As you may have heard me on my podcast or past blogs- I am in an amazing program by www.nutritionaltherapyassociation.com to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner this summer of 2017.
Along my new journey, I am sharing with you what I am learning via my blog and podcast “The WHOLE Athlete” on iTunes or here www.thewholeathletepodcast.com.
Today we are talking about minerals- specifically our mineral CALCIUM. Let me explain the relationship between our bones and the pH levels in the blood.
We always here about the need for calcium to have strong bones – but how does calcium make our bones stronger? Or less strong?
So how does calcium relate to our bones and the pH levels in our blood?
Let’s dive in.
Calcium must be in balance with the other macro minerals and trace minerals for proper use. We are often deficient in calcium – and we will find out why and the importance of calcium to our bone health. Example – phosphorus as well as magnesium and vitamin D needs to be in balance and metabolism. We need a balance in our calcium-phosphorus ratio (1:1 ratio is suggested), when the diet is high in phosphorus, we can lose extra calcium through the urine which is a result of calcium being pulled out of bones. Another reason to avoid soft drinks as they have phosphoric acid- phosphate added which can lead to an imbalance of phosphorus-calcium levels.
We know when of the major functions of calcium is for the development and maintenance of our bones and teeth. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body – and one of the most important. Can you believe that this one mineral is about 1.5% – 2.0% of our body weight? Crazy. Almost all of that (98% or 3 lbs.) is contained in our bones. Calcium is needed along with magnesium in ongoing body functions as blood, nerves, muscles, tissues- specifically in regulating the heart and muscle contraction as well as nerve conduction. -source “Staying Healthy with Nutrition”
What about our bone health?
Bones are not only needed to give us structure, protection of our organs and production of our blood cells but are bones are also key players in the homeostasis of calcium. We need calcium to grow strong bones during our growth years from infancy through childhood- but then as we get older we want to make sure we don’t lose our bone mass as with osteoporosis! Phosphorus, magnesium, exercise, vitamin D and other nutrients are needed to maintain our skeletal system as we age.
Our bones are not only holding us together by giving us structure- but they are a main “reservoir” holding tank for calcium. Our bones are a major buffer for calcium. At the same time calcium is a major buffer for our blood’s pH level. The calcium in our bones, as with other minerals in our body, are always in constant state of building and remodeling- or maintaining homeostasis. The calcium in our bones is being added or removed from the bones- based on the levels of calcium in the body.
The bones in our body give up stored calcium to the blood (as well as other tissues) as needed – when we are not getting enough from our diet. Other factors include vitamin D, calcitonin from our thyroid hormone and our parathyroid hormone. The parathyroid hormone (PTH) has an important role with calcium, blood, and the bones. First let’s talk about the pH of blood- and how calcium is an alkaline substance.
But when does our bones give up calcium? When it is needed to raise the pH of the blood to make it less acidic and more neutral. Our pH of blood should be at 7.35-7.45 (pH scale is acidic at 1 to alkaline at 14). A pH of 7 is neutral- so the lower the pH then the more acidic our blood is going to be. We have a variety of factors that can influence or alter our blood pH levels including:
- ingested foods
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- lung function
- endocrine function (hormones)
- kidney function
- urinary tract infection
- -Definition of Blood pH – MedicineNet
The parathyroid detects if our homeostasis of our calcium levels in our blood are off balance and the gland is notified when there is a change in the pH levels of the blood. The hormone- parathyroid activates osteoclast (breaks out Calcium from the bone) activity to move calcium from the bone into the blood. If the parathyroid hormone detects the pH levels of the blood is too alkaline. Fortunately, the parathyroid hormone (PTH) also helps prevents loss of calcium through urine and feces.
To summarize homeostasis of calcium in our blood:
If our pH level of our blood is too acidic or rather the pH level is falling:
- Calcium is released from the bone and deposited into the blood
If our pH level of our blood is too alkaline or rather the pH level is rising:
- Calcium is deposited into the bone from the blood
- If put in the wrong place as storage can cause bone spurs
Calcium homeostasis in our blood is supposed to be a two-way street with our bones- but sometimes it doesn’t always work that way! To get from blood back into bone when the blood pH is too alkaline, we require these metabolic factors as I mention below. If these co-factors are not in place, due to some type of deficiencies, then the body will find somewhere else to put the calcium. instead it looks for another place to store the bone- it may go to places of weakness as your heel if you have weakness from running then the calcium deposits will cause bone spurs. Similar could happen in your shoulder!
As I mentioned earlier, we are often told we are to take Calcium supplements or eat more dairy products to get more calcium from our food we eat. If we take calcium supplements because we are low in calcium on lab tests- does that mean, we will fix the problem?
It depends.
Yes, we may show symptoms or lab tests with low calcium levels- but we may get enough calcium from the foods we eat but that isn’t the root cause.
To absorb calcium properly into our body to be used in many roles- we need to check that all our co-factors for calcium absorption are functioning correctly first. We always need to dig deeper to find the root cause instead of looking at the surface – as an easy solution as taking a supplement doesn’t always fix what is really going on inside the body! Just like a car- checking under the hood for the root cause.
The co-factors required for proper absorption of calcium include:
- digestion: we must ingest minerals as we can’t make them
- fatty acids: needed to move Ca across the cell membrane walls
- systemic pH: blood pH levels are balance with help of PTH
- hydration- water and electrolytes: transport Ca to tissues and in/out of cells
- hormonal function: PTH, Calcitonin, Adrenal-Aldosterone, Sex hormones
- estrogen: inhibits bone breakdown or resorption (osteoclasts)
- progesterone: promotes bone remodeling (osteoblasts)
- testosterone: precursor to estrogen and progesterone
- vitamins as Vitamin D: works with PTH to increase Ca into blood
- other minerals must be in balance with Ca as potassium and trace elements as zinc, boron, manganese, and copper for proper absorption of Ca.
As we learn in my nutritional therapy program- digestion impacts all areas of our health as well as these other pillars for improving the WHOLE you:
I love learning this information- putting pieces of the puzzle together of information you learn over the years and suddenly you finish your puzzle. Then you start another one.
Learn more in upcoming blog posts and my podcast- The WHOLE Athlete podcast!