Calcium Health Benefits

| Modified on Dec 16, 2018

One of the most well-known nutrients, calcium plays an important role in bone health. However, this key nutrient has more functions than just one. Calcium also helps maintain cardiovascular health as well as muscle and nerve function, making it one of the most important daily nutrients.

What Is Calcium?

A chemical element, calcium is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. A soft gray alkaline metal, Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. As the element is found in a variety of foods, most individuals consume the nutrient daily; however, the majority of individuals do not get the recommended amount, which can lead to a variety of health concerns.

A vital nutrient, calcium is important for maintaining bone health as well as a range of other bodily functions. The nutrient functions to control levels of other nutrients including magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. Likewise, the element is also effective at regulating blood flow and nerve function.

Health Benefits of Calcium

In addition to its basic functions, calcium also treats and prevents a variety of health conditions. The nutrient functions to regulate the body and balance other nutrients as well as metabolic processes.

Calcium is an effective treatment option for such conditions as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and premenstrual syndrome. The supplement has also been identified as an effective preventative treatment for breast cancer, osteoporosis and muscular degeneration. Calcium has also shown effective in preventing a variety of other forms of cancer including colorectal and ovarian. Additionally, the supplement serves as an active participant in the function of nerve transmission and muscular mobility.

In addition to all of these health conditions, calcium has also been shown to regulate weight. When used in addition to a healthy diet, calcium may encourage weight loss.

As with any supplement, one of the most important factors to consider is moderation. When taken in appropriate doses, the supplement helps treat and prevent health issues ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer and obesity. Its range of health benefits have placed calcium among the most highly sought after supplements available today.




Apple Cider Vinegar for Better Absorption

Posted by Jjpatos (Bisman, Nd) on 11/15/2010

Yea! - After reading this recommend on earthclinic it occurred to me that I probably wasn't getting enough calcium. I'm a middle-aged woman who is allergic to casein so that rules out dairy and I had stopped taking OsCal since it hurt my stomach. I had a heel spur for at least 6 months, it was keeping me from exercise and slowing down my other activities plus it was painful. I read the recommendations for Heel Spurs here and increased my use of organic vinegar in my salads and daily foods but I don't drink it and I also purchased chewable calciums and started taking about 75% of my DR.

While I had always used vinegar on my foods, it increases absorption/bioavailability of calcium so I figured the two would be a good combo in my case. Within two weeks I was walking on that foot again in the mornings whereas before it took quite a while for me to be able to put weight on it. It has now been about 33 days and I can move about normally when I get out of bed, take walks and now instead of shooting pain in my foot when I get up and walk on it, there is just a mild discomfort. Thank you earthclinic and all the contributors! This is the third or fourth time something has worked for me!

Replied by Edward
(Lake Worth, Florida)
06/11/2013

I have a bone spur on my toe and a doctor suggests removing the joint and replacing it. I think not. I asked about just shaving it down, he said "it will only come back" apple cider vinegar sounds more appropiate.

Replied by Ann
(Illinois, US)
03/28/2015

http://www.askdrgarland.com/?p=3220

Famous newscaster killed by Calcium supplement

Excess Calcium could be Killing You

What killed Mr. Russert was a "plaque" rupture. A fatty, pimple-like lesion of plaque composed of fats, cholesterol and CALCIUM, residing in a coronary artery. The lesion burst and as the body attempted to repair it, a blood clot formed which blocked circulation to part of his heart muscle, causing a heart attack.

Unfortunately heart attacks happen all the time in the United States, impacting 1.2 million American's each year, killing nearly one-half at of all sufferers.

In Mr. Russert's case, the heart attack led to a second catastrophe, an abnormal heart rhythm that caused cardiac arrest and quickly killed him. An electric shock from a defibrillator might have restarted his heart if it had been given promptly when he collapsed at his desk. But it was apparently, tragically delayed.

A new meta-analysis research study published in the British Medical Journal on July 29th, 2010 proves that when calcium is taken alone, without it's "partner" biofactors, the calcium accumulates in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack!

A CT scan of Mr Russert's coronary arteries showed a dangerously high calcium score of 210, indicating artery disease. Healthy arteries do not have calcium deposits! Instead, the calcium is inside the bone marrow factory, where it should be, busy making strong bones, teeth, tendons, ligaments and muscles.


Calcium Content in Food

Posted by Connie (Manitowoc, Wisconsin, USA) on 08/15/2009

Editor,

Somewhere, I can't find the page, Ted said that potatoes have as much calcium as milk. What I am finding is that potatoes have about a tenth the calcium of milk. See Harvard University's site: https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Calcium_content_of_selected_foods.htm

Naturally I would like to know who is correct. Does Ted have access to high calcium potatoes? Is this another instance of soil depletion in the USA?

