Calcium and Magnesium with Zinc
Calcium is involved in numerous vital functions throughout the body, including; bone building, protein and fat digestion, energy production, nerve transmission and neuro-muscular activity. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, contributing to 1.5 to 2% of total body weight. Bones contain more than 99% of the body's calcium.
Magnesium is critical to many cellular functions including energy production, protein formation and cellular replication. Magnesium's main function is in enzyme activation. Magnesium is predominantly deposited in the bone, the remainder residing in metabolically active tissues such as muscle, brain, heart, liver, and kidneys.
Zinc is needed for the proper action of many body hormones, including thymic hormones, insulin, growth hormone and sex hormones. Zinc is found in every body cell and is a component in over 200 enzymes with 65% of zinc being stored in muscle and is highly concentrated in red and white blood cells. Other tissues with high zinc concentrations include: bone, skin, kidney, liver pancreas, retina and prostate.
Calcium
- OSTEOPOROSIS - Osteoporosis is characterised by reduced bone mass resulting in increased skeletal fragility and susceptibility to fractures. Many nutrients are important to bone health but calcium is the one most likely to be deficient. In addition to calcium's role within the structure of bone, its concentration in the blood activates controlling mechanisms on the release of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin release. These hormones directly influence the dynamic movement of calcium in and out of bone tissue.
- CARDIO-PROTECTIVE - Population studies suggest a link between blood pressure and dietary intake of calcium. Additionally, epidemiological data demonstrates that calcium supplementation can lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Recently, meta-analysis has revealed a much more dramatic effect of calcium supplementation on blood pressure, in pregnant women than in non-pregnant adults. The Nurses Health Study (85,764 women) showed that those with the lowest intake of calcium intake had the greatest incidence of ischemic stroke.
- CELL PROTECTION - increasing calcium intake appears to reduce the risk of colon cancer, probably through lowering fecal free bile and free fatty acid concentrations, thereby lowering cytotoxicity. Calcium has shown protective effects in cases of colonic adenomatous polyps, mammary and prostate cancer.
- PRE-MENSTRUAL SYNDROME - research has shown that calcium supplementation at 1200mg per day for 3 months significantly reduced symptoms of PMS by 48%. Magnesium and zinc are also beneficial in hormonal balance through enabling the delta-6-desaturase enzyme system required for essential fatty acid metabolism.
Magnesium
- OSTEOPOROSIS - Magnesium supplementation is as important as cal