Pg.no. 72
Phosphorus is a mineral that helps to build strong bones and teeth and helps to release
energy from food.
Taking high doses of phosphorus supplements for a short time can cause diarrhea or
stomach pain. Taking high doses for a long time can reduce the amount of calcium in
the body, which means that bones are more likely to fracture.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps turn the food we eat into energy and helps to make sure the
parathyroid glands, which produce hormones that are important for bone health, work
normally.
Taking high doses of magnesium for a short time can cause diarrhea, nausea,
vomiting, and abdominal cramping.
Longer term high supplemental intakes can cause drops in blood pressure, slowing
down of the heart beat or erratic beating, or cardiac arrest. Can also cause muscle
weakness and difficulty breathing, confusion, lethargy, affect balance or even coma
and death.
Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in our body as it's the major constituent of
bones and teeth.
Calcium is also required for muscle contraction and short term deficiency can cause
muscle cramps, stiffness and poor mobility.
It's important to have a good calcium intake in the bone-building years which are as a
baby and again from adolescence to about 30 years of age; especially important in
females. Insufficient calcium during these periods can lead to brittle-bone disease
(osteoporosis) when you're older where your bones break very easily. Post-
menopausal women should also have a good calcium intake to help slow the rate of
bone degeneration.
Although calcium toxicity is rare, symptoms may include fatigue, depression, muscle
weakness, kidney stones, constipation and spondylitis (rigidity and inflammation of
the spine).
Too much calcium can also limit iron absorption.
Sodium & Chloride