Are You Taking Too Much Calcium?

By Joan L. McDaniel                        December 18, 2013 Updated February 25, 2014

With the recent new coverage from editorials published in medical publications and recent studies about multi-vitamin supplements, I had an article published last April about the very subject. Now I am covering Calcium Supplements are they good or are they bad? I wonder if MSM (Main Stream Media) is listening?

Instead of Preventing, is this Supplement Causing Arthritis?

Osteoarthritis – Late Stage

Arthritis – an inflammation of one or more joints.  Where two bones meet that is a joint.  There are over 100 different types of arthritis. Arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage without cartilage bones rub together resulting in inflammation, pain and restrictive swelling and decreased movement. Bone free Jell-O All soft and wiggly

We all need Calcium –

But of What Kind – How Much is Too Much? We all need Calcium for our bones and teeth.  We all need strong healthy bones. Without bones we would be like an ameba or jell-o all soft and wiggly, without any locomotion. We would just be a blob sitting on the floor.

Bones need calcium plus about 34 other Vitamins and minerals to be healthy and strong.  These minerals can only come from nature.  The only form your body can absorb and use comes from nature’s herbs, plants, and vegetables.  These Vitamins and minerals cannot be supplied in a supplement form.  The calcium in cow’s milk is not easily absorbed nor does it have the 34 other minerals. Now the Dairy Industry won’t tell you that now will they? Milk was meant for baby calves not human beings, but that is another subject.

Food Producers promote Fortified Products

Modern Day advertisement propaganda promotes building strong bones by using vitamin supplements.  Labels on processed food products proudly show  “Calcium Added, Calcium enriched, Fortified with, or made with real milk” appear on such products as Antacid (Tums), Aspirin for women, Bread, Cereals, Cheeses, Chocolate Cocoa mix, Dairy products, Jell-O, Fruit Juices, Lactose Free Milk, Mixes for things like cake to potatoes, Orange Juice, Pudding, and Vitamin water just to list a few.

The most used Calcium Supplement is Calcium Carbonate and the Calcium found in milk is Calcium Phosphate.  Neither form of calcium is easily digested or absorbed by the human body’s digestive system. Read On.

The Calcium Lie

I have been reading several sources which indicate it is better for your health to forget the Calcium supplement, eat your vegetables which are naturally rich in calcium, and take Vitamin D, K2 and Magnesium supplements instead.

A recent British Study, many alternate independent researchers and a book by Dr. Thompson say taking Calcium supplements not only harm bones but may increase the risk of heart attack and actually cause the disease you trying to prevent.

 Dr. Thompson book The Calcium Lie

For the Skeptics

For those who think – “What now? One day Calcium is good for you the next it isn’t – Can’t they make up their minds?” All I can say is how many people do you know whose arthritis has improved since taking supplements and how many people seem to have gotten worse or have no change at all? How many have had pain only to cover it up with short term pain relievers.  The condition has not improved you are told “To live with it” and take your pain pills.

Big Pharma has gotten a lot better for Calcium Supplements are big money makers.

Contrary to popular believe THIS IS NOT THE STANDARD AGING PROCESS.

Osteoporosis – (“porous bones”, from Greek) a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture.  In osteoporosis, the bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced, bone microarchitecture deteriorates, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone are altered. Bones become overloaded with Calcium become brittle and can easily break. Contrary to popular wisdom, Osteoporosis is not caused by the decrease of estrogen levels in the body due to aging.

All I can tell you is;

I’m an LPN Nurse, I work in a nursing home I distribute on Doctors orders many a Calcium Vitamin Supplement and I haven’t see any bone density improve yet.   

Osteoporosis is a modern Disease

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2007 study has shown women who get calcium from plant sources have a higher hip and spine bone densities than women who took 1030mg’s calcium supplement per day. In other words — They have less broken bones —

It also found, intake of only 200mg’s (or ½ cup of Spinach) natural calcium achieves the greater bone density and decrease in broken bones as you age. Osteoporosis is a modern disease; the term was first used in the 1830’s in America.  There is no word for it in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) or Ayurvedic medicine.

Too much calcium makes bones brittle.  Brittle bones break easily.  Oh and don’t forget about the teeth!

Standard Propaganda

For years we have been told we need mega doses of Calcium with D or strong bones.  Recent reports now indicate that is not true.  Not only is that not true but mega doses have been found to cause heart attacks and clogging of arteries.

Your arteries may indeed be clogged by calcium not cholesterol

Now exactly where does your body store all that extra Calcium which it cannot digest?  Maybe it stores it in the Fat Cells and Tissues and arteries?

