Humans are designed to consume very high calcium diets however the average adult has a calcium intake of only a fifth to a third as much as people in the stone-age.
The US National Health and Nutrition Health and Examination Survey II shows an average calcium intake for American women of between 300mg and 508mg per day and only 680mg for men. Women and men over 50 need to consume at least 1200 mg per day from food and calcium supplements.
The most recent clinical research clearly points out that all of our diets are critically deficient in calcium and the only way to get enough calcium is through supplementing with calcium liquid supplements.
According to nutritionist and longevity expert, Dr Joel Wallach, if we don’t get enough calcium there are as many as 147 calcium deficiency diseases which can result – osteoporosis and arthritis being the most common and debilitating.
Other examples are: degenerative arthritis, high blood pressure, insomnia, kidney stones, bone and heel spurs, twitches and cramps, receding gums, tinnitus, spinal stenosis and prolonged clotting time.
If you are trying to get enough calcium from your diet, good luck…! Most people unfortunately believe that they can get sufficient calcium from drinking milk. This is not true – milk (as we buy it in the shops) is actually a poor source of calcium. This is because it contains high amounts of phosphorus and protein which make it difficult to absorb calcium and cause a lot of calcium to be excreted.
Here are the best dietary sources of calcium: yoghurt, cheese, beans, tofu, Bok Choy, broccoli, spinach and other green leafy vegetables. Check the packaging to see calcium content. The most ideal source of calcium is, of course, in the form of calcium liquid supplements.
Unfortunately the soils in which many of theses foods are grown are also deficient in calcium so even with eating the right foods it can be really difficult – almost impossible – to ‘eat’ enough calcium.
Foods which have a high phosphorus or fluoride content like in protein, soft drinks and many processed foods, can make things worse by increasing your requirements for calcium as well as causing you to excrete more calcium.
One final point the rate of loss of calcium for all those atheltes and people who sweat heavily is about two to three times higher than normal.
So while it is good to take in calcium from natural sources – it is highly likely that you are not getting enough and you should consider very high quality calcium liquid supplements – particularly if you are already showing signs of a deficiency.
What to Look for in a Calcium Supplement & Why Calcium Liquid Supplements Give You The Best Results
If you’re looking for a good source of calcium, we’d always recommend calcium liquid supplements along with a liquid mineral and multivitamin product. The reason for liquid is that all calcium supplements are not the same and calcium is very difficult for the body to absorb.
Avoid metallic sources of calcium in supplements, such as ground up rocks, i.e. oxides, carbonates, lactates, Tums, oyster shell calcium, or coral calcium. Your average source of calcium in a tablet form sold in drugstores and supermarkets is usually calcium lactate, calcium carbonate and you’d need to take almost 50 tablets a day to get your 1200mg.
The best source of calcium is calcium in liquid form (tri-calcium phosphate and calcium citrate) and any calcium supplement should also include magnesium, zinc, boron, as well as vitamin D. And calcium liquid supplements are far more absorbable than tablets.
Plant derived minerals contain a form of calcium and the other minerals mentioned above in a natural form that is over 98% absorbable.
If you are considering the dietary approach, here’s some more things to consider. First of all you need to increase your intake of calcium whenever you consume protein. When talking about this calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P) ratio, the ideal ratio is 2:1 Ca to P. To achieve this by eating food, you’d have to eat 25lbs of broccoli every time you eat a 16oz steak, and to get enough magnesium from food you’d have to eat 200lbs of spinach.
The only possible way to get the ideal ratio is to avoid as much as possible food items with high amounts of phosphorus, like processed meat and organ meat, sodas and most processed food.
You should also, at the very least supplement with plant derived colloidal minerals containing calcium in a highly absorbable form and calcium liquid supplements containing more absorbable forms of calcium such as tri-calcium citrate and calcium phosphate.
Other vitamins, minerals and trace minerals
While calcium supplements, particularly calcium liquid supplements are extremely important for healthy bones and joints and for a wide range of cellular functions, there are many other nutrients which are very important for your health and the prevention of diseases.
For Osteoporosis and related diseases, the most important bone minerals are calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and fluoride. Equally important is the balance between the minerals. Too much phosphorus or fluoride will create poor bone structure and most of us take in too much phosphorus in the form of processed foods and nearly all of us take in too much fluoride, especially in our water.
Magnesium is very important to help build strong bones because it helps the absorption of calcium. Equally important are trace minerals like boron and manganese. Dietary sources include green, leafy vegetables.
Vitamin D is needed for calcium to be absorbed and vitamin B6 works with magnesium to get calcium into the bones. The best source of vitamin D is direct sunlight on the skin. A few minutes a day is all we need.
Digestive Enzymes are also required for calcium to be incorporated into the bones. Enzymes also require magnesium and vitamin B6 to work effectively.
Collagen is a tissue that makes up the bone matrix. Minerals are then laid onto this matrix to build the bone. So without collagen you can’t have bone mass. And to build collagen you need vitamins including vitamin A (as beta-carotene), lots of vitamin C, protein (amino acids), minerals including copper, and a number of trace minerals including manganese. A good natural surce of collagen is gelatin – this will also contain chondroitin sulphate – an important building block for healthy bones an joints.
Summary
- Calcium is the most common mineral in our bodies and a majority of people fail to get enough calcium from their diets – this results in disease and it gets worse as we get older.
- Calcium liquid supplements and a number of nutrients play a very important role in preventing, treating and reversing osteoporosis and a number of related diseases.
- To build strong bones and bone matrix, we require a number of minerals, trace minerals, vitamins and protein in our diet. Calcium, along with multi-mineral and multi-vitamin supplements – are needed.
Paul Newland is a health writer, sports training consultant and martial arts instructor and runs the Global-Longevity.com [http://global-longevity.com/] website.
He is the author of numerous health information books and guides, including the Wellness Report, The Ultimate Arthritis Report, The Ultimate Nutrient Guide and The Healthy Exercise Guide – available Free through Global-Longevity.com [http://global-longevity.com/].