EC: The post you are referring to is here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/weight_gain.html#TED

Ted writes, ... "Since our food already has plenty of calcium, usually from vegetables, then magnesium is something we need more of. Very few people in fact know that an ordinary potatoes same serving has a lot more calcium then that of milk..."

Replied by Thomas
(Clemson, Sc Usa)
08/18/2009

The USDA Nutrient content amounts, including calcium, can be downloaded as pdf files from:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=17477

also, a site called bone builder lists calcium-rich foods at:
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/fcs/bb/highCalciumFds.html

Hope this helps.


Calcium Side Effects

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 11/15/2009

Hi everyone...Concerning Calcium, there is much research that I've read that would indicate that Calcium intake in the West is too heavily emphasized. The only period you really seem to need Calcium is in your growing years -- up to the age of 18. After that Calcium intake should be reduced. Much more attention should then be paid to Magnesium intake, which helps to regulate the Calcium in your body. This mineral is very important, and is involved in over 300 essential enzyme/catalytic processes in your body.

There is a tribe in Kenya (the name escapes me!!), on whom they did some research on Calcium. They found that the Calcium intake of this tribe was only 300mg per day. The normal daily RDA for Calcium is about 1000mg as recommended in the West. The results of this research showed that this tribe had virtually no heart disease and no arthritis. Another important fact here, the research team also found that the tribe had a very high intake of Calcium from their grain diets.

A research team also found that the incident of heart disease(HD) in Egypt was 10% of what it was in the West because, they concluded, the soil in Egypt was very high in magnesium salts. The Egyptian Fellahin peasant agricultural worker also had much lower incidents of HD than the population within the more westernized Egyptian cities, where more processed, western food is eaten.

If you have insufficient Calcium, you will always feel tired and run down. There is an important relationship between the calcium in your cells and calcium in your blood or plasma. The ratio should be be 1/10000 in this cell/plasma gradient relationship. Magnesium governs and regulates this ratio. If there is insufficient Magnesium to regulate the calcium in your body, then the concentrations of calcium within cells will be much higher, and the cells will have to continuously pump out the excess cell calcium to maintain proper gradient and balance. From research, a cell uses 30% of its total energy when pumping out calcium. Which is why your body feels so tired all the time if you have this lack of magnesium problem. Magnesium, in the proper amounts, should help to correct this.

If your calcium intake is not regulated with magnesium over the long term -- many years -- then deposits will form in outside tissues. Calcium deposits form significantly within the soft tissue cells like muscles and cartiledge -- particularly on the cell mitichondria which also become dangerously calcified. Magnesium has also been shown to correct this problem over time.

EC: This feedback is a cross-post from a thread on our calcium deposits page: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/calcium-deposits.html#RN_25222

Replied by Denise
(Us)
12/15/2018
50 posts

I think I'm getting enough calcium. I was about to buy some but read Bill's info.


General Feedback

Posted by Diana (Jacksboro, Tn/us) on 08/04/2011

Hi, Oh, I am so so glad I found you....Thank you in advance for your health and wellbeing support. I would like to know which one of the coral calcium formulas would you recomment??

Diana

Replied by William
(Chaiyaphum, Thailand)
09/19/2012

RE: Calcium. OTC Ca products are next to worthless. They are mostly Ca carbonate, cheapest, and most difficult to absorb. Ca citrate is better, a step in right direction. But, Ca lactate is best, highest quality, easiest to absorb. Best source: Standard Process, USA. Many chiropractors carry SP products. SP also has a Ca-Mg combo in correct ratio, called Cal-Mag. I would recommend it to anyone as a lifelong supplement.


General Feedback
Posted by Jordan (Houston, Tx) on 01/22/2010

Hi, okay..so I am 18 years old. I feel like my bones have been shrinking, or maybe they arent. I do seem to have smaller bones, like not thick and hard. So should i consider supplementing with calcium or magnesium??

Also I seem to get really confused on what type to buy. I remember reading not to get magnesium stearate or something but that always seems to be in the ingredients? So I would be awesome if someone could tell me which is which and which is best to use. Thank you.

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Philippines)
01/25/2010

Hi Jordan...I'm taking Magnesium at the moment. I'm 60 y o and I still have big and fairly robust bones(touch wood!!). My purpose in this regimen is to avoid the inevitable osteoporisis, arthritis etc that occurs in older age.

I've been taking both Magnesium Bicarbonate internally as well as Magnesium Sulphate (or Epsom Salts) externally for some time now.

According to Ted, we all eat too much Calcium anyway, so once you are over 18 -- and once your bones have grown and formed, you should not need extra calcium in your diet because everything is fortified with calcium these days and too much unregulated calcium can be harmful. Magnesium, as well as trace boron and iodine are also necessary for healthy bones and proper regulation of calcium both within the bones and within tissues.

Magnesium is also essential for women approaching or at menopause, magnesium helps to prevent bone erosion and shrinkage, osteoporosis etc. that can happen at this stage in a woman's life.

