Why Do You Need Calcium?
How the Parathyroid Glands Regulate Calcium
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Dr. James Norman is a parathyroid specialist and the founder of EndocrineWeb. In this video, he explains why our bodies need calcium—and what that has to do with the endocrine system.
The calcium levels in our body are regulated by the parathyroid glands. In fact, that’s all the parathyroid glands do: they monitor how much calcium we take in from the food we eat, as well as how much calcium is stored in the bones and how much is secreted by the kidneys. The parathyroid glands release parathyroid hormone to regulate the amount of calcium in the body.
When you have hyperparathyroidism, one or more of your parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone, which disrupts the body’s calcium levels. Hyperparathyroidism can make your bones release the calcium in them, making them weaker and more prone to fracture.
Also, if the calcium level in your body isn’t kept within a certain range, you will start to experience symptoms associated with too much calcium, including fatigue.
