Aug
Calcium plays an important role in maintaining nerve and muscle function, normal coagulation and the formation and repair of teeth and bones. A long-term calcium deficiency is linked to degenerative diseases such as calcium deficiency disease hypocalcemia, osteoporosis and osteopenia.
MYTH: Increase your calcium intake with more dairy foods
FACT: Dairy Foods do not provide much calcium
Calcium is available in the diet in many forms. However, through the years we have been led to believe that to increase our calcium intake, we should eat more dairy foods. This is not the case. We know that the absorption of calcium from dairy products is relatively low, and that it can be far more readily absorbed from certain fruits, vegetables and legumes where it is present in smaller amounts.
Calcium and Magnesium are required to be in balance, and excess or deficiency of magnesium can also inhibit bone formation, due to its close relationship with calcium. At the right levels, magnesium will encourage the formation of bones. The balance between these two minerals is crucial and is reflected in their effect on the muscles. Calcium stimulates muscles, whereas magnesium relaxes them. An excess of calcium if ingested in the chemical calcium supplements, produces symptoms that resemble magnesium deficiency.
Did You Know? Chemical Calcium Supplements Can Carry Side Effects
Chemical calcium supplements can carry side effects, such as encouraging the development of kidney stones, but because Wise Owl Food State Calcium is treated as dietary food calcium by the body, it is utilised in the building and repair of bone, and will be excreted if it is not needed – instead of stored as undesirable, misplaced deposits, such as kidney stones, or other calciferous growths.
This difference in effectiveness is partly because most chemical calcium supplements use calcium carbonate as a base, because it is least expensive. Unfortunately, it has become clear that it is of very little use to the body, as its absorption rate is only slight with as little as 5% of the essential value in some cases. Indeed, high doses not only don’t work, but can result in the serious side effects already described above.
What Affects Calcium Absorption?
Some of the substances that may reduce calcium absorption and the reserves stored in the body, can be a high intake of maize, peanuts and soybeans – modest portions are always advised. Large intakes of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, anti-histamines, high dietary fibre intake, white sugar (called sucrose) and soft sugar drinks also affect the absorption of calcium. Pasteurised foods and beverages, high intake of table salt, tetracycline and tobacco smoke can lower our absorption of calcium in the body too. Deodorant or antiperspirants that contain aluminium, aspirin, fluoride, dental amalgam (fillings) and paracetamol can also have an influence on how much calcium our body absorbs from food.
Did You Know? Calcium – The Facts
- AGE: Bone mass calcium begins to decline after the age of 35 and people between 50 and 65 only absorb about 50% of the calcium in food. People aged over 65 only absorb about 30% of the calcium in food. Additional calcium is advisable for post-menopausal women as generally calcium absorption is lower.
- DIGESTION: People who experience digestive systems problems should be aware that digestive system problems can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb calcium. People who have a low content or production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach called Hypochlorhydria, have been found to only absorb less than 5% of the actual calcium.
- DOSAGE: Considering taking even higher doses of the chemical calcium supplement may not be the best idea as higher levels in the cell can promote early ageing and damage to the bones and cells.
- FEMALE HEALTH: Some women who experience the anxiety form of pre-menstrual syndrome could consider reducing the intake of the chemical forms of calcium supplements often called “natural”. Some chemical forms of calcium may deplete reserves of magnesium which is important for proper nerve function and bone formation. Cystitis can sometimes be the result of chemical calcium supplements.
Shocking Revelations for Milk Drinkers
Drinking milk may not protect our bones from fractures – and could even increase a person’s risk of dying from heart disease, according to a major new study in Sweden. In surprising results, an investigation into dietary habits of more than 100,000 people found that those who drank more milk were no less likely to break a bone. Among women, higher milk consumption was actually linked to an increased risk of hip fractures. Even more strikingly, people who drank more than three glasses of milk – around 680ml – per day, were more likely to die over the course of the study, which tracked 60,000 women for 20 years, and 45,000 men for 11 years.
Are You Taking Calcium Supplements?
The world’s most common form of calcium supplement is calcium carbonate. This can be called ‘natural’ because it is found in nature, in the ground or as part of rocks, shells etc. Is calcium carbonate found in fruits and vegetables – NO. All products of nature are natural, but not all natural products are foods. Calcium carbonate may be natural because it is found in limestone, chalk and oyster shells, but it is certainly not a ‘natural food’. Calcium carbonate is in fact a combination of two chemicals (40% calcium and 60% carbonic acid). This means that 500mg of calcium (as a calcium carbonate supplement) contains 200 mg of actual calcium and 300mg of carbonic acid. With calcium absorption of less than 5% this means that a person will receive 12 mg to 15mg of actual calcium. Unfortunately, what many people do not realise is that calcium carbonate is associated for some people with unpleasant side effects that include spots, constipation nausea, headache, nausea, diarrhoea and flatulence. People who experience kidney, heart or blocked bowel problems are advised not to consume this form of calcium. This chemical form of calcium supplement is also associated with the formation of gallstones.
How is Food State Calcium More Beneficial?
Food State Calcium mirrors nature’s pattern of requiring a very small amount to be highly and sufficiently absorbed. It is noteworthy that fruits and vegetables are mostly about one tenth of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) and the key reason for the very high RDA for chemical calcium carbonate or gluconate supplements is that these common chemical calcium supplements only deliver a small percentage of the 500 mg, 100 mg or even 1,500 mg.
The dosage of Food State calcium supplements is much lower because it the amount absorbed by the body is not hindered by the carbonic acid. Food State calcium has high levels of absorption that research has found to be effective in providing solid and evident support that Food State Nutrients help to balance the body’s nutritional requirements rather than disrupting the body’s mechanisms. The higher doses of chemical supplements (often called natural – but never found in fruits or vegetables) tend to disrupt body systems, creating unwanted symptoms and potentially larger health risks.
Wise Owl’s Calcium Supplement is in a food state, whole food matrix allowing the calcium to be better absorbed and utilised by the body where it is needed most. This helps eliminate the unwanted side effects often caused by the standard calcium carbonate supplement, such as nausea, flatulence and constipation. Vitamin D, vitamin K & magnesium are key nutrients needed to retain and utilise calcium in the body. You might also be interested in our Joint & Bone Support supplements.
Disclaimer: The information in this document is not intended to replace orthodox medical treatment. The information offered in this document is offered as additional complimentary information.
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