Here is my internal regimen:

I mix up a solution that consists of 1 litre of plain soda water(no additives) 3 tablespoons of Philips Milk of Magnesia(no aluminium) according to the recipe given at this website:

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f11/make-your-own-magnesium-bicarbonate-drink-tastes-sweet-46555/

Thus the Magnesium Hydroxide in the Milk of Magnesia is fully converted to Magnesium Bicarbonate, a very useful and healing form of Magnesium. As well, a large amount of bicarbonate ions is taken into your body which fortifies and gently alkalizes the intestines, as well as making cellular respiration throughout the body more efficient.

To this 1 litre MagWater mix I also add 3 teaspoons of natural seasalt 1/4(for male) or 1/8(for female) tspn borax(20 Mule Team Borax brand). To drink this mix, I pour out 1/10 of a glass with the Mag/Seasalt water, and fill it to the top of the glass with ordinary water. I drink this all slowly and take 2 glasses a day or every other day, depending on how I feel.

My external protocol using Magnesium Sulfate (organic Epsom Salts), consists of soaking my feet in a small amount of warm water in a bowl -- just enough to cover my toes so that the soles and heels of my feet are completely underwater. To this soak, I add 3 large tbspns of Mag Sulfate (Epsom salts), stir it in and soak my feet, absorbing the Mag sulphate thru the skin, for half an hour (You can also use 3 cups of Epsom Salts in your bath -- but this seems wasteful to me). This is a very quick way to increase your Magnesium levels, much quicker than smaller ingested doses. The first time I used this soak was at 9:00 at night. By 10 o'clock that night I was feeling tired and very relaxed (I never go to sleep before 12 at night), so I went to bed and had the best sleep I've had in years and I was up, wide awake and smiling at 6 am the next morning. I do this soak protocol religiously once a week now or if I have any aches and pains in my body, always works.

I also have an ordinary garden plant sprayer, with an 8 oz container that contains water, 1 tblsp Epsom salts, 1 teaspoon borax (20 Mule Team Borax). After I've had a shower and dried myself, I lightly spray most areas of my body, rub it all around and let it dry and be absorbed into my body. Oh, this also seems to stop or remove excessive body odours completely as well.

I also take kelp tablets for the minerals and iodine, to keep those pesky microbes at bay and to maintain a healthy immune system. As well, I regularly use Ted's alkalizing remedies -- Baking Soda 1 X lemon/lime (or 2 X tbspns ACV) -- which can be found on this website here:

https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/alkalizing_formulas.html

I've never felt better.

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Philippines)
01/26/2010

Jordan...Sorry, I forgot to answer your last question.

According to Ted, there are three reasons to take magnesium:

* As a laxative in the form Philips Milk of Magnesia(no alumnium). Here you take a fairly large concentration of Magnesium Hydroxide in solution, and due to the high pH, this draws out salts and water from your blood and creates looser stools and/or diarrhea. Used for constipation problems.

* As a supplement, Magnesium is used to replace your mineral electrolytic balance in your body and is an important mineral -- because it is used in over 300 enzyme processes within your body.

* Magnesium, in low concentrations and small amounts, can also be taken with food. This slows the passage of the food through the intestines, and therefore ensures greater absorbtion of nutrients from the food.

The best forms of Magnesium supplement are:

Mag Chloride
Mag Sulphate
Mag Citrate
Mag Bicarbonate
Mag Gluconate

The worst and most insoluble and unabsorbable forms of magnesium to take as a supplement are Magnesium Hydroxide and Magnesium Oxide -- these are only ever used as laxatives. Never buy this form as a supplement -- useless.

Further reading here:

http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=985360

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
02/19/2010

Hi...Just some final points concerning magnesium supplements.

As a general rule, you shouldn't really take mag supplements with food as they may not be absorbed well in the presence of other minerals like Iron, Calcium and Zinc which all compete for the same receptors for absorbtion into your body from the intestines. Which is why I always prefer creating my own Mag water to drink one hour before or two hours after eating a meal, to allow the magnesium supplementation in solution to be fully absorbed properly and completely.

Replied by Susie
(Las Vegas, Nv)
02/21/2010

Bill, I was wondering exactly what you put in your mag water. How much magnesium and what kind, to how much water ?

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
02/22/2010

Hi Susie...I use a Mag Water recipe from this link which works quite well:

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f11/make-your-own-magnesium-bicarbonate-drink-tastes-sweet-46555/

I've also started to take Magnesium Sulphate crystals -- 1/4 tspn in a half glass of water several times a day and nowhere near meals.

But the Mag bicarbonate is equally important for the bicarbonates it provides for your body.


