Products in Early Life Nutrition: Mineral Source

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is commonly associated with the formation and metabolism of bone. Over 99 percent of total body calcium is found as calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca10[PO4]6[OH]2) in bones and teeth, where it provides hard tissue with its strength. Calcium in the circulatory system, extracellular fluid, muscle, and other tissues is critical for mediating vascular contraction and vasodilatation, muscle function, nerve transmission, intracellular signaling, and hormonal secretion. Bone tissue serves as a reservoir for and source of calcium for these critical metabolic needs through the process of bone remodeling (Ross et al., 2011). The balance between bone resorption and deposition changes with age. In aging adults, particularly among postmenopausal women, bone breakdown exceeds formation, resulting in bone loss that increases the risk of osteoporosis over time (National Institute of Health, 2013).