Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body with nearly 95% located in the mineral matrix of our bones. Calcium is vital to human life- without it we could not have muscle contractions (voluntary movement). It is also necessary for mental functioning and blood clotting.

Calcium absorption is regulated by the endocrine system, but absorption of calcium can be impeded by many things in the diet: caffeine, fat, excess dietary fiber and alcohol. Excessive amounts of protein also impede calcium absorption as does cocoa (chocolate). Acidic foods and substances, such as vitamin C, enhance calcium absorption. There are also reports that calcium absorption has a diurnal variation - it is better after noon and before midnight.

The biggest source of dietary calcium is dairy. However if you are dairy-allergic, ingesting dairy will not improve calcium balance. Other important sources of dietary calcium are kelp, broccoli, kale and collard greens. Almonds and brazil nuts also contain calcium.

Because calcium and magnesium are so intricately linked, deficiencies of one or the other may result in the same symptoms. High blood pressure is one example - patients may be calcium or magnesium deficient or both resulting in hypertension.

Simply adding calcium back with supplements will not necessarily improve calcium status. What needs to happen is that the body's pH status determines whether or not calcium is deposited or used as a buffer.
Because calcium is the body's most abundant mineral, and it carries a positive charge, it gets used as a buffer when the body becomes acidic. Diets high in sugar and red meat cause excess acidity causing the calcium to "leach"out of the bones to balance the pH. The body's normal pH should be about 7.0-7.2. An effective way to check the body's pH status is to test the first voided urine pH in the morning using pH paper. It is impossible to correct a calcium deficiency (namely osteopenia or osteoporosis) without corrrecting the body's pH first.

In addition to correcting pH, Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in calcium metabolism and any supplement containing calcium should also contain Vitamin D. Fat malabsorption interferes with Vitamin D absorption so this can also affect calcium balance.

Many forms of calcium exist for supplementation: calcium carbonate (Tums), calcium gluconate, calcium phosphate. Most calcium is hard to digest - the most absorbably form I have found is another Peter Gillham product called Cal-Mag. It contains calcium/magnesium in a 2:1 ratio and is readily absorbed in the gut.
Peter Gillham's Calm available at: www.vitaminsthatwork.com
1-800-446-7462

Excessive calcium intake is dangerous since it impedes magnesium metabolism and can cause abnormal calcium deposits in the body.

While calcium deficiency is quite common, elevated calcium levels are dangerous and fortunately less frequent. Patients with elevated calcium levels need to be evaluated for the presence of a tumor or a problem with parathyroid hormone levels.

For a more complete listing of foods and their acidity/alkalinity content go to: http://www.rense.com/1.mpicons/acidalka.htm

For an excellent article on Osteoporosis go to: http://www.drlam.com/opinion/osteoporosis.cfm