One of the most common things I see in the clinic is deficiencies in all the major minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium (not table salt), phosphorus and sulfur.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is absolutely critical to build strong, dense bones throughout life including teeth. It is also critical for heart function, regulating blood pressure, muscle exertion, lowering risk of cancer and diabetes, the release of neurotransmitters, and regulating cholesterol levels. Calcium is needed to control levels of magnesium, phosphorus and potassium in the blood, all working together to balance one another.
The recommended daily amount of calcium per day is 1200mg for both men and women. Are you getting this amount per day?
Do yourself a favor and keep track of your food consumption and how much calcium is in all of the foods you eat over the course of a day and a week. Also, do not get calcium from drinking cow’s milk because of how atrocious it is for health.
When calcium levels in the diet are low, our parathyroid gland emits a hormone that causes us to release calcium stored in our bone. This is one of the major contributing factors to bones issues in the elderly including broken bones, osteoporosis and osteopenia (low bone mass). Impaired gut function can also be a factor.
Some of the most prominent symptoms of low levels of calcium include muscle aches, pains, and cramps, fatigue, dry, itchy, red skin (all skin disorders), feeling of pins and needles, irritability, asthma, allergies, thinning hair or hair loss, developmental growth delays in children, insomnia, headache, improper blood clotting. Menstrual blood contains 40 times the amount a calcium as regular blood. So excessive menstrual flow will deplete the body of calcium very quickly. Consumption of refined sugar (including white wheat and white rice) is one of the biggest contributing factors to heavy menstrual flow (longer than 5 days). Growing pains in children can be the result of Calcium deficiency as well.
Calcium deficiency also can reduce memory and recall ability. Brain fatigue/fog, boredom, lack of patience, fatigue, indifference, disgust for life, ill-temperament, and lack of warmth for people also can be the result of calcium deficiency. Those with a deficiency of calcium can be more defensive and impatient due to how grounding calcium is as a mineral.
One of the main villains that throws off endocrine balance and calcium balance is refined sugar. The first sign of a calcium deficiency is dental cavities. Cavities affect over 90% of adults in the USA. In addition to people not consuming enough calcium, refined sugar leaches it from the body. 17% of the average adult’s diet in the USA is composed of refined sugar. This creates massive depletion of calcium in the body.
Abundant calcium emotionally gives us courage and the power to follow through with things. It makes the will stronger while building strength and endurance.
Signs of excess calcium will result in someone being earthy, blunt, hard, slow, indestructible. Excess calcium can result in hardening of arteries, gout, growths.
In order for calcium to get absorbed from the gut into the blood, vitamin D levels need to be sufficient. Many people are vitamin D deficient because they are not getting exposed to sunlight. Many people are not supplementing with vitamin D either. For calcium to get into our tissues, omega 3 fatty acids need to be present. It is best to get these from plant sources or algae (leafy greens, chia and flax seeds). This is why some studies show that just supplementing with calcium does not necessarily change bone density. When good dietary sources of calcium are consumed, other co-factors are present to aid its absorption. Co-factors are things you get when you eat tons of vegetables and fruits. So if you eat lots of vegetables and fruits and supplement with calcium, this is the way to go. If you have an awful diet and just supplement with calcium, you will not see its benefit.
Some of the other foods and things in the diet which can strip calcium and other minerals from the body and increase bone loss include alcohol, coffee, chocolate, lack of weight bearing exercise, stress, tobacco, and certain drugs. From the Chinese medical perspective calcium is a cold mineral and is amazing at cooling and soothing the nervous system. It is especially useful for the following issues which can be caused by excessive heat in the system: ADD, ADHD, anger, anxiety, bad breath, bleeding gums, burnt sensation on the tongue, dry skin, dry eyes, dry throat, fever, frustration, gnawing hunger, heat prickles on the skin, hives, hot flashes, night sweats, nose bleeds, resentment, sensation of heat, thirst, and fevers.
Nutrients need many other nutrients (co-factors) for absorption, which is why a wide variety of organic whole foods is always best. I highly recommend getting all nutrients from our food whenever possible. Below you will find a list of the foods which have the highest levels of calcium in them. Again, the recommended daily value is 1200mg. Look at your diet and see below if you are getting the recommended daily amount. If not, start to include the foods below intentionally into your diet. This is especially true for leafy greens and other green vegetables.
A great place to find the values of all minerals and vitamins in the foods we consume can be found HERE. If you do feel like you need to supplement with calcium, click HERE for a good calcium/magnesium supplement. It is important to take calcium and magnesium together in most cases. I personally take a calcium and magnesium supplement everyday because I exercise so much. Calcium and magnesium are electrolytes and you burn them up with lots of exercise.
High Calcium Foods (in milligrams per 3.5 ounce portions, 100 grams, ¼ cup)
Wakame 1300
Kelp 1000
Wheatgrass 514
Chia 450
Sardine w/ bones 440
Almonds 230
Cooked spinach 233
Amaranth 220
Parsley 203
Turnip greens 191
Dandelion 191
Brazil nuts 186
Arugula 150
Quinoa 141
Black beans 135
Pistachios 135
Kale 135
Spirulina 131
Black strap molasses 130
Tahini 130
Beet greens, cooked 117
Collards, cooked 117
Sesame seeds 110
Dried figs 100
Walnuts 99
Salmon 80
Poppy seeds (mg/T) 127
Dill, (mg/T) 100
Thyme, (mg/T) 81
