Hey Folks! By now, you must be familiar with the importance of Calcium for your bones and
teeth. But did you know that calcium has many other functions from preventing osteoporosis,
Blood Clotting, Sending and receiving nerve signals, Squeezing and relaxing muscles,
Releasing hormones and other chemicals to Keeping your heartbeat normal.
As you can imagine, a deficiency of Calcium will affect all these areas, so it’s very
important for you to make sure your body is getting enough. There are certain signs and
symptoms that can indicate a Calcium Deficiency in your body and in today’s video, we will tell
you what these signals are. From brittle nails, muscle cramping, digestive disorders, difficulty
losing weight to high blood pressure and more, watch till the end to find out all of them.
Difficulty Sleeping: Sleep is essential for your bone health and calcium is directly
associated with your sleep cycle. The level of calcium in your bones rises and
falls when you are asleep and it reaches its peak when you are in a deep slumber.
This indicates that when you are unable to sleep properly, it is a warning sign of
calcium deficiency. There’s lots of research out there that has confirmed increasing your
level of calcium can restore your normal sleep cycle. This is also related to the production of
a sleep hormone called melatonin. When the calcium content in the body is really low,
this hormone is not produced, which makes it difficult for a person to sleep.
Difficulty Losing Weight:
Yet another frustrating aspect of a calcium deficiency is the inability to shed excess
pounds. Calcium that’s stored in your cells assists in the processing and storage of fat.
So the fat cells with high calcium content burn faster, making you lose weight. If you
have trouble losing weight in spite of having a well-regulated diet and regular workout,
it’s a sign that you are suffering from low calcium.
Tooth Decay: Calcium is an important part of your teeth and its deficiency affects them.
Your teeth may start turning yellow or you may experience tooth decay due to lack of
calcium. Calcium deficiency in childhood can lead to a delay in tooth formation as well.
Enjoying this video so far? Well, keep watching because there is a lot more good stuff coming up,
but before moving on, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more
amazing videos like this and hit the bell icon so that you don’t miss any updates!
Brittle Bones: If a slight bump ends up in a fracture, rest assured you are dangerously
low on calcium. Our bodies stop building new bones by the time we reach our 20s. In our 30s,
we are heavily dependent on the calcium in our diet to keep our bones nourished. You must,
from time to time, assess your body’s bone health
and make necessary dietary changes so that you are getting enough calcium.
Extreme Fatigue:
Fatigue can be caused by several things, including calcium deficiency. If you're feeling an overall
lack of energy or extreme sluggishness you may want to check your calcium levels.
You may find that your muscles have weakened. Fatigue caused by calcium
deficiency is also characterized by light-headedness, dizziness,
and brain fog which is a lack of focus, forgetfulness, and confusion.
Osteoporosis: Osteoporosis makes bones thinner and more susceptible to fractures. It can cause pain,
issues with posture, and eventual disability. While your bones store calcium well,
high levels of the mineral is required to keep them strong.
A deficiency can lead to calcium being diverted away from the bones, causing them to weaken.
Osteoporosis is mostly found in older women, but its prevention needs to start at a young age.
Osteoporosis is essentially bone loss, which can occur if you're not getting
enough calcium in your diet. Your body also uses calcium to build bones as well
as send messages through your nervous system, help your muscles contract,
and regulate your heart's rhythm. However, calcium is not made within the body, and so
it's important to get your required calcium intake from your daily diet or supplements.
Muscle Cramps: Muscle cramps are also early symptoms of a calcium deficiency. A single
muscle cramp may not be alarming, but if you are experiencing quite a few cramps in a day,
there is a chance it may be your calcium levels. Calcium deficiency can also lead to muscle
tenderness, contraction and overall discomfort as this mineral helps in moving your muscles.
Numbness And Tingling: Early on, when a calcium deficiency is mild,
a warning sign is to look out for numbness or tingling that occurs around your hands, or feet.
This can happen because, when deficient in calcium, your muscles and nerves
become abnormally excitable leading to what is known as neuromuscular irritability. Although
this symptom presents itself early on, it is considered to be serious,
so if you experience numbness and tingling be sure to report it to your physician.
