Calcium – Are you eating too much or too little?
Calcium – Are you eating too much or too little?
As you may be aware, I often suggest that my clients do a ‘hair mineral analysis’ test to check their mineral tissue levels. I find this a very useful test because it indicates each individual’s precise nutrient needs and which systems in their body may need support.
Interestingly, 95% of the hair samples I take show that the individual has high tissue calcium levels. Most people are relieved because they immediately think it means they are eating plenty of calcium and this may prevent osteoporosis. Interestingly it actually often means that they are not utilising their calcium properly and it is being ‘dumped’ in soft tissues such as the hair, skin, joints, arteries, lymph nodes, gallbladder etc, rather than your bones and teeth. When calcium is dumped in soft tissues, the individual may experience some of the following symptoms
- Joint stiffness
- Muscle cramps
- Dry skin / premature aging of skin
- Gall- or Kidney stones
In order to utilise calcium properly in your bones and teeth, your body may be deficient in other nutrients such as magnesium or vitamin D.
Osteoporosis
There is more calcium in the body than any other mineral and 99% of this should be found in your bones and your teeth. Your bones not only support your structure but also contain the reserve of calcium and other nutrients needed to maintain your correct blood levels.
Poor lifestyle habits such as smoking, eating a sugary diet, drinking lots of caffeine and/or alcohol, or eating excessive meat without the correct balance of vegetables can increases your need for calcium. Your body then strips this from your bones. Other factors that affect calcium utilisation include an overactive thyroid and adrenal glands, common medications such as antacids and certain anti-inflammatory drugs and foods such as rhubarb, spinach, chard, beet greens, grains, and cereals.
Most of us are aware that osteoporosis is characterised by a deficiency of calcium within our bones. Lack of calcium in the bones causes them to become weak, fragile and brittle. So, is this due to a lack of calcium in our diet?
Interestingly, there are certain cultures who eat very little calcium rich foods yet do not have osteoporosis. In our country, most of us consume excessive amounts of calcium, particularly in the form of dairy – ‘we almost have an epidemic of it!’ (1)
It is therefore vital to treat the individual’s needs rather than the disease.
References
(1) Riggs B et al (1987) Dietary calcium intake and rates of bone loss in women. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 80(4): 979-982 [Online] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC442335/pdf/jcinvest00094-0065.pdf.
Jurak Classic Whole Body Tonic – http://www.jctonic.com/include/minerals/calcium.htm.
Wood RJ, Zheng JJ (1997) High dietary calcium intakes reduce zinc absorption and balance in humans. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 65(6): 1803-9 [Online] http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/65/6/1803.full.pdf+html.
Murray MT (1996) Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements, New York, Three Rivers Press
