Calcium + Vitamin C

1. CeeCal Product Knowledge
Training

2. Topics
 Introduction to Vitamins & their
Functions
 CeeCal Product Information

3. Introduction to Vitamins
 Essential for healthy growth, vitality and
physical well being
 Vital for the normal functioning of our
bodies.
 They occur naturally in minute quantities
in foods and generally must be obtained
from these foods or from dietary
supplements.
 13 major vitamins which each have a
range of functions in the body.

4. Classification
 Fat soluble
 Vitamins A, D, E and K
 Certain amount of fat is needed in the diet to
help the body absorb these vitamins.
 Unused supplies can be stored in the body.
 Water soluble
 The B group vitamins and vitamin C
 They cannot be stored in the body so we need
a daily supply of them from the diet.

5. Origin
 Vitamins are simply organic constituents of food
 They combine with the proteins, minerals and
enzymes within bodies to bring about the
chemical reactions to create energy, form living
tissue and protect cells from damage.
 Deficiencies in one or more specific vitamins can
leave humans open to various forms of sickness
and disease.
 Only a few are manufactured inside the body.
 Vitamin D is manufactured in the skin from
sunlight, while a few others can be made inside
the gut by resident bacteria.
 All of the other vitamins can be found in foods

6. Factors increasing needs for Vitamins
 Various lifestyle habits such as smoking and
consuming alcohol
 Environment hazards like pollution, various forms
of stress; emotional or physical.
 Elderly, because of their decreased food intake
and also their heavy use of conventional
medications
 Pregnant women, teenagers, people who are
dieting, those on medication (especially the
contraceptive pill), those who eat too many
convenience foods or ‘junk’ foods, and fussy
eaters.

7. Overdosage
 Except for a very few, vitamins are relatively safe
to take in large quantities.
 Those that have the potential to become toxic
need to be taken in extremely large doses and
over a very long period of time before they do so.
 Vitamin A for example must be taken in excess of
10-20 times the RDA and over a considerable
period of time before it produces symptoms of
toxicity, and even then the symptoms are
reversible.
 Beta-carotene provides an excellent way of
obtaining the benefits of Vitamin A, as the body
requires it.

8. Vitamin C
 Vitamin C is important for the production
of collagen, connective tissue and protein
fibers that give strength to our teeth and
gums, muscles, blood vessels and skin.
 Food sources
 Vitamin C can be found in fruit and
vegetables such as citrus fruit,
blackcurrants, strawberries, tomatoes,
potatoes, peppers as well as fortified
drinks

9. Vitamin C
 Importance
 In the immune system, vitamin C helps
the white blood cells to fight infection.
 Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron.
 It is believed that the so-called
“antioxidant” properties of vitamin C help
protect the body from the harmful effects
of too many free radicals.

10. Vitamin C
 Deficiency
 Leaves the person more susceptible to infection
 Makes wounds slower to heal and can lead to
bleeding gums, irritability and muscle wasting.
 A severe deficiency of this vitamin leads to scurvy
 Some groups of people may still have low levels
of vitamin C
 Those who eat a lot of junk food and miss out on
fresh fruit and vegetables
 Heavy drinkers
 Smokers: cigarette smoke increases the breakdown
of vitamin C.
 NB: Pregnant and breast feeding mothers have
increased requirements for vitamin C.

11. Vitamin C - Kinetics
 Vit C is a water-soluble vitamin.
 It is rapidly absorbed from the GIT
and widely distributed in the body.
 Plasma concentration and total body
store is related to daily uptake.
 It is excreted in the urine.
 The body stores up to a maximum
of 2.5 g.

12. Vitamin C - Indications
 Vitamin C is a compound that is necessary for
proper growth and health.
 It is needed in small amounts only and is usually
available in the normal foods that are ingested.
 Vitamin C is necessary for wound healing.
 Vit C plays a major role in many oxidative and
other metabolic reactions essential for formation
and stabilization of collagens, conversion of folic
acid to folinic acid, synthesis of adrenal steroids
and catacholamines.
 It is very important for maintenance of
intracellular tissue.

13. Vitamin C - Dosage
 Daily intake required:
 Infants and Children: Birth to 3
years of age = 20 mg
 4 to 10 years of age = 25 mg
 Adolescent and adult males = 25-40
mg
 Pregnant Females = 30-40 mg
 Breast-feeding females = 55 mg

14. Vitamin D
 Food sources
 There are only a few foods, which
contain vitamin D.
 These include oily fish, fish oils,
butter and eggs.
 Some foods, like margarine,
evaporated milk and breakfast
cereals are fortified with vitamin D.

15. Vitamin D
 Exposure to sunlight
 Unlike other vitamins, we can actually make
vitamin D in our bodies as a result of exposure
to sunlight, providing the necessary starting
materials are there.
 Generally, about fifteen minutes of direct
sunlight per day gives the vitamin D needed
 Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be
stored in the body
 Vitamin D is vital for general well being and, in
particular, for healthy bones and teeth.

