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Calcium! How Much Do We Really Need?
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Calcium!
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Hello Friends!
This month's topic is on calcium and how much we really need. Quite a few people, especially women, are concerned that they aren't getting enough calcium and may wind up with Osteoporosis and other bone-related diseases if they haven't already. As always, I believe the increasingly high calcium recommendations are off-base. Keep reading to find out why...
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In America especially, there seems to be a growing obsession about getting enough calcium. This is in part due to misleading advertising and faulty diet, but also because of the millions of people currently suffering from bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteopenia. Even greater are those who are at risk for bone maladies, decreased bone density, and related fractures. Yet, these problems continue to grow unabated despite the increasing and enormous consumption of calcium supplements!
If so many people are taking calcium supplements, why are our bones not getting stronger? There are several reasons for this but first I'd like to emphasize that taking mega-doses of calcium is not the solution. In fact, taking too much calcium can lead to health problems such as kidney impairment, and arterial calcification - one of the leading causes of increased heart attacks and strokes according to John Morley, director of geriatrics at St. Louis University. It can also prevent the body from absorbing other essential nutrients, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc, as well as interfering with beta-blockers, certain anticonvulsants and antibiotics. Studies have also shown that there is an increased risk for prostate cancer when too much calcium is taken by men. Not only are we probably taking too much, we're also attempting to get our calcium from inferior sources such as coral, milk, enriched processed foods and dairy products. Coral calcium is actually derived from undersea coral beds. Common sense dictates that we don't naturally dive the ocean to get our calcium needs, especially from dead sea animals.
Additionally, diary sources are poor choices of calcium. Just like mother's milk is best for human infants, so cow's milk is best for baby cows, not humans. Fact: milk intake is higher in the U.S. than almost anywhere in the world, yet we have higher rates of osteoporotic fractures in this country. For example, Americans drink 3 times as much milk as the Japanese, but have a 2.5 times higher rate of hip fractures in the population. So much for the "cool" milk mustache!
Humans actually lack the enzymes necessary to break down and absorb calcium from animal, milk and dairy products.
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So, what is the best calcium to take? Answer: calcium from natural, non-dairy, plant-based sources. This includes legumes (such as black beans, navy beans, etc.), broccoli, Swiss chard, lettuces, kale, squashes, etc. In fact, nearly every fruit and/or vegetable has calcium in it to some degree and many are rich in it.
When it comes to supplemental calcium, the choices are numerous. These different forms vary greatly in their ability to be absorbed by the body and in their ability to increase bone density.
The latest data suggests that the best forms are plant-based such as: calcium citrate and calcium d-glucarate. These are much better utilized by the body than calcium oxalate and calcium carbonate (more commonly used and cheaper). The other major concern with calcium carbonate supplements has been the occasional contamination with lead and aluminum. I probably don't have to tell you which forms of calcium are in intraMAX, intraKID and intraMIN! :-)
Also, it's important to make sure vitamin D levels are normal. As I've mentioned before, I believe blood serum level testing of vitamins is outdated and inaccurate. If you've got too little in your blood serum that may be because they are where they are supposed to be - in your cells. Better is a metabolic cellular profile to determine vitamin absorption and utilization.
How much calcium do you actually need? This does vary somewhat individually, but we are advised to take a daily total dose of between 800 and 1,000 mg per day (this includes the calcium one gets from food). However, there are those (including myself) who feel even that number is too high. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends between 400 and 500 milligrams of calcium daily; half of the U.S. RDA.
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Some closing comments
All the Calcium in the world won't do you a lick of good unless there is a need for the body to lay down calcium and thicken the bones. Before the 20th century, nearly all women, with the exception of the very elite, were very physically active tending to their house and gardens. When the body senses a stress on the bone from physical resistance exercise, blood calcium is pulled out of circulation and laid down in the bone matrix. Without this exertion, there's no demand for increased bone strength and density and therefore the bones become soft and/or brittle. The old maxim is true: if you don't use it, you lose it.
The good news is that it's never too late to improve bone health. With good nutrition and supplementation, and daily brief, weight-bearing exercise such as dance, jumping, running and weightlifting, people of all ages can strengthen and keep bones strong resulting in longer and healthier lives.
And, while bone density can improve at any stage of life, the most critical time is during the pre- and early-pubertal periods. Regular exercise for children is the key to developing healthy bone structure and long-term injury prevention. Younger children and teens need at least an hour of physical activity every day that includes strengthening exercises. Adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day.
Thank you once again for reading!
Until next month, I remain yours in good health!
Sincerely,
Dr. Mike 214-707-3878 www.SomaHealth.Net |
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