by: Louise Elcoat
Calcium is a mineral essential to all stages of life, age groups, and gender.
99% of the body’s calcium is stored in the bones and teeth. The remainder circulates in the blood for use by the muscles and nervous system. It is important to note that the body does not make its own calcium; it is obtained and absorbed from the foods in your diet. This will include supplements if you are taking them.
Calcium concentration must be kept constant, and if not enough is taken in to the body, calcium will be withdrawn from the store sites in your bones. The bones will gradually become less dense, losing some of their strength, which can then lead to osteoporosis (brittle, porous bones). Withdrawing calcium from the bones is the body’s way of keeping blood levels constant.
Men and women will naturally lose calcium from their bones as they age, but the rate of loss is much higher in women. Women who are experiencing menopause, will have a faster loss of calcium from their bones. A good store of calcium in the bones at the menopause stage of life, will assist a woman in keeping osteoporosis at bay.
A calcium rich diet for the first 30 to 40 years of your life is essential for building-up your calcium stores. This will put you in a good position for fighting off bone disease in later life.
Calcium is essential to the body for many functions including; maintaining healthy bones and teeth; muscle contraction, including heart beat regulation; maintaining a healthy nervous system; regulating blood pressure (aiding blood clotting); the fight against osteoporosis. Studies have shown that diets rich in calcium can help the body to manage fat cells by aiding the mechanisms that store fat in the body. The result can help with weight loss. Including foods rich in calcium can help create a feeling of fullness, which can help to prevent snacking in-between meals.
Factors that influence calcium absorption
Vitamin D: Obtained from the sun on our skin, and is prevalent in food items such as canned salmon, eggs, butter and margarine. Calcium can not function in the body without Vitamin D. This vitamin helps to regulate the absorption of calcium from the food we ingest.
Exercise: Weight bearing exercise is needed for optimal absorption of calcium into the bones. This can include, walking, aerobics, running, dancing, cycling, gardening, weights or even pushing a pram.
Protein: A high protein intake reduces calcium absorption. Recent studies indicate that while dairy products are a good source of calcium, their high protein content can interfere with the body’s ability to use the calcium ingested. It is best to obtain calcium from a varied diet, which includes non-dairy sources such as soybeans, almonds and salmon.
Hormones: Menopause sees a decline in oestrogen levels, resulting in a decline in the body’s ability to absorb calcium from your diet. The adolescence (teens) stage of life sees less calcium being absorbed due to the changes in hormone levels for both males and females.
Weight: Extreme thinness, (low body fat levels) or following very restricted diets will affect calcium absorption, and see withdrawal from the bones as the body struggles to maintain a constant level of calcium in the blood. This can lead to osteoporosis in later life, as the skeleton has not been given a chance to become strong.
And: High levels of Caffeine, Salt, Alcohol or Smoking will all reduce the amount of calcium the body can absorb from the diet.
Signs of Deficiency
A mild calcium deficiency can lead to insomnia, brittle nails, muscle twitching, irritability, and palpitations. Severe deficiency affects the muscular system – cramps, pains, numbness, stiffness, and depression. A deficiency of this degree can cause rickets in children. The most at risk are the elderly, those who avoid dairy products or other sources of calcium rich foods, those on high protein/high fibre diets, or when consuming large amounts of alcohol.
How much do you need per day?
