Calcium Deficiency and its effect on our Health

Calcium is a common mineral found in many foods. The body needs calcium to maintain strong bones, for muscles to do their job properly and nerves to carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body. Calcium is also used to move blood and manage the release of various hormones and enzymes that affect almost every function in the body. Almost all calcium is stored in bones and teeth, where it supports their structure and hardness.

Calcium is found in many foods, including milk, yogurt, cheese, kale, broccoli and Chinese cabbage as well as in fish with soft bones such as canned sardines and salmon. Calcium is traditionally added to some breakfast cereals, fruit juices, soy and rice beverages and tofu. Finally, breads, pastas and unfortified cereals also add significant amounts of calcium to the diet.

Certain groups of people are more likely than others to have trouble getting enough calcium. If you have a calcium deficiency for any reason, you may benefit from incorporating a Nutrition supplement into your diet that has calcium in it.  People who typically struggle with getting enough calcium include:

• Postmenopausal women, because they experience greater bone loss and do not  absorb     calcium as well.
• Women of childbearing age whose menstrual periods stop because they exercise      heavily, eat too little or both.
• People with lactose intolerance experience bloating, gas and diarrhea when the drink   more than small amounts of milk at a time. However, they can eat other calcium-rich dairy products that are low in lactose, such as yogurt and many cheeses.
• Vegans and ovo-vegetarians avoid dairy products that are a major source of calcium.
• Many other general factors can affect the amount of calcium absorbed from the digestive tract, including:
•  Age - efficiency of calcium absorption decreases as people age, which is why recommended calcium intakes are higher for people over age 50.
• Vitamin D intake - this vitamin is produced in the body when skin is exposed to sunlight and it increases calcium absorption.
• Components in food - such as oxalic acid in some vegetables and beans and phytic acid in whole grains can reduce calcium absorption.
• Factors that affect how much calcium the body eliminates - including alcohol and caffeine containing beverages as well as nutrients such as protein, sodium, potassium and phosphorus.

Inadequate calcium intake does not produce obvious symptoms in the short term because the body maintains calcium levels in the blood by taking it from bone. Over the long term, consumption below recommended levels can have serious negative health consequences, such as causing low bone mass and increasing risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures.

This is why many doctors advise patients to supplement their diet with extra calcium by eating Calcium rich fruits & vegetables and Dietary supplements having high in calcium.

THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH CALCIUM IS KNOWN TO AFFECT HEALTH:

• Bone health - bones need plenty of calcium and vitamin D throughout childhood and adolescence to reach their peak strength and calcium content by about age 30. After that, bones slowly lose calcium, but these losses can be reduced by getting recommended amounts of calcium throughout adulthood and by having a healthy, active

• Lifestyle that includes weight-bearing physical activity such as walking and running.

• Osteoporosis - is a disease of the bones in older adults especially women in which the bones become porous, fragile, and more prone to fracture. Osteoporosis is a serious public health problem for more than 10 million adults over the age of 50 in the US. Adequate calcium and vitamin D intakes as well as regular exercise are essential to keep bones healthy throughout life.

• Heart disease and stroke - studies show that getting enough calcium might protect people from heart disease and stroke. But other studies show that some people who consume high amounts of calcium, particularly from supplements, might have an increased risk of heart disease. 

• High blood pressure (BP) - some studies have found that getting recommended intakes of calcium can reduce the risk of developing high BP or hypertension. One large study in particular found that eating a diet high in fat-free and low-fat dairy products, vegetables and fruits lowered BP. 

The two common forms of calcium dietary supplements are carbonate and citrate.

Calcium carbonate is inexpensive and is absorbed best when taken with food. Calcium citrate, a more expensive supplement, is absorbed well on an empty or a full stomach.

People with low levels of stomach acid absorb calcium citrate more easily than calcium carbonate. Other forms of calcium in supplements and fortified foods include gluconate, lactate and phosphate.

Calcium supplements may cause gas, bloating, and constipation in some people. Getting too much calcium can cause constipation. In adults, too much calcium - typically from dietary supplements but not food - might increase the risk of kidney stones. Most people do not get amounts above the upper limits from food alone; excess intakes usually come from the use of calcium supplements. Surveys show that some older women probably get amounts above the upper safe limit because of the common use of calcium supplements.

