Health-and-Nutrition/C2/Importance-of-Calcium/English

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Narration
Title Slide Welcome to the spoken tutorial on the importance of calcium.
Image: Collage of benefits of calcium

Image: Calcium requirements during different age groups

Image: Collage of symptoms of calcium deficiency

Image: Collage of food sources of Calcium

In this tutorial, we will learn about:

1. Role of calcium and its requirement in our body.

2. Symptoms of its deficiency and

3. Calcium rich food sources.

Image: Calcium symbol and sources

Image: Bones and teeth

Image: Calcium in blood

Image: Excretion through urine, stool, sweat

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body.

99% of the body’s calcium is found in bones and teeth.

The remaining 1% is present in our blood.

It gets excreted from our body through stool, urine and sweat.

Image: Healthy bones and Bone strength

GIF: Transfer of Calcium from blood to bone

GIF: Transfer of Calcium from bone to blood

Calcium serves many functions in our body.

The key function is the development and maintenance of bones.

If there is an excess of calcium in the body, it gets deposited in the bones.

In case of deficiency, it can be taken from the bones.

Image: Nerve impulse transfer

GIF: muscle contraction and relaxation

Calcium is essential for the transfer of nerve signals in our body.

It helps in muscle contraction and its movement.

Image: Clotting of blood

Image: Secretion of hormones

Image: Weight maintenance

Image: Maintenance of blood pressure

Image: Heart health

It also helps in stopping the blood flow after a cut.

Calcium is needed for the secretion of hormones like insulin and adrenaline.

Other benefits are maintaining body weight, blood pressure and heart health.

Image: Different age groups

Image: Childhood

Image: Adolescence

Image: Calcium recommendations for infants

Image: Calcium recommendations for children

Image: Calcium recommendations for adolescence

Image: Calcium recommendations for adults


Daily recommended intake for calcium varies for different age groups.

It is higher during periods of rapid growth such as childhood and adolescence.

For Infants until 12 months, 500 milligrams of calcium per day is recommended.

For children up to 9 years, 600 milligrams per day is recommended.

The requirements increase up to 800 milligrams per day during adolescence.

For adults, it is 600 milligrams per day.

Image: Pregnant and lactation

Image: Calcium recommendations for pregnant and lactating women

The calcium requirements are also high during pregnancy and lactation.

During pregnancy and lactation, 1,200 milligrams is recommended.

Image: Collage of symptoms of calcium deficiency

Image: calcium in pregnant woman

Image: Rise in blood pressure

Image: Swollen hands and feet

Let us now discuss the effects of calcium deficiency.

Deficiency of calcium during pregnancy can result in a rise in blood pressure.

Swelling in hands and feet can be seen.

Image: Inadequate calcium intake

GIF: calcium transfer to the baby from mother

Image: Low birth weight of baby

Image: Impaired cognitive and physical development

Inadequate calcium intake by mothers may affect the baby also.

Their birth weight may be low and their growth can be retarded.

Their physical and cognitive development can be damaged.

Image: Collage of symptoms of rickets


In children, calcium deficiency can cause rickets.

Rickets is a disorder of the skeletal system.

The growth gets stunted and there are changes in the shape of the spine.

Other signs are sunken ribs, protruding forehead and bow shaped bent legs.

Short height, widening of the wrist, elbow, knee and ankle joints can be seen.

Image: Cramps

Image: Numbness in fingers

Image: Mental confusion and irritation

Image: Dry skin

Image: Brittle nails

Image: Tooth decay

In adults, early signs of calcium deficiency are muscle cramps.

Numbness or tingling sensation of fingers is also seen.

Mental confusion, irritability, dry skin, brittle nails and tooth decay can also occur.

Image: Osteoporosis

Image: Reduction in bone density

Image: Fractures

Image: Stoop posture

Image: Back pain

Long term deficiency of calcium can result in osteoporosis.

In osteoporosis, the bone density is reduced.

The bones become fragile and prone to fractures.

Other symptoms are stooped posture, loss of height and back pain.

Image: Woman and man

Image: Decrease in estrogen levels in women

GIF: Decreased Calcium absorption

Image: Increased Calcium excretion

The risk of osteoporosis is higher in women as compared to men.

This is because estrogen levels in women decrease after menopause.

Thereby, calcium absorption decreases and its excretion through urine increases.

