The following information is based on our opinion and the opinions of others. Any of this information may or may not apply to you or anyone else and hopefully you can find a health care facility that can correctly treat you. Please be alerted to the fact that information changes on a regular basis in medical technology. What applies in our information could be stale and in some cases inaccurate. Check with your current medical provider for the latest in treatment information.
Calcium
We
are going to start this feature on calcium by relating its use to our
agricultural days in upstate New York. Calcium content along with a proper
balance of magnesium was critical as calcium balance regulates the chemistry of
not only plants but human health as well.
We were fortunate to have a super source of lime from a mine only a few miles from us in Lee Massachusetts. They had a perfect balance of calcium and magnesium in their lime product and in fact we found that when we achieved a perfect balance we were able to reduce the amount of chemicals needed on our crops substantially. The healthier a plant the less vulnerable it is to predators and disease. Of course this applies to human health as well.
We used an airplane with a rather technical spray apparatus ( Hydraulic atomizers for impingement) that could actually reduce the amount of chemicals applied to a factor of 100 to 1. Just think of spraying a block of 900 apple trees, 35 ft. in diameter, 25 ft. high with just 50 gallons of spray water. This saved us cost and reduced the amount of chemicals our patrons had to deal with.
The surprising benefits of calcium:
All the benefits you will read in this feature and throughout our many features in Blueeyedcurse.com regarding the vital mineral Calcium can be directly attributed to the fact that the best food sources of calcium and they are listed below in this feature in our personal intake are derived from the fact that calcium foods have complimentary minerals magnesium for one. This compliment adds to the bodies mineral stability and (Total Alkalinity) that mitigates any acids that are presented to the body.
A perfect example would be the extraordinary benefits of fish (Our favorite is Portuguese sardines) that not only have omega 3 fatty acids but also the calcium and other minerals to again mitigate whatever amount of acids are generated by the meat in the sardines. Exercise is another one, that if practiced aggressively in a cardiovascular program is an acid forming activity but vital. Any meats are acid but should be limited to no more than the area in the palm of your hand at a sitting. Here you will be obtaining the sufficient benefits of the meat/protein, but yet balancing the alkaline/acid benefits with the food contents themselves along with complimentary food sources (added to the meal) as in green raw vegetables. This is synergy at its very best.
I have a personal practice where I take a fairly nice tootsie roll of roast beef to start my day but we make sure that the roll has a nice amount of spinach with the meat to counter not only the acid aspects of the meat but also the iron content of the beef. Ironically spinach has a nice compliment of iron that has a neutralizing affect on the iron and the negative nature of the iron in meat. We call it fighting fire with fire.
Incidentally calcium from natural foods have this same attribute in neutralizing inert calcium deposit/wastes, one example calcium oxalates as in kidney stones. Here again is a fighting fire with fire approach by ingesting the right calcium source to mitigate the ill effects of calcium that has changed its characteristics from good to bad. An example of this is the calcium wastes that are generated when the body is called upon to cannibalize the bone matrix itself, and in the process leave a terrible residue for the body to handle and in many cases are in able to handle without dire health consequences.
You know you need it for strong bones, but calcium protects your health in other important ways, too. Here is what this amazing mineral can do for you.
Calcium Functions
and teeth. This function helps reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis.
Calcium is a vital component in blood clotting systems and also helps in
wound healing.
Calcium helps to control blood pressure, nerve transmission, and release of
neurotransmitters.
Calcium is an essential component in the production of enzymes and
hormones that regulate digestion, energy, and fat metabolism.
Calcium helps to transport ions (electrically charged particles) across the
membrane.
Calcium is essential for muscle contraction.
Calcium assists in maintaining all cells and connective tissues in the body.
Calcium may be helpful to reduce the incidence of premature heart disease,
especially if adequate intakes of magnesium are also maintained.
Calcium may help to prevent periodontal disease (gum disease).
Calcium helps keep the weight off.
Research suggests that if you don't get enough calcium in your diet, you're
likely to be overweight.
The reason has to do with your body's response to a calcium deficit.
When you're low, your body thinks you're starving and enters emergency
mode.
Calcium protects your heart.
If you're low on calcium, researchers say, you're more likely to have high blood pressure. Your body releases the hormone calcitriol in response to a calcium shortage, and calcitriol acts on the smooth muscle walls of your arteries, constricting them and elevating your blood pressure,
Calcium improves premenstrual moods.
A 1998 study led by Susan Thys-Jacobs, M.D., of St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, found that getting enough calcium can ease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Calcium protects against colon cancer.