Your doctor, pharmacist and other health care providers can tell you if your dietary supplements might interact or interfere with your prescription or over-the-counter medicines or alternatively, if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses or breaks down vital nutrients.

Clinical evidence suggests that chronic low-grade metabolic acidosis affects bone mass and osteoporosis. For example, a lower dietary intake of acid-producing foods meant greater spine and hip bone mineral density along with greater forearm bone mass in over 1000 women aged 45-54 years. On the other hand, a prospective, blinded study using potassium citrate in 161 postmenopausal women also showed an increase in their bone mass over a 12-month period.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to consume the daily recommended servings of fresh veggies and fruits needed to restore the body's natural acid-base balance. 

For your specific Healthcare, Lifestyle and Nutrition Plan, you may consult with me Or recommend to me through mail  at duttas.diet4u@gmail.com   

How to improve Men’s fertility?

People tend to think that if a woman is not getting pregnant the fertility issue must be with the woman, but that is not necessarily always true. Low sperm count and infertility of men is more prevalent than most couples think. There is an equal chance that male factor infertility can be the cause of a couple’s difficulty in achieving pregnancy.

It takes two to make a baby. Although a woman will carry and deliver the child, a man also has a leading role in pregnancy. For fertilization to occur, his sperm must be healthy and strong enough to reach and penetrate the woman's egg. 

To make this process happen, a man must be able to have and keep an erection, possess enough sperm that are the right shape and move in the right way, and have enough semen to carry the sperm to the egg.

While women have many tests to try to find out the cause of infertility, men have only a couple, the sperm analysis being the easiest.

If you have been trying to get pregnant for more than a year, make sure that both of you go and get infertility testing. The results of a good test would be a sperm count of 20 million or more sperm with healthy motility and morphology. Sub optimal levels are less than 20 million sperm.

If you find that your sperm levels are low or are having issues with mobility, motility or morphology, this article may help you to improve sperm count naturally.

Causes of Low Sperm Count

There are many potential causes of low sperm count and male infertility, fortunately many of them we have control over by reducing exposure to them.

Here is a list of the top culprits:

·       EMF’s – Electromagnetic frequencies (EMF’s) have been shown through studies to lower sperm count due to the heating of the testicles from the EMF’s. Do not keep your cell phone in your pocket and do not place your laptop computer on your lap.

·         Radio frequency electromagnetic waves (RF-EMW) – A study showed that RF-EMWs emitted from devices connected to Wi-Fi (wireless internet) decrease sperm motility, while increasing sperm DNA fragmentation. Men should avoid using laptop computers running on a Wi-Fi connection directly on their lap. In addition, be sure to avoid carrying a smart phone in your front pocket.

·      Cigarette smoking – Smoking damages the sperm. Period. The good news is the damage done from smoking can be reversed… As long as you quit smoking.

·         Pesticides and hormones in foods – The pesticides found on produce and the hormones added to dairy and meat have a HUGE effect on a man’s hormonal balance. Pesticides mimic estrogens in the body while the added hormones in meat and dairy are actual hormones (like estrogen) you do not want in your system.

·         Soy foods – Highly processed soy foods (soy milk, TVP, soy burgers, etc.) contain concentrated amounts of isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen shown to block estrogen receptor sites that are needed for testosterone.

·         Alcohol– In a study of men with poor sperm quality, excessive alcohol consumption was associated with a decrease in the number of normal sperm.

·         Plastics – When plastics are heated they release xenohormones which mimic estrogen in the body.

·         Hyperthermia (overheating) – The testicles need to keep the sperm at a healthy temperature (which is less than the body’s temperature). It is thought that this may be in part why the male reproductive organs are external. Heat is known to damage sperm, so it may be best to avoid repeated exposure to activities that may elevate the temperature of the testicles. Examples are frequent use of saunas or hot tubs. In addition, tight underwear like briefs can keep the testicles from being able to hang and regulate their temperature. Boxers could be an alternative to briefs.

·         Stress – Stress can have a big impact on hormone balance which can in turn have an effect on sperm production.

                                                      Diet & Nutrients for Healthy Male Fertility

Diet has a big impact on sperm health and male fertility. What you are eating today is impacting the sperm that will be swimming 3 months from now.