16. Vitamin D
 Exposure to sunlight
 Unlike other vitamins, we can actually make
vitamin D in our bodies as a result of exposure
to sunlight, providing the necessary starting
materials are there.
 Generally, about fifteen minutes of direct
sunlight per day gives the vitamin D needed
 Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be
stored in the body
 Vitamin D is vital for general well being and, in
particular, for healthy bones and teeth.

17. Vitamin D
 Deficiency
 A deficiency of vitamin D in children can lead to
rickets (bones are not formed correctly because the
lack of vitamin D does not allow enough calcium to
be absorbed)
 Adults who are deficient in vitamin D may suffer
from osteomalacia (thinning of the bones).
 A lack of vitamin D may also prevent adequate
adsorption of calcium and contribute to Osteoporosis
 Vitamin D is important throughout life. Since it is
necessary for calcium absorption,
 With age, bodies are not able to absorb vitamin D or
make it in the skin so efficiently.
 Older people with a good regular supply of vitamin
D and calcium may be less likely to suffer fractures
due to brittle or thinning bones. They should eat
more foods rich in vitamin D

18. Calcium
 The mineral that makes up bones
and keeps them strong.
 99% percent of the calcium in the
body is stored in bones and teeth.
 The remaining 1% is in the blood
and soft tissues and is essential for
life and health.
 Without this tiny 1% of calcium,
muscles wouldn’t contract
correctly, blood wouldn’t clot and
nerves wouldn’t carry messages

19. Calcium
 Sources
 From the calcium in diet
 From the calcium in bone
 It is mainly dietary calcium that spares, or
protects, the calcium in bones.
 In addition to their structural role, bones are
the emergency supply of calcium.
 The body actually tears down and builds bone
all of the time in order to make its calcium
available for body’s functions.
 In lack of sufficient dietary Calcium, the body
automatically takes it from bones.
 In years, bones become weak and break easily.
This leads to the crippling bone disease called
"osteoporosis."

20. Calcium
Dietary Reference Intakes
Age Group
(DRI)
0 - 6 months 210 milligrams/day
6 - 12 months 270 milligrams/day
1 - 3 years 500 milligrams/day
4 - 8 years 800 milligrams/day
9 - 18 years 1,300 milligrams/day
Adults 19 - 50
1,000 milligrams/day
years
Adults 51+ years 1,200 milligrams/day

21. Calcium
 Sources in diet
 Calcium-rich foods such as low-fat
and No-fat dairy products,
broccoli, kale, and salmon
 Fortified food with calcium,
including fruit juices, snack foods
and breakfast cereals

22. Calcium
 Calcium supplement: carbonate, citrate or
lactate forms
 Calcium carbonate is inexpensive and
provides more elemental calcium than
other supplements - such as calcium
citrate and calcium lactate
 Should be taken with meals. It may be
better absorbed with food
 In divided doses throughout the day.
The body can absorb only so much
calcium at one time

23. Calcium
 Calcium importance with age
 From birth until about age 18, bones are
forming and growing, as children grow, it is
equally important that their diet remain
calcium-rich
 During late adolescence, through young
adulthood, adult bone is formed and reaches its
maximum strength and density
 Bones continue to accumulate calcium and
become stronger after growing stops.
 The calcium provided to bones in youth
determines how well they will hold up later in
life.
 By age 35 bones are about as strong as they
are ever going to be

24. Calcium
 No matter what age a woman is when she
becomes pregnant, calcium is very important to
both the mother and the baby.
 Calcium from the mother’s body is used by the
developing baby, putting increased demands on
the mother’s supply.
 Additional calcium should be consumed for both
the mother’s and baby’s health.
 In the Journal of the American Medical
Association, there is evidence that increasing
calcium intake can help maintain normal blood
pressure in pregnant women.
 Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure is a
serious complication that can put both mother
and child at risk
 When a woman enters menopause, her body
produces much less estrogen.

25. Calcium
 Loss of estrogen increases the risk of
osteoporosis.
 It is so important to take steps to protect from
osteoporosis by getting enough calcium every
day
 Recent studies have shown estrogen plus daily
calcium is up to three times more effective in
building bone than estrogen alone
 Men are also vulnerable to osteoporosis and
need to consume adequate calcium through
their older years to prevent further bone loss,
and in their younger years to achieve peak
bone mass

26. Calcium - Overdosage
 It’s very difficult to get too much calcium
 Any excess which the body cannot use is
excreted from the body in the urine and stool
 Daily consumption up to 2,500 mg has been
shown to be safe.
 Additional calcium intake may actually lower
risk for kidney stones
 Restricting calcium intake could increase the
risk of stones
 The largest study ever conducted on calcium
and kidney stones, published in the New
England Journal of Medicine in 1993, and
another published in 1997, showed that daily
calcium intake above 850 mg decreased the
incidence of symptomatic kidney stones.

