Nutrition: Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium

• Optional Benefits: Strengthens bones and teeth, aids muscle contractions.
• Excess: Hypercalcemia (>10.5 mg/dL) and hypercalciuria (>250 mg/day for women, 275 mg/day for men).
• Deficiency: Hypocalcemia (<8.5 mg/dL) and low ionized calcium levels (<4.61 mg/dL).
• Sources: Dairy products, canned sardines and salmon bones, leafy green vegetables (e.g., kale, broccoli, Chinese cabbage).
• Recommendations: Consider calcium supplements.

Vitamin D

• Optional Benefits: Promotes bone health, muscle development, and growth.
• Excess: Nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, neuropsychiatric disturbances, excessive thirst, loss of appetite, kidney stones.
• Deficiency: Bone deformity, pain, dental abnormalities, and hypocalcemic seizures.
• Sources: Fatty fish, beef liver, egg yolks, cheese, mushrooms, milk.
• Recommendations: Get enough sunlight, eat a variety of vegetables, limit alcohol, and have a range of protein foods. Limit foods with added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. Check with a provider about medications.

Potassium

• Optional Benefits: Muscle contraction, nerve function, fluid balance, bone health, kidney function, and blood pressure.
• Excess: Usually asymptomatic, but can cause chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations.
• Deficiency: Not specified.

Vitamin K

• Optional Benefits: Blood clotting, prothrombin synthesis, maintaining bone density, and preventing calcification.
• Deficiency Symptoms: Petechiae and bleeding.
• Sources: Green leafy vegetables, eggs, and carrots.
• Recommendations: Newborns often receive an intramuscular injection. People taking warfarin should maintain a consistent intake of vitamin K-rich foods.

Vitamin E

• Optional Benefits: Stops the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), an antioxidant, protects cells from damage.
• Excess: Bleeding, vision impairments.

Cobalamin (B12)

• Optional Benefits: Development, myelination, central nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis.
• Deficiency: Low white and red blood cell counts, platelets, fatigue, palpitations, pale skin, weight loss, and infertility (symptoms may take years to appear).
• Sources: Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products.
• Recommendations: People on medications like gastric acid inhibitors and metformin should discuss vitamin B12 status. Those with B12 levels between 150-399 pg/mL should be checked for deficiency.

Iron

• Optional Benefits: Proper growth and development, creates hemoglobin and myoglobin, essential for hormones.
• Excess: Gastric upset, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fluid and blood loss, organ failure.
• Deficiency: Not clearly defined; no specific symptoms.
• Sources: Vegetables, fruits, grains (at least 5 whole grains), beef.
• Recommendations: Vegetarians need a higher iron intake. Avoid giving iron supplements to infants.

Folate (folic acid)

• Optional Benefits: Coenzyme in nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) synthesis and amino acid metabolism.
• Excess: Confusion, irritability, impaired concentration, nausea, bloating, gas, cramps, insomnia, skin rash, itching, breathing difficulties, increased Colorectal cancer risk.
• Deficiency: Weakness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, headache, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath.
• Sources: Vegetables (especially dark green leafy), fruit juices, nuts, beans, peas, seafood, eggs, dairy, meat, poultry, and grains.
• Recommendations: Adequate intake is crucial for teenagers and women who might become pregnant. Children and adults have different recommended daily amounts.

Test your knowledge on the benefits, deficiencies, and sources of Calcium and Vitamin D. This quiz covers the essential roles these nutrients play in bone health and overall well-being. Identify key recommendations for maintaining optimal levels and preventing excess intake.