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While calcium is most often thought of in the context of building strong bones and teeth, its role in the body extends far beyond that. Likewise, the sneaky signs of calcium deficiency involve changes that have nothing to do with your bones.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn addition to providing rigidity and strength for the skeletal system, calcium is also essential for the contraction and relaxation of muscles, including the heart, nerve signaling between the brain and the rest of the body, blood clotting, the contraction and dilation of blood vessels to help blood move through the body, and the release of enzymes and hormones,\u201d explains Brynna Connor, M.D.<\/a>, a family medicine physician in Austin and a healthcare ambassador at NorthwestPharmacy.com.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Brynna Connor, M.D.<\/a>, a family medicine physician in Austin and a healthcare ambassador at NorthwestPharmacy.com; Gbolahan Okubadejo, M.D.<\/a>, a spine surgeon and head of The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care in the New York City area.<\/p>\n Read on to discover everything you should know about calcium deficiency, including who is at risk, the most common signs, and when you should give your doctor a call.<\/p>\n How common is calcium deficiency?<\/p>\n \u201cCalcium deficiency is a major problem as it affects up to 3.5 billion people in the world. Almost half of the U.S. population doesn\u2019t get enough calcium from their diet alone,\u201d says Gbolahan Okubadejo, M.D.<\/a>, a spine surgeon and head of The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care in the New York City area. According to the National Institutes of Health<\/a> (NIH), the recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,000 milligrams (mg) for adults up to age 50 and 1,200 mg for women over 50 and men over 70.<\/p>\n \u201cThe major factor that contributes to calcium deficiency is inadequate calcium consumption in our diet,\u201d Dr. Okubadejo says. Calcium must be ingested, so not eating enough calcium-rich foods<\/a> like dairy and leafy greens can contribute to a deficiency. \u201cPeople who are lactose intolerant, have milk or dairy allergies, or are vegan are also at an increased risk,\u201d notes Dr. Connor. \u201cA calcium deficiency can also be a result of malabsorption, caused by gastrointestinal issues such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), in which the body isn\u2019t able to adequately absorb calcium.\u201d Dr. Okubadejo adds that overconsumption of caffeine, sodium, or alcohol may also reduce the body\u2019s ability to absorb calcium from food, as can simply getting older, which is why older adults (especially postmenopausal women) have a higher risk of calcium deficiency.<\/p>\n Finally, vitamin D deficiency<\/a> and hypoparathyroidism can also contribute to calcium deficiency. \u201cVitamin D improves absorption of calcium in the small intestine,\u201d explains Dr. Connor, so not having enough of it can prevent adequate amounts of calcium from being taken up by the body. Hypoparathyroidism, meanwhile, is an endocrine disorder that affects the parathyroid glands and causes abnormally low blood calcium levels, Dr. Connor says.<\/p>\n Sneaky signs of calcium deficiency<\/p>\n While calcium deficiency can present as issues with your bones, there are other ways it can manifest. Here are the most common ones.<\/p>\n Numbness or tingling in the hands and feet<\/p>\n Dr. Okubadejo says that feelings of numbness or tingling in your hands and feet is actually the most common sign of calcium deficiency. According to the Journal of Contemporary Medical Education<\/a>, adequate levels of calcium block the sodium channels in the body that prompt nerve impulses like numbness and tingling. When you don\u2019t have enough calcium, these impulses can be sent more frequently than they should be. Tingling may also be experienced around the mouth.<\/p>\n Muscle aches or twitching<\/p>\n \u201cSome patients complain of muscle aches and cramps or muscle twitching, especially in the face,\u201d says Dr. Okubadejo. These symptoms are caused by the same mechanism that results in numbness and tingling.<\/p>\n Weakened and\/or brittle bones<\/p>\n Yes, prolonged calcium deficiency can affect your bone health. \u201cIn severe cases, some patients may have brittle bone manifesting as osteopenia or osteoporosis,\u201d Dr. Okubadejo says. However, there are other factors that contribute to osteoporosis, including age, sex assigned at birth, family history, hormone levels, medication use, and other health conditions, according to the Mayo Clinic<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dry, scaly skin or brittle nails<\/p>\n In addition to dry skin and brittle nails, fragile skin that tears easily and slower wound healing may also be signs of calcium deficiency, says Dr. Connor. Research<\/a> shows that calcium plays a key role in maintaining a healthy skin barrier and renewing new, healthy skin cells, so a deficiency may contribute to thinner or rougher skin.<\/p>\n Irregular heartbeat<\/p>\n Calcium deficiency can cause abnormal cardiac rhythms, says Dr. Okubadejo. That said, the NIH<\/a> notes that hypercalcemia, or excessive calcium levels, may also cause heart arrhythmias, so it\u2019s important to consider this symptom in the context of others you are experiencing.<\/p>\n Neurologic symptoms<\/p>\n