin B-12 to the metabolism of neurotransmitters and a structure known as myelin, which forms the protective sheath around nerve cells. Either way, a deficiency of vitamin B-12 will cause a number of neurological problems, such as difficulty walking, memory loss, disorientation, dementia and numbness or tingling in the arms and legs.
