Can Calcium Help With Blood Sugar?

Introduction

When wanting to balance blood sugar a little better most people look to alternate supplements like berberine, chromium, or even other plant extracts, however, did you know calcium can be supportive?

Calcium is a lesser known mineral that is required for blood sugar balancing, main reason because its main rap is for bones and teeth. That being said, when levels of glucose rise, it is taken up by beta-cells. Within the cells, glucose initiates a chain of molecular events that lead to calcium channel opening, allowing more calcium ions to flow into the beta-cells. As a result, calcium ions stimulate the release of insulin into the blood stream, meaning calcium is what helps with the stimulation of insulin at the pancreatic level. 

The Biochemical Basis of Calcium’s Role in Blood Sugar Control

Calcium isn't just a star for making our bones and teeth super strong; it also does an excellent job of ensuring our blood sugar doesn't go too wild. Whenever we munch on something sweet, and our blood sugar levels jump up, these remarkable cells, named beta-cells, spring into action and snatch up the sugar. But wait, there's more! Doing things like moving around a lot (that's physical activity), losing some extra weight, and, yes, getting enough calcium can all work together to help with something called insulin secretion. That's a fancy way to say they help our body use the sugar properly, keeping our blood sugar levels nice and steady. Scientists who do lots of research, like in systematic reviews and prospective studies (which are ways to study things over time), and even in observational studies (where they watch and see what happens), have found that all these things can lower the risk of getting type 2 diabetes and even some other not-so-great things like prostate cancer. So, grabbing calcium, staying active, and keeping our weight in check are all super moves for staying healthy!

Eating something sweet starts a fancy dance inside our body's cells, letting calcium join the party. This mineral is essential because it sends a signal to release insulin, like a helper checking blood sugar or blood glucose. But guess what? Scientists are finding out that losing a bit of extra weight and adding some calcium supplements could benefit this whole process. It's like giving our body a secret tool to help with glucose metabolism, which is how our body uses sugar for energy. These brilliant scientists did many clinical trials (which are a way to test if things work) and discovered that these tricks can also lower the risk of getting diabetes mellitus, a health problem when our blood sugar is too high. Plus, they found out it might help with how our body's fatty tissue, that's another word for fat, hangs onto fat and sugar. So, keeping an eye on our blood sugar, losing some weight, and considering calcium supplementation could be super helpful for staying healthy and reducing our risk of type 2 diabetes.

Let's brGlucose Uptake: When blood glucose levels rise after a meal, glucose enters the beta cells of the pancreas through glucose transporters (GLUT2 in humans).

1. Metabolism and ATP Production: Inside the beta cells, glucose is metabolized through glycolysis and the citric acid cycle, leading to the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
2. Closure of Potassium Channels: The increase in ATP levels causes the ATP-sensitive potassium channels on the cell membrane to close. Normally, these channels allow potassium ions to exit the cell, maintaining a negative membrane potential.
3. Depolarization of the Cell Membrane: The closure of the potassium ATP channels leads to a reduction in the outflow of potassium ions, causing the cell membrane to depolarize (become less negative).
4. Opening of Calcium Channels: The depolarization of the cell membrane opens voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), allowing calcium ions to enter the beta cells from the extracellular space.
5. Increase in Intracellular Calcium: The influx of calcium ions increases the intracellular calcium concentration.
6. Insulin Vesicle Fusion and Release: The elevated intracellular calcium concentration triggers the fusion of insulin-containing vesicles with the cell membrane. This process is mediated by various proteins that are sensitive to calcium levels, such as synaptotagmins.
7. Exocytosis of Insulin: The fusion of the vesicles with the cell membrane results in the exocytosis of insulin into the bloodstream.

In a nutshell, this is what happens:

Sugar goes into cells → More ATP is made → Certain channels close → Changes in the cell happen → Calcium channels open → Calcium comes in → Insulin packages merge with the cell wall → Insulin is released into the blood.

This process helps our body use sugar properly, keeping our blood sugar levels in check. Cool, right?

Are We Getting Enough Calcium?

The adventure we just explored shows how super important insulin is for making sure our blood sugar doesn't go on a wild ride. If our blood sugar shoots up, our body sends in insulin-like a superhero to bring it back down. And what plays a big role in signaling for insulin to do its thing? Calcium! But here’s the thing: we must ask ourselves if we're getting enough calcium to keep this process smooth. 

Doctors tell us we need about 1000-1200mg of calcium daily to stay strong and healthy. But, when we decide to munch on only plant-based foods or stick to a vegan diet, getting that much calcium from just what we eat can be a puzzle. We also have to be like detectives and watch out for sneaky things that make it challenging for our bodies to hold onto and use calcium correctly. For example, yucky heavy metals like lead or too much fluoride are not friends with calcium in our bodies. Also, having too much stuff that's usually okay, like phosphorus and salts (sodium and potassium), might make our bodies say bye-bye to calcium, and we need it to keep our bones rock solid.

Then there's more: chowing down on lots of plant stuff might bring in anti-nutrients, like robbers, such as phytates and oxalates that can latch onto calcium so our bodies can't use it well. Insufficient protein can make our tummies less tangy (less acidic), and that's a problem for how well our bodies can handle calcium. So, it's vital to consider our calcium status, what we eat, and what might be blocking our bodies from using calcium right. After all, keeping an eye on these things helps our insulin response, which is how our body reacts to sugar and can help keep insulin levels and insulin action in tip-top shape.

Conclusion

So, now we know that calcium isn't just good for our bones and teeth—it also plays a super important role in helping manage our blood sugar. When we eat, and our blood sugar goes up, our body uses calcium to help release insulin, which keeps our sugar levels in check. But getting enough calcium can be tricky, especially with more people eating plant-based diets. Plus, we must be careful about heavy metals and anti-nutrients that make it harder for our bodies to use the calcium we get. So, let's ensure we’re getting enough calcium and eyeing for things that might stop our bodies from using it right. It's a big part of keeping our blood sugar levels healthy and our bodies happy!

Do you need more calcium? Try an HTMA test with us to find out, or grab some Upgraded Calcium to get started right now! It's an excellent way to check if your body has enough of this super-important mineral.