Adequate calcium intake may reduce your overall risk of colon cancer and suppress the growth of polyps that can lead to cancer. Researchers don't know exactly why this happens, but it may be linked to the excess calcium that's left in your intestines after your body absorbs what it needs. On its way through the colon, this unabsorbed calcium is believed to bind with cancer promoters so they're excreted together from the body. Studies have shown that both food sources of calcium and calcium supplements provide this protective effect.
Calcium maintains healthy teeth.
Calcium protects your teeth in an indirect way. Your teeth themselves are relatively inert, meaning that the calcium they contain usually stays there.
Your jawbone is the potential problem. Like other bones, it gradually surrenders calcium for needs elsewhere in your body if you're not consuming enough. As your jaw weakens, your teeth loosen, creating gaps where bacteria can invade, triggering infection, inflammation, and bleeding. In fact, the condition of your teeth and gums can be a window to the overall health of your bones as well as your entire cardiovascular system.
Autoimmune reaction
The lack of a mineral balance can trigger an allergic/Autoimmune reaction.
The body needs minerals and in particular calcium. Calcium is the bodies
regulator almost like a microprocessor in a computer. Keeping the body balanced
with enough alkalinity is critical and eating acid foods is counter productive
big time.
When the body is deprived of calcium it goes into an emergency mode and actually
cannibalizes your bone matrix to obtain enough calcium to buffer the acid
assault as come hell or high water the blood pH must be maintained at a 7.37 pH
and the body mechanism is determined at all costs to maintain this balance.
Is this incredible or not?
Now there is a big down side to this process because as perfect as Mother nature
is these emergency events can leave an unwanted residue in the process and this
unwanted residue is the bi-product of what is left in its wake after the
cannibalizing event. It shows up in the blood as excessive calcium that has gone
awry. This calcium bi-product is inert and just a lot of trouble. It certainly
is not a calcium form that can be adequately metabolized.
This is where the autoimmune system comes forth and tries to neutralize this residue and dispose of it. Unfortunately this creates the havoc that the autoimmune system is notorious for. In fact it can turn into a full blown disease and cancer can be close behind as in myeloma, a blood cancer issue.
and vegetables, sun exposure (My wife's last 25 hydroxy Vitamin D test came
in at an excellent 51 nl/mg reading,) We had a cancer specialist at the
University of Pittsburgh tell us that a Vitamin D test goal around 70 was
critical in cancer patients. Don't buy your GP telling you a paltry 30 or so
reading is O.K. With some D supplements (With my wife presently taking
4000 units a day supplemental ) and 20 minutes early morning in the sun
with little to nothing in apparel we have achieved this optimum 50 level for
"normal" patients but it is important to monitor calcium levels and make
sure they stay in the safe range.
REMEMBER Ca (Calcium) IS AS IMPORTANT to humans as plants..
Did you know calcium is only absorbed in the small intestines with adequate
vitamin D, but excessive fat, oxalates and in-organic phosphates inhibit
calcium absorption. Less than 15% of the Ca in homogenized milk is used
because of the heating process which kills beneficial enzymes and makes Ca
unavailable. What a shame!!! Best sources of Ca is a raw dairy products,
calcium lactate, almonds, whole grain seed and dark green leafy vegetables.
EAT RIGHT'N LIVE.
Note: We have a serious reservation about dairy products and use a minimum to
obtain our calcium. We do use a Whey Protein that is a milk product from grass
fed cows. It is organic and we feel the negative effects that a milk product can
be for some is buffered by the synergy from the other foods that are taken with
this protein product. It also has a compliment of calcium derived from the milk
product.
The
sun enhances the critical role of calcium absorption. There are some cases where
one takes in a good amount of calcium as in seafood with bones, from canned
sardines, tuna, salmon. Cheeses and certain vegetables such as Kale and Spinach
that have not only generous amounts of calcium but have complimentary minerals
in these foods to buffer excesses. Excesses in anything is a potential problem.
We believe it would be difficult to overdose on calcium from natural foods as
above, but you could run into a problem relying on supplements for the majority
of your calcium needs as they may have value, but are lacking the balance that
nature provides in live foods.
On the other hand a modest amount of supplements taken with calcium foods could
be a very valuable combination as diversity in calcium intake is as important as
the diversity in most anything, especially nutrition. Optimum ionization depends
on a generous and diversified mix. With a diversity we believe excesses are
mitigated, but what the hell do I know, I am only a retired fruit peddler. I go
by the saying "The body takes what it needs and gets rid of the rest" but I
might add "It gets rid of the rest if the right conditions exist". The right
conditions do not always exist, hence heart disease, Alzheimer's and all the
rest thanks to tissue acid wastes.
