Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 98
Different Kinds of Balance within Man’s Body 97 Hence God has provided man’s body with another protective system which keeps the balance of calcium in order. The factors responsible for maintaining the delicate balance in calcium are numerous and intricately interrelated. This monitoring and corrective system can be likened to the phrase in S u rah al- Shams, verse 9. Taqw a , in this context would mean, 'We have computed into the building material of life the instructions concerning the areas of dangers to be avoided, as well as the detailed instructions of how they could be avoided. ' Accordingly, the calcium balance also has many inherent monitoring systems constantly guarding over it and, whenever necessary, calling for remedial measures. The call is immediately responded to by the complex glandular system, which is well equipped with the necessary mechanism to create the supply of much needed remedies. A small amount of calcium is needed by the blood and soft tissues, the rest is stored in the teeth and bones. If calcium in the blood is in short supply, it is replenished from the store in the bones. The body adjusts its absorption rate according to the supply of calcium in the diet. A low dietary intake means the absorption is high, and a high intake means that the excess will be stored in the bones until an optimum is reached, then the absorption from the gut is slowed down. The presence of vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium. Hence, in tropical countries, even though the diet may be deficient in calcium, the