Let’s take a look at some of those Calcium Supplements

And let’s not forget those oversized vitamin supplement tables available as Over-the-Counter (OTC).

In case you don’t know what an Oyster shell is:

This is an Oyster Shell.  I think I can digest the Oyster much better than the shell

If you think more calcium or stronger calcium is better think again

Brittle bones break easily 

It’s not the calcium

Strong bones

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/osteoporosis/its-not-the-calcium.html

Dispelling the myth of calcium and dairy

Everyone knows that you need lots of calcium for strong bones, right?

Umm, maybe not.

Janice Stanger, Ph.D., demonstrates how to keep your bones strong.

A mom-daughter mythbuster team weigh in on how to prepare for permanent weight loss. Consuming calcium contributes relatively little to how much strength your bones have. That’s just garbage from the animal food industry.

Wrong kind of calcium

Now if that isn’t bad enough:

Most supplements give you the wrong kind of calcium

If you not getting too much then maybe you are getting the wrong kind. Most calcium supplements use Calcium Carbonate. This is a common form of calcium and the cheapest it is found in eggshells, rocks, shells of marine animals.  It is the least bioavailable. In other words it is a rock and your body cannot absorb a rock. Avoid the form of calcium at all costs.

The other source of calcium is cow’s milk.  Cow’s milk is Calcium Phosphate and you can’t absorb that any better than Calcium Carbonate.  But then where would the Dairy industry be?

Take a look at some of those food labels for what type of Calcium has been added.

Eight Types of Calcium

Calcium Carbonate – A common form of calcium and the cheapest it is found in eggshells, rocks, shells of marine animals.  This form of Calcium is the most prevalent but the least bioavailable.  In other words it is a rock and your body cannot absorb a rock. Avoid the form of calcium at all costs

Calcium Citrate – High acid base easier for the digestive system to break down than carbonate but cannot be absorbed by the system.

Oyster Shell Calcium – Made from the shell of an Oyster.  It is hard it protects an oyster.  We may want bones that hard but our systems just cannot break it down nor absorb it.

Calcium Gluconate – You need a very large amounts to reach calcium supplement requirements and your body has trouble breaking it down to absorb.
Calcium Lactate – Found is foods such as aged cheese and baking powder.  Most commonly used in antacids and added to fruits to extend shelf life.  It can be absorbed by the body.
Calcium Phosphate – This is the calcium that comes from cow’s milk. Tooth enamel and bones are very high in calcium phosphate.  But again it is hard for the body to absorb.

I wonder what the Diary Industry thinks about that?

Read the Health Dangers of Cows Milk from the following link

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-cows-milk/

Calcium Citrate Malate – Created by mixing calcium salt found in citric acid with malic acid.  It can be absorbed by the system.

Calcium Orotate – The most effective form of calcium supplement.   Calcium orotates are found in small amounts in all living beings. It is a primary mineral for the creation of bones and teeth, and fosters cellular communications. This form of Calcium is created by nature and delivers the calcium ion to the inner-most layers of the cellular mitochondria and nucleus.

The best source for vitamins is natural food from plants. There are plenty of food sources that provide most of the basic vitamins we need. A list of natural foods that provide calcium appears at the bottom of this article.

http://www.naturalnews.com/036650_synthetic_vitamins_disease_side_effects.html

Video (6:30):

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/page/11686.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/types-of-calcium-supplements/

Some Natural Food Sources for Calcium

Eating plenty of healthy, calcium-rich foods does not guarantee healthy bones and teeth. The following factors influence your calcium and overall health status:

1. Your body needs an adequate amount of vitamin      D to properly absorb calcium      through your intestinal wall. Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most      common nutritional deficiencies in industrialized countries.
2. You are not told this but your body also needs adequate      amounts of magnesium to help absorb calcium.
3. Taking synthetic iron and zinc supplements can inhibit      calcium absorption. Stress also takes calcium from your bones.

Link to Dr. Carolyn Dean interview with Dr. Joseph Mercola which is an update on magnesium.

Magnesium is the Missing Link to Better Health!

Dr. Dean’s website, DrCarolynDean.com,

One of her many books this one is a must read on Magnesium, The Magnesium Miracle.

Also see my article on Magnesium

Sources

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/08/magnesium-health-benefits.aspx?

http://drbenkim.com/nutrient-calcium.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/03/05/the-calcium-lie.aspx

http://lifespa.com/calcium-and-heart-health/

http://www.naturalnews.com/036650_synthetic_vitamins_disease_side_effects.html

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-cows-milk/

http://lifespa.com/about-lifespa/

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-QuickFacts/

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/types-of-calcium-supplements/