27. Recommendations for adequate
calcium and vitamin D intake
 The National Institutes of Health Consensus
Conference on Osteoporosis recommend the
following calcium intake:
 800 mg/day for children ages 1 to 10
 1000 mg/day for men, premenopausal women,
and postmenopausal women also taking
estrogen
 1200 mg/day for teenagers and young adults
ages 11 to 24
 1500 mg/day for post menopausal women not
taking estrogen
 1200mg to 1500 mg/day for pregnant women
and nursing mothers

28. Recommendations for adequate
calcium and vitamin D intake
 The total daily intake of calcium should not
exceed 2000 mg
 The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute
of Medicine recommended the following
vitamin D intake:
 200 IU daily for men and women 19 to 50 years
old
 400 IU daily for men and women 51 to 70 years
old
 600 IU daily for men and women 71 years and
older
 For patients with established osteoporosis, the
recommended dose of vitamin D is 400 IU twice
a day.

29. Precautions
 Excessive vitamin D leads to elevated blood
calcium levels, which can cause significant
toxicity.
 Symptoms of vitamin D toxicity include loss of
appetite, nausea, vomiting, thirst, excessive
urination, muscular weakness, and in severe
cases, coma.
 Consequently, intake should not exceed 1000
IU daily.
 While adequate calcium intake and vitamin D
levels are important to maintain bone strength,
they are not always sufficient to fully protect
against the rapid bone loss that can occur
around the time of menopause.
 Estrogen replacement therapy, and medications
that strengthen bone may also be necessary

30. Calcium and Vitamin C
 Calcium metabolism is very much affected
by Vitamin C intake
 For patients who suffer from calcium
overload, larger amounts of Vitamin C are
an effective part of the daily regimen to
keep calcium soluble and prevent it from
calcifying soft tissue
 Low stomach acid levels are involved with
elevated calcium as well, for which higher
Vitamin C intake is also beneficial,
however acidifying strategies are
additionally required in most of these
cases

31. Calcium and Vitamin C
 Normal amounts of Vitamin C increase
bioavailability of average calcium levels,
while very high intake puts extra
demands on calcium stores (bone) to
make up calcium loss
 There are a lot of people whose copper
and zinc levels are excessively high, so
Vitamin C becomes the ideal candidate
because it is capable of lowering both
 Large amounts can at the same time
significantly reduce calcium levels to the
point of seriously accelerating bone loss

32. Vitamin B6
 Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that
exists in three major chemical forms:
pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine.
 It performs a wide variety of functions in
your body and is essential for your good
health.
 For example, vitamin B6 is needed for
more than 100 enzymes involved in
protein metabolism.
 It is also essential for red blood cell
metabolism.
 The nervous and immune systems need
vitamin B6 to function efficiently.

33. Vitamin B6
 Hemoglobin within red blood cells
carries oxygen to tissues. Your body
needs vitamin B6 to make
hemoglobin. Vitamin B6 also helps
increase the amount of oxygen
carried by hemoglobin. A vitamin B6
deficiency can result in a form of
anemia that is similar to iron
deficiency anemia.

34. Vitamin B6
 Vitamin B6, through its involvement in protein
metabolism and cellular growth, is important
to the immune system.
 It helps maintain the health of lymphoid
organs (thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes)
that make your white blood cells.
 Animal studies show that a vitamin B6
deficiency can decrease your antibody
production and suppress your immune
response.

35. Vitamin B6
 Vitamin B6 also helps maintain your blood
glucose (sugar) within a normal range. When
caloric intake is low your body needs vitamin
 B6 to help convert stored carbohydrate or
other nutrients to glucose to maintain normal
blood sugar levels.
 While a shortage of vitamin B6 will limit these
functions, supplements of this vitamin do not
enhance them in well-nourished individuals.

36. When can a vitamin B6
deficiency occur?
 Vitamin B6 deficiency can occur in individuals
with poor quality diets that are deficient in
many nutrients.
 Symptoms occur during later stages of
deficiency, when intake has been very low for
an extended time.
 Signs of vitamin B6 deficiency include
dermatitis (skin inflammation), glossitis (a sore
tongue), depression, confusion, and
convulsions.
 Vitamin B6 deficiency also can cause anemia.
 Some of these symptoms can also result from a
variety of medical conditions other than vitamin
B6 deficiency.

37. What is the health risk of too much
vitamin B6?
 Too much vitamin B6 can result in
nerve damage to the arms and
legs. This neuropathy is usually
related to high intake of vitamin
B6 from supplements, and is
reversible when supplementation
is stopped.

38. CeCal Product Information

39.  CeeCal is presented as effervescent
tablets (10 tabs per tube)
containing the following ingredients:
 Calcium Carbonate 625 mg USP
(equivalent to 250 mg elemental
calcium)
 Vitamin C 1000 mg USP
 Vitamin D 200 IU
 Vitamin B6 5 mg

40. The End
Thank You