Study findings show a range of 42 to 76 days from the time of sperm production to ejaculation in normal men.

The changes that you make today are impacting the sperm you will be using two to three months from now. This means that it will take about 2-3 months for diet, herbs and supplements to have an effect on sperm health.

Here are the nutrients specifically needed for a healthy male fertility diet, they should be added to the diet as well as supplemented:

Zinc
In men, zinc is considered one of the most important trace minerals for fertility; increasing zinc levels in infertile men has been shown to boost sperm levels, improve the form, function and quality of the sperm thus decreasing male infertility.

Food sources: Calf liver, oysters, beef, lamb, venison, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, turkey, peas, and shrimp. Zinc can be damaged by cooking so it is important to eat some foods high in zinc in their raw forms.

Selenium
Selenium is necessary for the creation of sperm. In studies, men with low sperm counts have also been found to have low levels of selenium.

Food sources: Brazil nuts, liver, snapper, cod, halibut, tuna, salmon, sardines, shrimp, and turkey.

CoQ10 
Necessary for every cell in the body for energy production, CoQ10 is an important antioxidant that helps to protect cells from free radical damage, thus protecting DNA: it is necessary for sperm motility in semen. Additionally, studies have shown that CoQ10 can increase sperm health.

Food sources: Found most abundantly in seafood and organ meats, though it is very difficult to obtain through the diet. CoQ10 Ubiquinol supplementation is the best way to obtain CoQ10 – keep in mind that amounts in the body decline with age.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E has been shown in studies to improve sperm health and motility in men. Studies have also shown a diet deficient in Vitamin E to be a cause of infertility in rats. The meaning of the name for vitamin E ‘Tocopherol’ literally means to bear young. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant to help protect sperm and egg DNA integrity.

Food sources: Sunflower seeds, almonds, olives, spinach, papaya, and dark leafy greens.

Folic acid – New research suggests that folic acid can boost sperm health. Men with low levels of folate had increased risks for sperm that contained too little or too many chromosomes. If an egg is fertilized by an abnormal sperm it could result in a birth defect such as downs syndrome, or an increased chance of miscarriage.

Food sources: Liver, lentils, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, asparagus, spinach, black beans, navy beans, kidney beans, and collard greens.

Vitamin B12 – Also known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is involved in cellular replication and studies indicate a deficiency can lead to reduced sperm count and motility. Supplementation is advised for any man whose sperm count is less than 20 million or has a motility rate of less than 50%. Studies indicate that supplementation with vitamin B12 at 1,000mcg per day may increase sperm count.

Food sources: Clams, oysters, muscles, liver, caviar (fish eggs), fish, crab, lobster, beef, lamb, cheese, and eggs.

Vitamin C – For men, vitamin C has been shown to improve sperm quality and protect sperm from DNA damage; helping to reduce the chance of miscarriage and chromosomal problems. Vitamin C also appears to keep sperm from clumping together, making them more motile.

Food sources: Abundant in plants and fruits including red peppers, broccoli, cranberries, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, and citrus fruit.

L-Carnitine – Carnitine is a necessary nutrient for sperm cells to function normally. Sperm require high concentrations of carnitine for energy metabolism. Studies indicate that the level of free carnitine in seminal fluid directly correlates with sperm count and motility. The lower the concentrations of carnitine in the seminal fluid, the lower the sperm count. Research shows that supplementing with L-carnitine for a minimum of 4 months helps to increase sperm count and motility in men with low sperm count and quality. Carnitine and CoQ10 have been shown to work synergistically when combined.

Food sources: Red meat and dairy products.

Antioxidants – Antioxidants are one of the most important components to having healthy fertility that every man and women needs to focus on. Antioxidants help to protect the sperm from free radical damage. Free radicals are able to damage both sperm cell health and the cell’s DNA. The DNA of both partners is the future blueprint for a child.

Damaged DNA is known to cause miscarriages, birth defects, and/or developmental problems for the future child. Studies have also shown a connection between oxidative stress caused from free radicals and male infertility. Who recommended dietary supplements for Multi-vitamins and mineral contains all of the most important antioxidants nutrients in a capsule form. This blend is great for both men and women, but especially for men with low sperm count and poor sperm health.