Calcium deficiency is usually due to an inadequate supply or a failure in metabolism of calcium. Calcium, the main structural element of bones and teeth, is one of the most important minerals that helps in the growth and maintenance and reproduction of the human body. In addition to helping to maintain bone and dental health, calcium is also involved in a wide variety of other functions, including blood coagulation, the transmission of nerve impulses, muscle contraction and relaxation, normal heartbeat, stimulation of hormone secretion and the activation of enzyme reactions.

When blood calcium levels drop too low, the vital mineral is “borrowed” from the bones. It is returned to the bones from calcium supplied through the diet. If an individual’s diet is low in calcium, there may not be sufficient amounts of the element available in the blood to be returned to the bones … leading to a net loss in bone mass, a condition called osteopenia . Osteopenia can lead to osteoporosis, or porous bone. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million bone fractures in the U.S. every year.

The Problem of Calcium Deficiency is Serious

Low calcium intake is recognized as a major public health problem in the United States, with more than 75 percent of Americans not meeting the current calcium recommendations for their age/gender group, putting them at risk for osteoporosis. The top priority of the Surgeon General, Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.S., is to prevent debilitation and premature mortality from all causes, including bone disease and injury. Concerns about the large toll that osteoporosis — by far the most common bone disease — is inflicting on the nation led Dr. Carmona to release The Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis on October 14, 2004.

Because osteoporosis is largely preventable, The Surgeon General's Report on Osteoporosis and Bone Health details the need for a greater public health focus on osteoporosis — even among racial and ethnic minorities, men, children and adolescents and the frail elderly. It also addresses the pressing issue of inadequate calcium consumption.

The Consequences of Untreated Calcium Deficiency

Low calcium intake is associated with the risk of osteoporosis, colon cancer and hypertension.

		Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of people 50 years of age and older and is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. Ten million individuals are estimated to have osteoporosis today and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass (or osteopenia), placing them at increased risk for the disease in the future.
		Taking calcium supplements helps prevent the recurrence of polyps in the colon, a risk factor for colorectal cancer. In a well-controlled clinical trial, published in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute, calcium supplements reduced the advanced polyps growth which is most strongly associated with invasive colorectal cancer. While it’s not known exactly how the calcium may help prevent the polyps, researchers speculate that calcium prevents the irritating and cancer-promoting effect of bile acids and other fats in the bowel. To help reduce the risk of colon cancer you should follow the dietary recommendations for daily calcium intake.
		Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, can occur in children or adults. It affects about 50 million — or 1 in 4 — adult Americans and is especially common among African Americans and older people. Uncontrolled hypertension directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease — which can potentially lead to heart attack.

Studies show an association in women who have a calcium intake of 800 mg/day or more have a 23 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure than women with an intake of 400 mg/day or less. The benefits of calcium are even greater among pregnant women. Controlled trials in women with habitually low calcium intakes have found that women who consume between 1500 - 2000 mg/day of calcium reduce their risk of developing pregnancy-induced hypertension by as much as 50 percent. It has also been shown that maternal calcium intake positively affects the infant's blood pressure. In one clinical trial, women with high calcium intakes gave birth to babies with higher birth weights and lower blood pressures. This lower pressure persisted throughout at least the first five years of life.