Image: Collage of calcium rich food To avoid calcium deficiency, adequate intake of calcium rich food is essential.


Image: Collage of daily products

GIF: Calcium getting absorbed

Image: Calcium content in milk

Image: Calcium content in curd

Image: Calcium content in paneer


The best sources are milk and milk products.

This includes curd, paneer (unsalted indian cheese), cheese and khoa (thickened whole milk).

Calcium obtained from them gets easily absorbed in our body.

200 millilitre of cow’s milk provides 236 milligrams of calcium.

100 grams of curd from cow’s milk has 150 milligrams calcium.

30 grams of paneer from cow’s milk has 142 milligrams calcium.


Image: Collage of shrimp, bombay duck, prawns, lobsters, dried bony fish

Image: Calcium content in prawns

Image: Calcium content in dried shrimp

Image: Calcium content in dried bombay duck fish


Few non-vegetarian food are also rich in calcium.

For example: dried shrimp, bombay duck, prawns, lobsters and dried bony fishes.

100 grams of prawns will give 67 milligrams of calcium.

20 grams of dried shrimp has 73 milligrams of calcium.

15 grams of dried bombay duck fish has 208 milligrams of calcium.


Image: Collage of seeds

Image: sesame seeds

Image: niger seeds

Image: flax seeds

Image: dill seeds

Image: poppy seeds

Image: Calcium content in sesame seeds

Image: Collage of almonds and walnuts


Seeds are an excellent source of calcium.

For example: sesame seeds, niger seeds, flax seeds, dill seeds and poppy seeds.

1 tablespoon or 5 grams of sesame seeds has about 64 milligrams of calcium.

Apart from these, nuts like almonds and walnuts are also rich in calcium.

Image: Collage of green leafy vegetables

Image: Calcium content in amaranth leaves

Image: Calcium content in fenugreek leaves

Many green leafy vegetables have good amount of calcium.

For example: leaves of amaranth, agathi, drumstick and fenugreek.

Even radish leaves, colocasia leaves and mustard leaves are good sources.

100 grams of amaranth leaves has 330 milligrams of calcium.

100 grams of fenugreek leaves has 274 milligrams of calcium.

Image: Collage of soybean, horse gram, moth beans

Image: Calcium content in horsegram

Image: Finger millet

Image: Calcium content in finger millet

Calcium is present in some beans like soybean, horse gram and moth beans.

50 grams of horse gram gives 135 milligrams of calcium.

Finger millet is also a rich source of calcium.

30 grams of finger millet provides 110 milligrams of calcium.

GIF: Calcium absorption

GIF: Inhibition of calcium absorption

Image: Nuts

Image: Seeds

Image: Green leafy vegetables

GIF: Inhibition of calcium absorption

Image: Calcium not getting absorbed

Along with food intake, calcium absorption is equally important.

Presence of oxalates, phytates and fiber affect calcium absorption.

They are present in nuts, seeds, beans, and green leafy vegetables.

These substances may bind with calcium to form an insoluble complex.

As a result, calcium absorption in the body is inhibited.

Image: Collage of different cooking techniques

Image: Soaking

Image: Sprouting

Image: Boiling

Image: Roasting

Image: Fermentation

The absorption can be enhanced by using various cooking techniques.

For example: soaking, sprouting, boiling, roasting and fermentation.

Image: Tea

Image: Coffee

Image: Cola

Image: Tea coffe and cola not to be had with calcium rich food

Image: Collage of tea, coffee and cola

For calcium absorption, avoid tea, coffee and cola with calcium rich food.

They contain caffeine which enhances calcium excretion through urine.

Image: Different nutrients symbols and sources

Image: vitamin D

Image: magnesium

Image: potassium

Image: phosphorus

For maximum calcium absorption, few other nutrients are required.

For example: vitamin D, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

Image: Playing

Image: Exercise

Image: Bones in the body

Apart from nutrients, adequate physical activity and exercise are also required.

This will enhance the bone mass and bone strength.

Image: Individuals of different age group

Image: Infancy and childhood

Image: Adulthood and old age

In addition to all this, age also influences calcium absorption.

It is highest during infancy and childhood.

During adulthood, absorption is moderate and then it decreases with age.

Image: Calcium sources and childhood Therefore, adequate intake of calcium rich food from an early age is essential.
Acknowledgement Slide This brings us to the end of the tutorial.

Thank you for joining.

Contributors and Content Editors

Misbah