Weak And Brittle Nails: When your body is deficient in calcium for a prolonged period
of time, other areas of your body may start to be affected. One such area is the nails,
which can become dry, brittle, and break easily.
You may also notice changes in your hair. For instance, it may start growing slower than normal,
or it may even fall out, often in distinct round patches, a condition that is known as alopecia.
Abnormal Heart Rhythm: Insufficient calcium intake can also have grave consequences on
your heart. Most commonly, it affects your heart’s rhythm by causing abnormalities to
its electrical conduction system which sends signals to the heart muscles so they can pump
blood to the rest of your body. This can potentially cause symptoms like fainting,
an accelerated heart rate, or feeling like your heart is skipping a beat.
Dry Skin: Dry or scaly skin may be another symptom of calcium deficiency. Calcium’s lesser known role
in your body is to support skin health. It decreases the pH of your skin and protects
the skin barrier. This prevents the excessive loss of water from your skin. When calcium blood levels
fall too low, the skin can no longer maintain moisture and a healthy pH which leads to dryness.
You Bleed Easily: When you sustain an injury, the sticky platelets in your blood form clots
to stop blood flow. If you struggle to stem the flow of blood when you cut yourself,
such as a paper cut, this could be a sign of a calcium deficiency.
While it's unlikely you'll bleed to death from a paper cut , without adequate calcium
your blood will take longer to clot, so you risk losing more of it. Calcium
is a vital ingredient in what doctors call coagulation, or blood clotting.
Facial Twitching: That numbness and tingling isn’t just limited to your arms and legs,
though these locations are common. The same mechanism can cause facial twitching in some
people with severe calcium deficiency. But unlike cramps and tingling in the muscles of the limb,
facial twitching doesn’t happen until your facial nerve is tapped. Called the Chvostek sign,
muscles in your face will twitch when the facial nerve is tapped,
but only those on the same side of the face as the nerve.
Paresthesia: You may not be familiar with this one. Paresthesia is a nervous disorder,
which causes tingling sensations, tremors,
numbness and loss of sensitivity. It could also lead to poor concentration, amnesia,
confusion, hearing impairment, twitches and other physical as well as neurological impairment. This
is because low calcium in the blood is connected with the health of your nerves.
High Blood Pressure: While there’s likely another reason for your hypertension besides calcium
deficiency, studies going back to the 1980s have found a link between low calcium intake and high
blood pressure, and how upping your calcium can lower it. So load up on calcium-rich foods,
such as dairy, almonds, or brazil nuts, and veggies like broccoli, kale or cabbage.
Depression: Calcium deficiencies have been linked to mood disorders including depression. However,
there is very little evidence. One study found that the total intake
of calcium was inversely related to the risk of self-rated depression. Calcium
deficiencies can cause certain depressive symptoms such as fatigue and insomnia,
and the risk of developing these is lower if your calcium levels are at prescribed levels.
Severe Premenstrual Syndrome or PMS: If you experience severe dysmenorrhea or PMS,
a calcium deficiency may be responsible. One study found that a daily intake of 500 mg of
calcium was effective in reducing PMS symptoms. Daily intake of calcium for a longer duration
relieved PMS symptoms to a large extent. Overall, it suggested that treatment with
calcium supplements is an effective technique for reducing mood disorders observed in PMS.
Vitamin D Deficiency: Calcium needs vitamin D to absorb into the body, so lacking on one means,
you will likely be low on the other. So, try and increase your calcium and vitamin
D dense foods like cereals, milk or juice. Soak in sunlight that is a good source of vitamin D.
Vision Problems: A calcium deficiency can cause issues within your nervous system,
such as increased pressure in the head. This pressure may result in swelling of
the nerves that connect between the brain and the eye, known as the optic nerve.
This can lead to blurry or double vision or loss of peripheral vision.
The development of cataracts may also contribute to blurry vision.
Are you getting enough calcium everyday? Have you noticed any
of these symptoms? Let us know in the comments section below!