Importance of calcium in the body

If you’re wondering whether to take a calcium supplement, take a look at this list which shows the importance of calcium in the body. While many people know calcium’s benefit to bone density and strong teeth, it has so many other vital roles in the daily upkeep of our bodies.

Calcium is a powerful alkaline. Keeping your body alkaline is hugely important to health and warding off growths like cancer.

Calcium is, of course, directly involved in the process of bone formation and maintenance. It’s the most prevalent mineral in your skeleton, so it’s crucial for building bone.

Calcium is hugely significant in the circulatory system which depends on the mineral to control the dilation and constriction of blood vessels. Calcium is key to the transportation of oxygen in your body as well. It can dilate blood vessels around tissues that need more oxygen, and constrict the blood flow around tissues that need less oxygen. The balancing act it carries out minute by minute is astonishing.

Scientists are pretty convinced that calcium can prevent high blood pressure and promote cardiovascular health – which makes taking calcium a priority in older people.

Calcium also helps in cognitive functions – it carries out a massive role in the central nervous system.

On a molecular level, calcium regulates many neurological processes. In fact, calcium homeostasis is so vital to your cognitive function that your body has compensatory mechanisms in place to maintain blood calcium levels. When this mineral is deficient, your body compensates by tapping into the calcium reserves in your skeleton, thus reducing bone density.

Calcium is involved in many delicate and sensitive reactions in the central nervous system, and changes in regulation may contribute to cognitive decline associated with age. According to a 2009 study, “…gene mutations may interact with age and cell specific alterations in Ca2+ regulation to produce the pattern of neuronal death which characterizes neurodegenerative diseases.”¹