The right nutritional ratio between calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) is a fundamental requirement for the maintenance of eunutrition and a good state of health.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and 99% of it is contained in bones, while only 1% is distributed in soft tissues and in intra and extra cellular fluids.
The right ratio of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) to food is a fundamental requirement for:
- optimization of hydroxyapatite synthesis as a mineral substrate for bone calcification
- the monitoring of the activity of the Autonomous Nervous System (SNA)
- monitoring of thyroid activity and adrenal glands
Calcium and phosphorus compete with each other in intestinal absorption, therefore, excluding all external and subjective variables that intervene in this process, the absorption of alimentary calcium can be optimized or limited by the concomitant intake of alimentary phosphorus. Ultimately, the right ratio of calcium to phosphorus is essential to enable the processes of bone anabolism; however, if it is true that hydroxyapatite requires both one and the other oligole, it is equally true that calcium is undoubtedly the most deficient mineral (mainly due to the scarcity of food sources and other metabolically influential pathologies).
- Taking into account all the variables of the case, scientific research has shown that the right ratio between calcium and dietary phosphorus is: Ca / P = 3: 1 or 2: 1.
SNA consists of a set of endocrine glands that perform catabolic functions (sympathetic system) on the one hand and anabolic processes (parasympathetic system) on the other; in the case of hormonal imbalance or preponderance, blood changes in the calcium and phosphorus levels may occur. An excess of sympathetic hormones promotes calcium retention; on the contrary, the parasympathetic hormones would favor the phosphorus pool. The homeostatic equilibrium of SNA promotes a circulating ratio of circulating calcium and phosphorus of 3: 1 or 2: 1 (more precisely 2.6: 1).
Some trace elements (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus) also act as indicators of the correct metabolic functioning of other glands, such as the thyroid and the adrenal gland; for example, an excessive production of glucocorticosteroids and mineralocorticosteroids promotes the excretion of calcium (as well as magnesium) by altering the right circulating ratio between calcium and phosphorus. Not only that, it seems that the ANTAGONIZZI functional hyperthyroidism (like adrenal steroids) the function of the parathyroid glands promoting phosphorus retention compared to that of calcium.
The mechanisms related to calcium and phosphorus homeostasis are very complex and complex. As for nutrition, in the absence of pathologies, the adequate intake of these trace elements guarantees skeletal integrity by promoting the achievement and maintenance of optimal mineralization. Furthermore, the blood homeostasis of calcium and phosphorus indicates a good balance between the sympathetic system and the Parasympathetic system, and excludes the adrenal, thyroid and parathyroid secretory alteration (primary or secondary).
Bibliography:
- Levels of Recommended Nutrient Intake (LARN) - Italian Society of Human Nutrition (SINU)
- Functional medicine. The answer for the third millennium - M. Pandiani - New techniques - pag 44-45