Weight Loss

Posted by Alfred (Bangkok, Thailand) on 04/15/2010

I am 40 pounds overweight..My energy level is low since moving to Thailand about 1 1/2 year ago. Yes, if I walk one hour every day, my weight will go off(maybe).

I read something yesterday, that gave me a Spark.I thought of calcium for the bone.. I purchased calcium for my wife, for her bones.

Yesterday I read that 1000 to 1200 mg of calcium per day will burn your fat.. Not necessary to exercise. I exercise about 30 min per day..Not 1 hour. ALSO will give you energy.. kill two birds with one stone.

So here goes.. this morning I took 600mg of calcium.. and the same this afternoon.. i am feeling things happening inside of my system.. I will up date you every so often.. about my progress. Got my fingers and toes crossed.

Stay well my friends
alfred

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
04/16/2010

Hi Alfred...I have enjoyed your thoughtful posts concerning Hyaluronic Acid, which was a new and fascinating revelation to me.

Concerning your increased intake of calcium by supplement, I would be very wary of taking this mineral alone, in the amounts you state, without further supplementing with magnesium at least in equal amounts -- because magnesium helps to regulate calcium in your body.

Although I have no doubt that Calcium would help you lose weight, excess calcium can also lead to cellular acidosis, which can then lead to other more serious problems -- including problems with the heart(eg tachycardia or arrythmia or worse). Magnesium helps to regulate both calcium and potassium in the body, and is every bit as important as calcium. Last year, I had episodes of racing heart with leg cramps at night and taking magnesium completely cured these problems.

Since you know Ted, perhaps it would be best (if you don't believe me) to ask him about the dangers of excess calcium.

If you want to lose weight safely, why not consider just taking virgin coconut oil(VCO) as a supplement? As part of my successful protocol to get rid of my candida problem, I took two tablespoons of VCO throughout the day with my coffee(a tspn at a time). As a by-product, I lost close on 20 lbs doing this over a year period with little physical exercise.

Although VCO is a saturated fat, this oil is metabolised completely differently when compared to regular vegetable oils. Natural VCO is a medium chain triglyceride and no excess is stored in the body as fat(it is directly excreted by the liver), whereas vegetable oils are long chain triglycerides -- they are always stored as fats in the body.

I'm over 60 and I cook everything in VCO now -- I steer clear of all veg oils -- which are all chemically altered and heavily processed these days. Veg oils also oxidize quickly because they contain polyunsaturated fats whereas VCO is a saturated fat -- very stable -- so oxidizes slowly.

I cook everything in VCO now and my weight has stayed off, no aches and pains, never been healthier.

Replied by Alfred
(Bangkok, Thailand)
04/17/2010

Bill. thanks for the input..I was in Manila, 1945, Army

Re the calcium sup. Includ. Vit D.. If i take it for a month.. Could it hurt me in that short a time? Bill I know in 50 years I will be slender.. But to save my legs.. maybe lose a little weight now.

I am planning on seeing Ted next week..And get his opinion. That HA is good stuff.

Thanks for your suggestions,
Alfred

Replied by Dave
(Friend, Ne)
02/03/2012

I wish all of you folks, would realize that all good things come from the soil..... IF the soil is balanced. Our bodies like the soil can and do make one element into another, which proven in the book Biological Transmutations. A little bit of one thing is good enough for the body to "do its thing" and that is why the balancing of ours soils everywhere, is so important.

This "Earth Clinic" site is so great for the whole world, and it works hand in hand with soils. But these days of man-made fertilizers that are not good for our food chain hurt us in more ways than we can imagine. Check out this web-page www.acresusa.com, and do some reading. And thank God for this Earth-Clinic site! Regards, DN from Nebraska.

Replied by Timh
(Louisville, Ky, Usa)
02/04/2012
2063 posts

... And still the propaganda goes on; like in impoverished nations in Africa where there is overpopulation, malnutrition, unsustainable agriculture, depleted natural resources. So the smartest and wealthiest among us like Bill Gates, Bono understand that these people are suffering from lack of modern healthcare and vaccinations. Several of the pilot programs funded by these conventional humanitarians have failed utterly and now major reassessments are ongoing as these peoples power to procreate transcends all consequences of intervention. Yes, it is darn awful to witness such loss and suffering. And when one gets the guts to view the feudalism objectively and wait for the insight beneath the "surface of the mud" you can hear the merciless voice of nature say "I don't care, it makes no difference, now what of your altruism".

Replied by Margaret
(San Diego, Ca, Usa)
02/05/2012

Whoa, you had better do more investigation on the Gates foundation, they are behind population control. Their agenda is not that of God.

Replied by Timh
(Louisville, Ky, Usa)
02/07/2012
2063 posts

Margaret, sorry my post may not have been very literal so as to validate the fact that nutritional deficiencies caused by overpopulation and environmental degradation cause many diseases and premature death. The conventional humanitarians view these people as deficient in modern healthcare and vaccinations.