Calcium

Calcium is a vital part of dietary consumption in order to aid growth and maintenance of bones (1). Other important benefits of calcium include helping blood clotting (2), heart contractions (3), lungs (4) and muscles to function properly (5), this is due to calcium binding with phosphate to create calcium phosphate (6).

1 – Harada, S. I., & Rodan, G. A. (2003). Control of osteoblast function and regulation of bone mass. Nature, 423(6937), 349-355.

2 – Bogdanova, A., Makhro, A., Wang, J., Lipp, P., & Kaestner, L. (2013). Calcium in Red Blood Cells—A Perilous Balance. International journal of molecular sciences, 14(5), 9848-9872.

3 – Dhalla, N. S., Pierce, G. N., Panagia, V., Singal, P. K., & Beamish, R. E. (1982). Calcium movements in relation to heart function. Basic research in cardiology, 77(2), 117-139.

4 – Hawgood, S., Benson, B. J., & Hamilton Jr, R. L. (1985). Effects of a surfactant-associated protein and calcium ions on the structure and surface activity of lung surfactant lipids. Biochemistry, 24(1), 184-190.

5 – Berchtold, M. W., Brinkmeier, H., & Müntener, M. (2000). Calcium ion in skeletal muscle: its crucial role for muscle function, plasticity, and disease.Physiological reviews, 80(3), 1215-1265.

6 – Shanahan, C. M., Crouthamel, M. H., Kapustin, A., & Giachelli, C. M. (2011). Arterial calcification in chronic kidney disease: key roles for calcium and phosphate. Circulation research, 109(6), 697-711.