Prof. dr. Hristo Chomakov

The human body contains about 1,2- 1,5 kg calcium. 98% of this amount is stored in the bones, and 1% in the teethв. The rest of the calcium is in the fluids and cellular structures of the organism. A great part of the calcium in the bones is being restored constantly. Every day  700-800 mg calcium is lost and restored.

The major function of calcium is to provide the formation of the bones – it is the structural element responsible for their strength and density. At the same time, the mineral fulfills other essential organic functions – it takes part in the nerve stimulation and muscle contraction, as well as the activity of the cardiac muscle. When the amount of the daily intake of calcium with food is insufficient, the organism supplies itself with the element from the bones, under the strict control of the hormonal system.

The main source of calcium is food. The amount of calcium that goes through the intestines into the body fluids is the biologically absorbed calcium, used by the organism. The element is absorbed in different ways from different products. For example, the absorption of the calcium from spinach and cereal into the intestines is lower because of the content of oxalic acid in these foods. The full assimilation of calcium is made difficult in the case of diabetes or when certain medicines are taken. But the assimilation cannot be processed without the fat-soluble vitamins A and D.

Dairy foods contain most calcium and they have the highest degree of biological absorption of the element. In this respect, the yoghurt has great significance – not only is it with excellent taste qualities, but it also contains the greatest quantity of absorbable calcium.  The inclusion of yoghurt in the daily diet reduces the risk of osteoporosis and it is the most efficient prevention method against the disease. This is mostly true for people, who cannot digest the lactose from milk – 47% of them suffer from osteoporosis.

Today osteoporosis is a serious health and social problem for the community. It is characterized with progressive reduction of the bones mass and deterioration of its micro-structure – the bones get fragile and can be broken even after a minor bump. One of the risk factors for osteoporosis is age. As people age, the bone mass loss can reach up to 30-40 % for women and 20-30 % for men. Young people are also at risk because of the development of the skeletal system in this age. They need 1500 mg calcium daily, while research shows that with food they get 50-60% of this quantity. The regular consumption of yoghurt and diary foods is of great significance for the development of strong skeletal system and for prevention of osteoporosis.

It is found that calcium controls the blood pressure. There is a close connection between the biologically absorbed calcium, taken food, and the reduction of hypertonia. Undoubtedly, the maintenance of normal body weight is one of the main ways to control the blood pressure. In both cases the yoghurt is of good use. On one hand, it guarantees efficient quantity of calcium, and on the other - when having reduced fat content, it is the perfect low-calorie product for maintenance of normal weight.

Calcium also reduces the risk of large intestine cancer during the binding of the fat acids and bile acids from the food, as it prevents the irritation of the large intestine.

Latest research shows another positive effect of the element. Its high content in the food reduces the kidney stones formation. A quantity of 850 mg calcium daily is efficient for the effective removal of the oxalates from the organism, and it can be supplied by low-fat yoghurt.

Calcium is a reliable barrier against intestine diseases. It binds a large number of healthy microorganisms with the intestinal mucosa and forms a biological diaper. It is an excellent protection against pathogenic microorganisms, for which the specific lacto-bacillary yoghurt microflora of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus also has a certain influence.

From the above said it is clear that calcium takes part in a number of important physiological processes. A constant shortage of the element can lead to bad effects on the skeleton and the normal functioning of the organism. The every day intake of yoghurt, especially by people in the risk groups, has significant contribution to the improvement of the calcium status and prevention of a number of diseases. With every 100 g of cow yoghurt the organism gets 100-120 mg calcium, which makes the product an excellent source of that element, which is necessary for people of all ages. And this still is not appreciated enough, when it comes to human health.