A Few Unknown Facts about Calcium

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Here are seven facts about calcium that you didn’t know but that will have a big impact on how you use it to get healthy.

Let’s dive in right now!

1. Calcium is a word from the Latin language.

Lime is known in Latin as calx or calcis. Calcium is extracted from limestone, marble, and chalk. Thus this makes sense. A significant amount of calcium is in the earth’s crust, making it the sixth most common element.

Due to its molecular structure, calcium can only be found in nature as a component of other elements called compounds. This is why calcium is almost always mentioned in compounds, such as calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium sulfate, etc. Due to its binding capabilities, calcium is used in manufacturing to remove oxygen, sulfur, and carbon from alloys.

2. Calcium absorption is hindered when the diet is high in animal protein and phosphorous-rich foods like soda and cow’s milk.

Consuming animal protein causes an increase in stomach acid, prompting the body to seek additional calcium to counteract the effect. This is especially true when the amount of bicarbonate in the body is low. That means the bones never benefit from the calcium used to neutralize the acid.

Soda pop (which contains phosphoric acid) and cow’s milk are both high in phosphorus, which has a harmful effect.

Because of the close correlation between osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) and phosphorous exposure, the condition was long colloquially known as “phossy jaw.” Bisphosphonates, a class of drugs produced from the element phosphorus, are often used for osteoporosis. These drugs artificially alter bone metabolism, weakening the bones and increasing their susceptibility to fracture.

As a result, the Osteoporosis Reversal Program suggests a diet focused on rectifying the widespread acid/alkaline imbalance that has emerged in modern times. To keep a good dietary pH, the Save Our Bones diet emphasizes calcium from plant foods, leading us to our next morsel of calcium knowledge.

3. Vegetable sources of calcium are more easily absorbed by the body than milk from cows.

Recent research directly compared the calcium absorption rates of kale and milk, and the results were unambiguous: the calcium in kale was absorbed at a rate of 40.9%, whereas the calcium in milk was absorbed in a rate of 32.1%. 1 The low oxalate level of kale makes it an excellent plant-based source of calcium.

4. Bone calcium is lost during sleep.

Calcium loss is greatest at night, and women lose more calcium when sleeping than males. There may be a nighttime parathyroid (PTH) level differential between the sexes, as suggested by research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

PTH is responsible for keeping tabs on blood calcium levels, and while women don’t produce more of it at night, males do.

5. Taking less calcium at a time is preferable.

Doctors often recommend taking thousands of calcium to cure osteoporosis, although the human body can only absorb about 500 milligrams at a time (more on this later). Spreading out your calcium intake throughout the day is recommended by the Osteoporosis Reversal Program since you require more than 500mg each day.

6. Calcium supports significantly more than simply your bones.

Calcium is essential for the health of your muscles and nerves and helps your brain talk to the rest of your body. Additionally, calcium is involved in blood vessel dilatation and dilation. Hence it plays a part in the circulatory system (vasodilation and vasoconstriction).

Further, calcium aids in the release of insulin and stabilizes and enhances the performance of several enzymes.

To sum up, calcium has far-reaching effects on how your body operates.

7. Significant health issues and unpleasant side effects have been linked to excessive use of calcium carbonate and other inorganic calcium sources.

Ironically, doctors typically recommend calcium carbonate, despite it being one of the least absorbable forms of this mineral. Calcium citrate is another inorganic calcium supplement often recommended by doctors.

Calcium carbonate is poorly absorbed by the body, especially when other synergistic minerals and vitamins (such as magnesium and vitamin D) are not eaten in enough quantities alongside the calcium.

That’s why it’s so risky to consume huge quantities of it all at once; all it does is raise your body’s total store of unabsorbed calcium. The body stores the excess calcium in bone and soft tissue, which can lead to hypercalcemia, kidney stones, and arterial blockage.

Excessive inorganic calcium consumption also has the potential to bring on symptoms including nausea, GI distress, constipation, exhaustion, and general weakness.

It has been hypothesized that calcium supplements cause kidney stones since calcium oxalate makes up the bulk of kidney stones.

However, as I’ve already indicated, dietary calcium does not lead to kidney stones. For one thing, the calcium found in natural sources is organic and hence readily absorbable by the body.

The Question Is, Should I Take Calcium Supplements, Right?

 Although it would be best to acquire all the calcium you need through diet.  Especially if bone development is a goal, this is rarely attainable. The key is to discover a calcium supplement that works for you, whether you’re trying to build bone, maintain bone, or prevent bone loss. Ideally, it would be bioavailable, organic, plant-based, and low in dose.