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Hello everyone,

When I think of calcium, two main points jump to mind. The first is its incredible utility in helping people with certain nutritional issues. (For example, it almost always works great for restless leg!) The second is recent controversies surrounding calcium (which form is the best to take? And does it precipitate into the arteries and cause blockages?). I wish to discuss calcium generally and relate my experience of how I have seen calcium work to what you may have read on the internet about calcium.

Did you know that there is more calcium in the body than all the other minerals combined?

Calcium is often deficient in our soils, and 49% of people don’t get enough calcium in their diet.

Clinically, calcium has many uses. Here are a few off the top of my head:

· Fevers, colds, flu—immune support in general

· Leg cramps and restless leg

· Tooth pain

· Neck, back, or joint pain

· Thyroid health

· …and more!

But we have to ask—are calcium supplements dangerous? (Because we may have seen this on the internet.)

There have been some observational studies that found an association between an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and calcium supplementation—but other studies did not find such a risk. Low calcium intake has been linked to cardiovascular disease too. (Read more about the studies here). What is going on here?

I can’t say I know for sure why these studies had such mixed observations about calcium. But I can say with high likelihood these studies did not take into account a few things about calcium that we know about in whole food nutrition. Let’s go over a few of these.

#1. Calcium exists in a balance in the body with other vitamins and minerals

The optimum ratio of calcium to magnesium intake is about 2:1. It would be very easy to throw off this ratio by supplementing with calcium and not magnesium.

The optimum ratio of calcium to phosphorus is 2.5:1 (or 10:4). This is also very easy to throw off by eating a junk food diet, or eating too many foods skewed toward high phosphorus and low calcium (like processed grains).

Along with Calcium, you also need enough vitamin D—we routinely test for vitamin D in our practice.

#2. Calcium absorption depends on the presence of sufficient stomach acid (HCl)

Speaking of minerals, let’s talk about how your body absorbs minerals by having enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach. (You know—that critical digestive juice that is suppressed by acid blockers/heartburn meds? This is the reason why people taking these meds become mineral deficient over time—here is just one of the many studies demonstrating this.)

We perform several assessments for digestion in our practice—muscle testing and blood testing—that help us make sure this vital function is being addressed in all patients as part of their nutritional program.

#3. Calcium supplements aren’t all equal.

I recently saw someone bring in a nice ad about coral calcium. The first ingredient in coral calcium supplements is “fossilized coral.” A fossil is basically a rock. Calcium mineral is found in the earth (and fossils) in the form of calcium carbonate. While this is a common form of calcium to take, I wouldn’t say it’s the best.

If you read my email about magnesium (you can read it here), you will see my opinion on forms of calcium is similar to different forms of magnesium—take an easily absorbable form that works well for you. I am partial to Calcium Lactate from Standard Process because I have seen it work well with my patients. That said, if you like another form—that’s fine (as long as it muscle tests well and it’s from a company that tests their supplements for contaminants. Some over-the-counter brands contain lead.)

I enjoyed reading this explanation of how calcium lactate is made.

As you can see, there are many factors to consider when it comes to calcium. In my opinion, a good quality, easily absorbable calcium supplement can be safe and effective (I wouldn’t want to be without it!) when taking the person’s entire nutritional picture into account. I hope you found this information useful!

Sincerely yours,

Laura Sheehan

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