Facts & Figures
Calcium Needs
Bone health vitamin and mineral needs change throughout life. Needs are highest throughout pregnancy, for both maternal and fetal health, and later in life when bone degeneration occurs.
Sports people need more calcium
Training raises the body’s requirements for bone density and flexibility, to absorb regular impact. Calcium supplements are essential to bone growth and remodelling during exercise.
Complications from Vitamin deficiencies
If there are vitamin deficiencies, several bone diseases can develop.
• Osteoporosis / Osteopenia
• Rickets
• Osteomalacia (bone softening)
• Increased risk of fracture
Other issues with various causes which are unrelated to nutrient deficiencies include bone spurs, arthritis, Osteopetroses and Proteus syndrome.
Hot tip for the over 50’s
Vitamin D is required for calcium absorption. The World Health Organisation’s recommended daily intakes for vitamin D double from 5mcg/day to 10mcg/day after the age of 50.
Did you know?
Calcium demands for normal fetal growth are 30g by the end of gestation.
Calcium transfer between mother and fetus increases from 50mg/day in Trimester 2 to 250mg/day in Trimester 3.
If there is not enough calcium, there are risks of:
Bone Mineral Density loss (Mother), reduced bone development (Fetus) and low calcium in breast milk = low intake for baby during breastfeeding.
Source: Heringhausen et al (2015) Maternal Calcium Intake and MetabolismDuring Pregnancy and Lactation