Men 800mg
Women 800mg
Pregnancy 1100-1300mg
Children 1000mg
Sources of Calcium
Milk (250ml) 290mg
Fortified Low Fat Milk (250ml) 450mg
Yoghurt, 200g 380mg
Cheese, 25g 240mg
Almonds, 50g 125mg
Tahini Sesame Paste, 20g 190mg
Sesame Bar, 40g 115mg
Salmon, 100g 185mg
Sardines, 50g 455mg
Soybeans, 1 cup 130mg
Fortified Soy Milk, (250ml) 290mg
Tofu, 100mg 130mg
Oysters, 6 145mg
Broccoli, 100g 125mg
Baked Beans, ¼ cup 50mg
Figs, 5 135mg
Brazil Nuts, ½ cup 123mg
Peanuts, ½ cup 134mg
Chinese Kale, 100g 179mg
Special K, 30g 200mg
Mixed grain bread, 1 slice 112mg
Brown bread, 1 slice 15mg
Finally...The Truth About Calcium Supplements
by: Dr. Loretta Lanphier, ND, CCN, HHP
Undoubtedly calcium has become a hot topic of controversy. We are bombarded with advertising telling us exactly what will give our body more calcium. Between the “Got Milk?” slogans on one end and the Coral Calcium “cure-all” TV spots on the opposite end it is time that the truth be exposed. Let’s look at why we need calcium and then some signs of calcium deficiency.
How the Body Uses Calcium:
* Strong bones, teeth and gums
* Maintaining a regular heartbeat
* The lowering of cholesterol
* Helps prevent cardiovascular disease
* Needed for muscular growth and contraction
* Prevents muscle cramps
* Essential in blood clotting
* Helps prevent cancer
* May lower blood pressure
* May prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis
* Helps to activate enzymes which breaks down fats
* Maintains proper cell membrane permeability
* Helps keep skin healthy
* Protects against preeclampsia during pregnancy
* Can help reduce high blood pressure in pregnancy
* Protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this metal
Calcium DeficiencySymptoms:
* Aching joints
* Brittle nails
* Eczema
* Elevated blood cholesterol
* Heart palpitations
* High blood pressure
* Muscle Cramps
* Insomnia
* Nervousness
* Numbness in arms or legs
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Tooth decay
* Depression
* Hyperactivity
* Hives
* Psoriasis
“Got Milk?”…Are You Really Getting Calcium?
No way! The damage that this one slogan is doing to the health of Americans, especially children, is tremendous. Consider the following written by Robert Cohen (www.notmilk.com):
A publication in the February, 2003 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 77, No. 2, 504-511) clearly demonstrates that eighteen years of milk consumption did not prevent hip fractures for post-menopausal women.
How many subjects participated in the study?
A mere 72,337. As part of Walter Willett's Harvard Nurses Study, investigator Diane Feskanich performed statistical tests of significance for 18 years of data including dietary intake of calcium (dairy and supplements) to determine her findings.
The conclusion reached from this observational analyses, is that dietary calcium plays little or no role in preventing bone loss. Drinking milk does not prevent osteoporosis. A total of 603 hip fractures were analyzed. Scientists determined that milk consumption was in no way associated with hip fracture risk. The same conclusion was reached for total calcium consumption.
The Harvard Nurses study previously determined that there is no positive association between teenaged milk consumption and the risk of adult fractures. (American Journal of Public Health 1997;87). As a matter of fact, just the opposite was found to be true. Women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods suffered significantly increased risks of hip fractures.
In light of these findings, the dairy industry milk mustache campaign has been proven to be one enormous deception. Bones break because women eating the wrong foods create an acid condition in their own bloodstreams, which must be neutralized by available calcium. The body achieves balance by taking calcium out of its own bones. Ergo, people eating the greatest amount of total animal protein are the ones experiencing accelerated rates of bone loss. The same Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (1995; 61, 4) confirmed this truth:
"Dietary protein increases production of acid in the blood which can be neutralized by calcium mobilized from the skeleton."
Eighteen years earlier, as the Harvard Nurses study was just beginning, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1979;32,4) reported:
"Even when eating 1,400 mg of calcium daily, one can lose up to 4% of his or her bone mass each year while consuming a high-protein diet."
Why do you imagine that today's most recent study will not be publicized on tonight's 6 PM news, or headlined in your local newspaper? Because it lacks one critical ingredient. Cash. For a story to be released, it must be accompanied by paid dairy industry advertising. In this deceptively dangerous manner, most of us get our biased health information.
Milk? It does not do the body good.
Coral Calcium
How these people have been in business so long just amazes me! I used to get spammed at least ten times per day with advertisements suggesting that Coral Calcium cures just about everything!! I have often wondered just where the FDA police was during all of this hype.
Coral calcium is calcium carbonate and is no better than the calcium that is available in most drug stores or vitamin stores. What is calcium carbonate? Chalk! Put a piece in a glass of water and see how long it takes to dissolve…believe me, you will be there for longer than you care to know. Yes, you may get some benefit from it but it is not the most absorbable form of calcium and therefore not the most beneficial.
Ridiculous Claims:
It’s from the ocean: Not “everything” in the ocean is wonderful. Ever read about how polluted our oceans are? Enough said.
The people in Okinawa live longer and look younger: When doing research on this you will find that their longevity is more than likely contributed to their diet and stress-free life. There is no supplement that will ever take the place of good nutritional balancing.
Disease Cure-All: This is the one that makes me cringe. There has not been one study to back up any cure from taking calcium (any kind) alone. Yes, the body needs calcium to function properly, but calcium, by itself, will not cure anything! I do believe in disease elimination using natural methods but there is no magic bullet and no magic supplement. If a company is selling a product claiming a “cure-all” this should raise huge red flags.
Calcium Orotate—The Best From of Calcium Available
According to studies conducted by Dr. Hans Nieper (Germany) only Calcium Orotate penetrates directly through the cell membrane, delivering calcium to the interior of the cell where it is readily utilized.
Orotates are mineral salts of orotic acid — used by plants and animals to make DNA and RNA. Hans Nieper, a physician and dabbler in offbeat theories of gravitation, used orotates clinically prior to 1980. He thought that orotate salts, being neutrally charged, pass easily through cell membranes. In effect, orotate ferries the mineral atoms into cells and tissues, producing higher concentrations.
Nieper promoted orotates as treatments for nearly every ailment imaginable and was consequently ignored; most of his medical claims were never rigorously tested. But in certain applications — such as athletic performance — where his ideas have recently received scientific scrutiny, they have been found to work. Nieper may have been on the right track after all.
Dr. Nieper's theoretical explanations of the mechanisms behind his stunning success in the clinical application of sophisticated mineral transporters rely heavily on the concept of the fixed pore mechanism of active transport. The theory called fixed pore mechanism suggests that a carrier molecule, in this case Orotic Acid (B-13), is attached to the compound being transported. This research has lead to the creation of mineral chelates called orotic acid chelates, or orotates which offers a 20 fold increase in utilizing minerals.
Calcium orotate was used by Nieper to treat bone loss and pain due to inflammation or osteoporosis, high blood pressure, angina pectoris, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, retinitis, hepatitis, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, phlebitis and colitis. In addition, it is very effective against psoriasis, a scaling skin disorder. The long-term clinical tolerance and overall value of calcium orotate is far superior to other therapeutic calcium substances and to the so-called immune depressors.
Calcium Orotate is one of the three mineral transporters that is the most active in providing treatment for bone decalcification. Has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis, arteriosclerosis, retinitis, encephalitis and phlebitis, psoriasis, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and colitis. It can be very effective in re-calcifying the bone tissue following extensive radiation treatment of cancerous bone lesions.
Calcium Orotate tablets have been beneficial in:
1. Assisting with prevention of osteoporosis.
2. Helping to avoid muscle cramps.
3. Relieving the pain associated with disc problems.
4. Maintaining strong bones & teeth.
5. Keeping your heart beating regularly
6. Alleviation of insomnia
7. Helping the body metabolize iron
8. Reduced Stress
9. Increased alertness
We use Calcium Orotate along with the other orotates (magnesium, potassium, zinc and lithium) at Global Healing Center in a whole body, synergistic approach to eliminating disease. The results that we see using calcium orotate conclude that it is absorbed, transported and utilizied in the body better than any other form of calcium. It is time that the public knows the truth about calcium, its many benefits, why it is necessary and the best form available. Remember that he first step in getting healthy is always education and I believe that it is your right to know the truth about every hopeful treatment and prevention option available to you.
Undoubtedly calcium has become a hot topic of controversy. We are bombarded with advertising telling us exactly what will give our body more calcium. Between the “Got Milk?” slogans on one end and the Coral Calcium “cure-all” TV spots on the opposite end it is time that the truth be exposed. Let’s look at why we need calcium and then some signs of calcium deficiency.
How the Body Uses Calcium:
* Strong bones, teeth and gums
* Maintaining a regular heartbeat
* The lowering of cholesterol
* Helps prevent cardiovascular disease
* Needed for muscular growth and contraction
* Prevents muscle cramps
* Essential in blood clotting
* Helps prevent cancer
* May lower blood pressure
* May prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis
* Helps to activate enzymes which breaks down fats
* Maintains proper cell membrane permeability
* Helps keep skin healthy
* Protects against preeclampsia during pregnancy
* Can help reduce high blood pressure in pregnancy
* Protects the bones and teeth from lead by inhibiting absorption of this metal
Calcium DeficiencySymptoms:
* Aching joints
* Brittle nails
* Eczema
* Elevated blood cholesterol
* Heart palpitations
* High blood pressure
* Muscle Cramps
* Insomnia
* Nervousness
* Numbness in arms or legs
* Rheumatoid arthritis
* Tooth decay
* Depression
* Hyperactivity
* Hives
* Psoriasis
“Got Milk?”…Are You Really Getting Calcium?
No way! The damage that this one slogan is doing to the health of Americans, especially children, is tremendous. Consider the following written by Robert Cohen (www.notmilk.com):
A publication in the February, 2003 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Vol. 77, No. 2, 504-511) clearly demonstrates that eighteen years of milk consumption did not prevent hip fractures for post-menopausal women.
How many subjects participated in the study?
A mere 72,337. As part of Walter Willett's Harvard Nurses Study, investigator Diane Feskanich performed statistical tests of significance for 18 years of data including dietary intake of calcium (dairy and supplements) to determine her findings.
The conclusion reached from this observational analyses, is that dietary calcium plays little or no role in preventing bone loss. Drinking milk does not prevent osteoporosis. A total of 603 hip fractures were analyzed. Scientists determined that milk consumption was in no way associated with hip fracture risk. The same conclusion was reached for total calcium consumption.
The Harvard Nurses study previously determined that there is no positive association between teenaged milk consumption and the risk of adult fractures. (American Journal of Public Health 1997;87). As a matter of fact, just the opposite was found to be true. Women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods suffered significantly increased risks of hip fractures.
In light of these findings, the dairy industry milk mustache campaign has been proven to be one enormous deception. Bones break because women eating the wrong foods create an acid condition in their own bloodstreams, which must be neutralized by available calcium. The body achieves balance by taking calcium out of its own bones. Ergo, people eating the greatest amount of total animal protein are the ones experiencing accelerated rates of bone loss. The same Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (1995; 61, 4) confirmed this truth:
"Dietary protein increases production of acid in the blood which can be neutralized by calcium mobilized from the skeleton."
Eighteen years earlier, as the Harvard Nurses study was just beginning, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (1979;32,4) reported:
"Even when eating 1,400 mg of calcium daily, one can lose up to 4% of his or her bone mass each year while consuming a high-protein diet."
Why do you imagine that today's most recent study will not be publicized on tonight's 6 PM news, or headlined in your local newspaper? Because it lacks one critical ingredient. Cash. For a story to be released, it must be accompanied by paid dairy industry advertising. In this deceptively dangerous manner, most of us get our biased health information.
Milk? It does not do the body good.
Coral Calcium
How these people have been in business so long just amazes me! I used to get spammed at least ten times per day with advertisements suggesting that Coral Calcium cures just about everything!! I have often wondered just where the FDA police was during all of this hype.
Coral calcium is calcium carbonate and is no better than the calcium that is available in most drug stores or vitamin stores. What is calcium carbonate? Chalk! Put a piece in a glass of water and see how long it takes to dissolve…believe me, you will be there for longer than you care to know. Yes, you may get some benefit from it but it is not the most absorbable form of calcium and therefore not the most beneficial.
Ridiculous Claims:
It’s from the ocean: Not “everything” in the ocean is wonderful. Ever read about how polluted our oceans are? Enough said.
The people in Okinawa live longer and look younger: When doing research on this you will find that their longevity is more than likely contributed to their diet and stress-free life. There is no supplement that will ever take the place of good nutritional balancing.
Disease Cure-All: This is the one that makes me cringe. There has not been one study to back up any cure from taking calcium (any kind) alone. Yes, the body needs calcium to function properly, but calcium, by itself, will not cure anything! I do believe in disease elimination using natural methods but there is no magic bullet and no magic supplement. If a company is selling a product claiming a “cure-all” this should raise huge red flags.
Calcium Orotate—The Best From of Calcium Available
According to studies conducted by Dr. Hans Nieper (Germany) only Calcium Orotate penetrates directly through the cell membrane, delivering calcium to the interior of the cell where it is readily utilized.
Orotates are mineral salts of orotic acid — used by plants and animals to make DNA and RNA. Hans Nieper, a physician and dabbler in offbeat theories of gravitation, used orotates clinically prior to 1980. He thought that orotate salts, being neutrally charged, pass easily through cell membranes. In effect, orotate ferries the mineral atoms into cells and tissues, producing higher concentrations.
Nieper promoted orotates as treatments for nearly every ailment imaginable and was consequently ignored; most of his medical claims were never rigorously tested. But in certain applications — such as athletic performance — where his ideas have recently received scientific scrutiny, they have been found to work. Nieper may have been on the right track after all.
Dr. Nieper's theoretical explanations of the mechanisms behind his stunning success in the clinical application of sophisticated mineral transporters rely heavily on the concept of the fixed pore mechanism of active transport. The theory called fixed pore mechanism suggests that a carrier molecule, in this case Orotic Acid (B-13), is attached to the compound being transported. This research has lead to the creation of mineral chelates called orotic acid chelates, or orotates which offers a 20 fold increase in utilizing minerals.
Calcium orotate was used by Nieper to treat bone loss and pain due to inflammation or osteoporosis, high blood pressure, angina pectoris, multiple sclerosis, encephalitis, retinitis, hepatitis, arthritis, arteriosclerosis, phlebitis and colitis. In addition, it is very effective against psoriasis, a scaling skin disorder. The long-term clinical tolerance and overall value of calcium orotate is far superior to other therapeutic calcium substances and to the so-called immune depressors.
Calcium Orotate is one of the three mineral transporters that is the most active in providing treatment for bone decalcification. Has a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect on arthritis, arteriosclerosis, retinitis, encephalitis and phlebitis, psoriasis, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis and colitis. It can be very effective in re-calcifying the bone tissue following extensive radiation treatment of cancerous bone lesions.
Calcium Orotate tablets have been beneficial in:
1. Assisting with prevention of osteoporosis.
2. Helping to avoid muscle cramps.
3. Relieving the pain associated with disc problems.
4. Maintaining strong bones & teeth.
5. Keeping your heart beating regularly
6. Alleviation of insomnia
7. Helping the body metabolize iron
8. Reduced Stress
9. Increased alertness
We use Calcium Orotate along with the other orotates (magnesium, potassium, zinc and lithium) at Global Healing Center in a whole body, synergistic approach to eliminating disease. The results that we see using calcium orotate conclude that it is absorbed, transported and utilizied in the body better than any other form of calcium. It is time that the public knows the truth about calcium, its many benefits, why it is necessary and the best form available. Remember that he first step in getting healthy is always education and I believe that it is your right to know the truth about every hopeful treatment and prevention option available to you.
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