Calcium is the most
abundant mineral in our body. We all know that it is important for the health
our bones but did you know it is essential for the function of the immune
system, muscle contraction, cell signaling, blood clotting, activating
certain enzymes, and nerve function? As an electrolyte, calcium helps
maintain a regular heartbeat and balances our pH.
Today, we will focus
on Grandma's bones as she has just been diagnosed with osteoporosis. The doctor
wants her to take a calcium supplement. There are seemingly endless forms of
calcium available in the stores: Citrate, carbonate, oyster shell, lactate,
gluconate, phosphate, coral calcium, dolomite, and bone meal, to name a few.
Which do you pick? How can you choose? Aren't they all the same?
Let's start by first
stating that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Living a healthy
lifestyle complete with a nutritious diet rich in organic greens fresh from the
garden is one of the best ways to fill our bodies with calcium and maintain our
defenses in preventing chronic or "aging" diseases like osteoporosis.
Humans get their
energy (and all their spare parts) from whole food. This is, after all,
the purpose of eating. Supplements of any kind must also originate
from a whole food source. Only food complete with co-factors, enzymes and
bursting in infinite complexities, can supply us with the building blocks of
life. Synthetic vitamins, those made in a laboratory, are lifeless inert
molecules and because they are not imbued with the "essence of
life" they cannot feed, heal, sustain, or repair our bodies. Synthetic
chemicals are no different than a pharmaceutical drug. They can only alter body
chemistry so that we perceive a different sensation.
That being said, in
terms of supplements, eliminating chemicals and fillers that have nothing to do
with Grandma’s bone formation or health in general becomes our next focus. We
must read the label. I would not buy any supplement that lists polyethylene
glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, talc, Sorbitol, MSG, soybean or corn oil (most
assuredly filled with GMOs), titanium dioxide, or artificial colors. None of
these items promotes health. They are included on the label as fillers,
binders, excipients, and marketing gimmicks. Basically, if the ingredient looks
and sounds like a chemical, don't use it. Magnesium stearate, parabens, microcrystalline cellulose,
and artificial flavors are a few more to shy away from.
Fractionalized
vitamins have food as its original source (and are therefore not considered a
synthetic vitamin) but the extraction process has eliminated all of the
synergistic co-factors leaving only the pure organic nutrient. You may see this
printed on the front label as vitamin C from Rose Hips but the ingredients list
says Vitamin C as ascorbic acid. The motivation behind this is to concentrate
the organic nutrient and thus increase the milligram levels for marketing
purposes. The problem with this type of vitamin is that they are only of value
to the body if all the associated
synergistic micronutrients are intact. Only then will it become bioavailable to
the cells of the body.
What about the source
of calcium itself? What should we look for there? The most common form of
calcium used in supplements is calcium carbonate. This form of calcium is
limestone, chalk dust. It is taken from the earth. Natural Law (basic
physiology) says that we humans are not designed to eat dirt so this form of
calcium is a poor choice. Our bodies need high concentrations of stomach acid
to break down this mineralized rock. The irony here is that calcium
carbonate is an antacid. It DECREASES stomach acid. This is the form found in
TUMS.
Calcium lactate is
calcium carbonate treated with lactic acid. This makes the calcium digest
easier as it is in a sense “pre-digested” or already broken down. However,
Calcium carbonate, whether in its original form or as lactate, is still rock
dust. Humans are not meant to eat rocks.
We need to exercised
common sense when it comes to eating rocks, egg shells, coral, or sea shells. Hard,
indigestible forms of calcium can result in serious adverse health effects. If
the calcium is not bioavailable, if the body cannot use the calcium, it will be
forced to store it in the tissues. This build up can lead to kidney stones,
hardening of the arteries, gallstones, bone spurs, dental plaque, cataracts,
cysts, and tumors.
Now that Grandma has
made her choice in supplements and has picked a whole food form, we must also
educate her on the reality of bone health. Calcium is a soft mineral. Though it
makes up the mass of bone, it is not necessarily responsible for its hardness.
That role is delegated to trace minerals such as boron, zinc, copper, silica,
manganese, and chromium. Phosphorus, potassium, essential fatty acids, vitamins
K, D, A, and C also play roles in directing calcium to its destination. If
Grandma is taking a calcium supplement without the addition of these
co-factors, she will not improve her bone density.
I am proud to
recommend http://www.phporder.com/?ID=ntaveras.
Tell Nicky that Dr.
Mark sent you.
