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Calcium is an important micronutrient that plays a key role in maintaining bone strength, muscle function, and nerve signalling. Low calcium levels can affect muscle health and bone density, leading to fractures and weakness in ligaments. Calcium deficiency is becoming increasingly prevalent in young adults, particularly in women. Low vitamin D levels, poor dietary intake of calcium, and autoimmune diseases are common causes. It’s important to recognise the signs of low calcium as they often go unnoticed until symptoms worsen. In this blog, we’ll discuss common low calcium symptoms and ways to address calcium deficiency.
What is Low Calcium?
Low calcium or hypocalcemia means a total serum calcium concentration below 8.5 mg/dL (< 2.20 mmol/L) in the presence of normal plasma protein concentrations, or a serum ionised calcium concentration below 4.7 mg/dL (< 1.17 mmol/L).
When the body doesn’t get enough calcium to fulfil its daily requirements, it starts utilising the existing calcium from the bones, reducing the bone mineral density. According to the ICMR RDA values, a healthy adult requires a minimum of 1000 mg of calcium per day. For children, it may range from 500-1000 mg across various age groups from 1-18 years.
What Are the Signs of Low Calcium?
When the body does not get enough calcium or the absorption of calcium is hampered, calcium deficiency symptoms may manifest.
1. Low Bone Density: Low calcium intake starts reducing bone density, making bones brittle and leading to an increased risk of frequent fractures and weakening and thinning of bones, especially in the elderly.
2. Dental Problems: Lack of calcium can pull out calcium from the teeth, leading to tooth decay and brittle and weakened teeth. It can also impair tooth development in children.
3. Poor Skin, Hair, and Nail Health: Calcium is essential for maintaining the skin barrier and hair follicular growth. Low calcium levels may result in slow hair growth and alopecia (hair fall). The skin can appear dry and itchy or show signs of eczema and psoriasis.
4. Muscle & Nerve problems: One of the major low calcium symptoms is pain in the thighs and arms, muscle cramps, aches and spasms, and numbness in the legs, hands, and feet. These neuromuscular issues can also cause anxiety.
When calcium deficiency worsens, the symptoms may lead to several conditions such as:
Osteopenia: Loss of bone density
Osteomalacia: Softening of bones
Osteoporosis: Brittle and weak bones
Rickets: Weak bones, bowed legs, curved spine, difficulty in walking, especially in young children
Causes of Low Calcium Levels
1. Poor Dietary Intake: Inadequate intake of calcium in the diet can cause low levels of calcium in the body.
2. Low vitamin D levels: Vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium. Low levels of vitamin D can impact the absorption of calcium, depleting its levels in the body.
3. Intake of Dietary Inhibitors of Calcium: Excessive consumption of substances that inhibit calcium absorption, including oxalates, phytates, sodium, and, caffeine may hamper the absorption of calcium.
4. Kidney Disease: Chronic kidney problems can lead to a buildup of phosphorus in the body which can interfere with calcium absorption.
5. Medications or Medical Conditions: Medications such as corticosteroids and bisphosphonates can cause hypocalcemia. Diseases like pancreatitis and hypoparathyroidism can also cause calcium deficiency.
How to Treat Low Calcium
The simplest way to treat low calcium levels is through dietary management. However, supplementation may be required in extreme calcium deficiency.
1. Have Calcium-Rich Foods: Including calcium-rich foods in the diet, such as milk, paneer, cheese, spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, okra, soy, and tofu, can help a person maintain their daily calcium intake.
2. Get enough Vitamin D: Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D either through sunlight or vitamin D-rich foods can help in better calcium absorption. Foods high in vitamin D include fatty fish, egg yolks, red meat, and liver.
3. Take Oral Calcium Supplements: People with chronic or severe hypocalcaemia can take calcium citrate or calcium carbonate supplements to overcome deficiency. Supplements should be taken under the supervision of a medical or healthcare professional.
Best Foods to Increase Calcium Naturally
Certain foods can help improve calcium intake and reduce low calcium symptoms. These include:
1. Dairy products: All dairy products, whether milk, paneer, or cheese are rich in calcium. Consuming them regularly can help you meet your daily calcium intake and keep yourself healthy.
2. Fresh veggies: Collard greens, kale, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, and okra are high in calcium and can reduce hypocalcemia symptoms.
3. Seafood: Sardine fish, salmon fish, tuna fish, shrimps are all rich in calcium.
4. Other foods: Tofu, soya chunks, figs, white beans, almond and soy milk, nuts and seeds, and makhana are also rich sources of calcium.
These are the healthy and natural options of calcium-rich foods that can be added to regular meals to overcome low calcium symptoms in the body.
Conclusion
Calcium deficiency is often overlooked as symptoms often don’t appear aggressively. It slowly impacts muscle and bone health and when neglected, the symptoms of low calcium levels may later aggravate into diseases such as osteopenia, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis. Low calcium symptoms can be addressed by including calcium-rich foods in the diet and through supplementation in more severe cases or if adequate levels are not met through the diet alone. However, it is important to note that simply consuming calcium is not enough; it’s equally important to limit foods that hinder its absorption. Adequate calcium intake of about 1000-1200 mg per day can help maintain bone and joint health.
FAQs
Q1. Can low calcium cause anxiety?
Ans: Yes. Calcium deficiency can contribute towards anxiety as calcium plays a key role in nerve function. When the calcium levels drop it can lead to restlessness.
Q2. What is hypocalcemia?
Ans: Hypocalcaemia is a condition marked by low levels of calcium in the body i.e., below 8.5 mg/dL. Hypocalcaemia can impact bone health and muscle and nerve functioning and cause skin, hair, and dental problems.
Q3. What causes low calcium levels in the body?
Ans: The main reason for low calcium levels is poor dietary intake of calcium-rich foods. Other reasons are vitamin D deficiency, thyroid problems, kidney disease, or certain medications.
Q4. Can low calcium cause fatigue and weakness?
Ans: It may not be the sole reason for low energy levels. However, since low calcium levels impact muscle and nerve functioning, it can lead to tiredness and weakness.
Q5) Who is at a high risk of calcium deficiency?
Ans: Calcium deficiency symptoms may commonly be seen in adults, athletes, children, people with low dietary intake of calcium, or those with vitamin D deficiency. Calcium deficiency is also common in people with kidney problems and those who are on certain medications, as their body may not be able to absorb calcium.