Calcium Facts
- Most abundant mineral in the body
- 1.5 to 2.0% of our total body weight
- 99% of calcium is stored in the bones
As the most abundant mineral in the body, it has many functions:
- Building and maintaining bones and teeth
- Muscle contraction
- Blood clotting
- Hormone production
- Nervous system support
- Mediate constriction and relaxation of blood vessels
With calcium involved in so many processes of the body, it is very important to get enough calcium absorbed. Unfortunately, we don’t know we have been deficient until it has become chronic or long-term. Some symptoms of calcium deficiency can include:
- Numbness or “tingling” in the fingers, muscle cramps, lethargy, or poor appetite
- Confusion, convulsions, heart arrhythmias, dermatitis
- In infants, there can be delayed development
Conditions that are associated with a calcium deficiency are osteomalacia, osteopenia, and osteoporosis.
An excess of calcium can be a problem too.
- Interferes with absorption of other minerals, especially magnesium
- Kidney stones
- Constipation
- Soft tissue calcification
- Calcification of heart vessels
A toxic amount would be greater than 2,000 mg/day over an extended amount of time.
You can check this chart for the Recommended Daily Allowance for calcium. The best way to receive your nutrients is through food sources. I personally would rather eat my nutrients from real food versus swallowing a whole lot of pills. Food sources are going to be the most readily available source of any nutrient.
Sources of calcium include
- Milk, raw being best, goat milk better than cow milk. It is best if the milk has some fat in it
- Green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, bok choy; spinach, chard, and beet greens are high but also high in oxalates so the calcium will not be as readily available
- Nuts and seeds, especially sesame seeds
- Sea vegetables such as kelp, wakame, hijiki, and dulse
- Bone broth and mineral broth
- Oysters
- Herbs are another great source of calcium, and these include basil, savory, celery seed, cinnamon, marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary, and dill. Use these herbs to add flavor to your meals and calcium to your diet.
With all nutrients, absorption is very important. For calcium there are enhancers which include enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach, quality protein and fat in the diet, sufficient vitamins D3, K2, A, and C, and minerals magnesium, boron, and silicon. Calcium inhibitors are excess phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, fiber, and antacids. The standard American diet has many substances that actually deplete calcium from the body. These include sodas, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and sugar; stress and certain medications can also deplete calcium.
Calcium metabolism requires a balance with many other nutrients including protein (for most 20% of the diet), magnesium, vitamin K2, and vitamin D3. The best forms of calcium supplementation are calcium citrate or calcium glycinate; note that calcium carbonate, calcium oxide, and TUMS should be avoided as sources of calcium. It is also important that the calcium/magnesium ratio be either 1:1 or 1:2 for optimal absorption. Only 25% to 40% of calcium is absorbed from supplements, which is the reason it is best to get your calcium from food sources.
Do you think you get enough calcium from your diet? Will you adjust your calcium supplementation after reading this information?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather