Calcium is an important part of forming bone tissue, a process known as mineralization. It also helps our muscles work right and our nerves to conduct signals properly. When we lack calcium, we can have more muscular tension, more stress, and more fatigues. The calcium paradox is that calcium can also calcification which can cause severe health problems.
Calcification
When there is an irritation or inflammation in the body, a calcification can grow around that area and it can cause a calcified mass to form. The size of theses masses very. If calcification happens in your joints you can end up with joint calcification and arthritis. This is also the process behind kidney stones and gallstones. When there is irritation in the blood vessels, calcium growth creates calcification in the blood vessels. That is a big part of how plaque forms in the body and that is how heart disease sets up. And this is why studies have shown that many vitamins cause heart attacks. In particular, vitamins that contain insoluble calcium will cause more plaque to form.
Dairy foods contain calcium carbonate which is a very dense calcium. It is this insoluble calcium that that may not help us as much as we’ve been led to believe. It has actually been shown that the cultures that have the highest dairy intake actually have higher rates of bone thinning. These cultures also have higher rates of arthritis and cardiovascular events. Although dairy delivers an impressive amount of calcium and we need calcium, you can see that we have a calcium paradox. In terms of supplements, the insoluble calcium would be calcium carbonate and also bone-derived calcium or coral-derived calcium. Those are all types that do not readily dissolve in water.
Soluble Calcium
As a generalization, soluble calcium is what we get from plant foods. It may be easy to overlook this wonderful source of calcium because leafy greens are a lot lower in terms of milligrams of calcium then you find in dairy. The good news is that even though plant based calcium contains fewer milligrams, it is much better absorbed, which is much more useful for the body. Getting plenty of calcium from leafy greens is a great way to solve the calcium paradox.
If stomach acid levels are high, most forms of calcium are soluble. But as people grow older, the need for a soluble form of calcium can become critical. The most absorbable form or calcium comes from adding the chelating agent malic acid to calcium citrate. The result is calcium citrate malate which is 10 times more soluble than calcium citrate. In terms of supplements, you do not need more than a few 100 milligrams of soluble calcium because it is more efficiently absorbed and is used more extensively for mineralization. Gravitational force in the form of weight bearing exercise is also essential and should be the foundation to a healthy skeleton. Don’t be afraid to exercise with some weight in a backpack if you have no disk disease or low back pain.
Vitamin D3 and It’s Role in Calcium Absorption
Turns out, the better our Vitamin D levels, the more we can regulate calcium. And the recommended form of Vitamin D is Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 helps make sure that calcium mineralizes and does not calcify. The most natural source of Vitamin D3 is sunlight. If you eat meat, you can also get Vitamin D3 from organ tissue. If you do not get out in the sun much, or eat organ tissue, than you may want to consider taking a Vitamin D3 supplement.
If you take Vitamin D3 in supplement form, you may also want to track your levels. Current Vitamin D3 guidelines suggest 50 – 75 mammograms per mil is a good range for optimal health. People are different in terms of how much Vitmain D3 they need to take to achieve that range. Average is about 5,000 to 10,000 units. There are some people that need less and some that need more, but it is good to watch and that will help your body to make good use of calcium.
Vitamins K2 and Vitamin C
Vitamin K2 is also critical for appropriate calcium absorption. It also plays an important role in removing calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be like your arteries and soft tissues. There is also a relationship between Vitamin D and Vitamin K2. If you’re taking vitamin D, you’re creating an increased demand for K2. Vitamin D and K2 work together to strengthen your bones and improve your heart health. Leafy greens contain both of these important vitamins.
In addition, to Vitamins K2 and D, you should also make sure you’re getting an adequate amount of Vitmain C. In addition to being a power antioxidant, Vitamin C does several things to strengthen bones.
- It mineralizes the bone and stimulates bone forming cells to grow.
- Prevents too much degradation of bone by inhibiting bone absorbing cells.
- Is vital in collagen synthesis.
Magnesium
Our bodies also need magnesium to utilize calcium appropriately. Magnesium is something that most of us are low in unless we are very strategic about our diets or we are supplementing with it. Some studies have shown that among people who have reported to emergency rooms, half or more are significantly deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is important for heart health as well as bones.
One of the densest food sources of magnesium are Adzuki (or Aduki) beans. Another good source of magnesium are almonds and pumpkins seeds. And once again, leafy greens also contain magnesium. You can read more about magnesium here: http://sharonledwards.com/magnesium-a-vital-nutrient/
If you are going to take a supplement to solve your calcium paradox, you can review the best selling brands here: http://www.labdoor.com
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