Why Calcium is Important for Bones | Dr Chirag Patel Bones Doctor in Surat

As a macro mineral, Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Our body needs Calcium for blood circulation, muscle contraction, and relaxation, the release of hormone regulation and maintenance of optimal health.

Calcium is an important mineral that is used by almost every cell in the human body and it is easily the most crucial mineral for optimal functioning of many body processes. And yet Calcium has become synonymous for its bone health. So much that the word Calcium brings us the mental image of bones.

So why Calcium is so important for bone? How does Calcium help in building strong bones?  How much Calcium is needed? Read on for the answers:

Calcium & Bones:

From the head to toe, bones play a crucial part in our human body but have you ever wondered what these strong and sturdy bones are made up of?

Bones are made up of a protein called Collagen and our Calcium. While the Collagen protein provides the framework, Calcium Phosphate strengthens and hardens that framework. 99% of the Calcium is deposited in the bones and teeth and the remaining 1% circulates in the blood.

Bone – The Calcium Bank:

Consider the bone as a bank account and your body needs as EMI.  As a child is fed calcium through diet, you are depositing large money (calcium) into the bank account (bone) through your childhood and teen years and tiny instalment (body needs) are deducted. So the bones grow denser and stronger at a faster pace until 20 years of age.

Why Calcium is so important for bones?

Calcium is important for bones because Calcium is what bones are essentially made up of. As a child’s bone is in the development stage, a child needs to get recommended amounts of calcium from their diet. As the bones completely reach their development stage after the 20s, Calcium is further needed to maintain the bones and retain their strength.

How does Calcium help in building strong bones?

And when you don’t get enough calcium from your diet, your body recognizes this and move the mineral from the skeletal bones and mobilizes it into the bloodstream. Over time when you deprive calcium off your body, bones become weak and in extreme cases Osteoporosis. So Calcium must be a mandatory part of your diet for building strong bones.

How to prevent weak bones?

Simple. You can prevent weak bones by taking recommended levels of calcium and making healthy life choices. As of calcium here are recommended a daily intake of Calcium:

Age group

Calcium in mg

Kids and teens

1100 to 1300

Men < 70 & pre-menopausal women

800 to 1000

Men >70 and post-menopausal women

1000 to 2000

Bones become weak when the intake of Calcium is less and natural bone loss is more. You can prevent weak bones and retain their strength by taking the above-recommended amounts of Calcium along with Vitamin D (250 mg), avoiding excessive alcohol and tobacco use, and daily exercise.

Even after following a calcium-rich diet if you are experiencing bone aches and other bone problems it is advised to consult an Orthopaedic specialist at the earliest. And if your problems are more specific, as pertaining to hip the knee you need a specialist hip and knee specialist.

If you happen to reside in and around Surat, Dr. Chirag Patel is the best doctor for Hip & Knee in Surat with loads of experience and expertise. You can contact him here: +91 7574887777