Now I will give you an example of how we personally handle our calcium and
magnesium needs. Incidentally one of the foods with the highest amount of
magnesium are pumpkin seeds. I eat about 100 everyday, on our cereal, on our
salad, out of hand, in our smoothies. Chew them good.
4 days a week we have about 4 ounces of either tuna, salmon or sardines in a salad for lunch. Don't forget some extra virgin olive as there is nothing more beneficial than adding olive oil to a super omega 3 fatty acid as in canned fish out of the cold waters of the north west. Sardines out of the Mediterranean sea off the shores of Portugal and this general area. Sardines with the bones come in at about 250 mgs of calcium (3 ozs) where Tuna and Salmon about 225. Even though these numbers are somewhat generous we would remind you that again it is the form in which it is presented to the body. You can always increase your amount by eating a whole can of Sardines. I like cutting up a full can of sardines and putting them into a Progresso soup like the Manhattan or New England. In the New England I drain off the potatoes as you don't need that carbohydrate. I drain off most of the potatoes and carrots in the Manhattan chowder as well.
Vitamin D is best produced by the Sun and the best choice over supplements. Vitamin D has so many benefit we can't even begin to enumerate them, from bone loss to your immune system and in particular your lymphatic system. The sun is an Alzheimer's crusher.
The fact is that Vitamin D dictates not only the absorbability of calcium in the
intestines, it controls all the calcium in the bodies functions including the
brain. This was our personal practice and learning 101 in our agricultural
career. Calcium content in the soil was the microprocessor for all the minerals
in the soil and their individual electrolyte functions as well as hormone
production.
It has been recently revealed that it is calcium deposits in the brain that
could be the responsible villain in Alzheimer's disease. They know it is
deposits and calcium is notorious for unwanted deposits. We all obtain calcium
in various ways. Some calcium especially where there is an abundance of Vitamin
D3 intake and magnesium will be properly absorbed and properly metabolized. This
is why I subscribe to Sardine intake with its total compliments. Tuna is a good
source of vitamin D and calcium if they do not remove the bones. Most Tuna
retains the pin bones (More below)
This process can be easily compared to a combustion engine. Some engines are
fine tuned and burn the majority of the fuel it uses. Some engines are out of
whack and wastes are produced and accumulated in the engine parts. The body
mechanism is not any different. I might say that the type of fuel used in an
engine is similar to the fuel we ingest for our engine.
There are situations in bone loss cases where the body is not obtaining enough
calcium and actually cannibalizes the bone matrix of the patient. This generates
a very significant source of calcium and the nature of this product is
devastating to the body and a perfect storm for unwanted calcium accumulations.
I happen to believe this is a arthritis thread.
Few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Sardines which have an abundance of
important nutrients, including potassium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin
B-12, iron and calcium in the tiny sardine bones, are a good source of vitamin
D. I personally eat 3 to 4 full cans of Sardines a week, about 4.25 ounces at a
sitting and in fact for 1 lunch a week I take a full can, chop up the sardines
and combine them with a can of Progresso soup either the Manhattan or New
England clam chowder. It is a delicious treat with all the nutritional
trimmings.
Now I am not going to get into our other calcium food intake here, but the days
that we do not eat canned fish we supplement with calcium and magnesium but
modestly. In fact on these off days from canned fish with their bones, the
supplements total about 250 mgs or about 20% of the daily RDA. This minor
addition compensates for the 250 mgs that we are lacking on the days without
canned fish.
Few foods naturally contain vitamin D. Sardines which have an
abundance of important nutrients, including potassium, protein, omega-3 fatty
acids, vitamin B-12, iron and calcium in the tiny sardine bones, are a good
source of vitamin D.
Keep in mind that the RDA total calcium recommendation for a mix of foods and
supplements are around 1200 mgs a day of calcium.
I personally believe that especially on the days where we eat canned fish with
the bones, along with other calcium laden foods that we exceed the 1200 mgs RDA.
Again to repeat we don't have a problem with the body handling foods with extra
calcium over the RDA, but we are very careful how much calcium we take from
supplements. If you take calcium supplements make sure there is about a 3 parts
calcium to 1 part magnesium content.
While magnesium helps our body absorb and retain calcium, too much calcium
prevents magnesium from being absorbed. So taking large amounts of calcium
without adequate magnesium may either create malabsorption or a magnesium
deficiency. Whichever occurs, only magnesium can break the cycle.
So with an abundance of calcium laden foods and supplements and an adequate sun
intake it is conceivable one could go overboard especially if you rely on
supplements. Periodic blood tests with the calcium reading along with the 25
hydroxy Vitamin D test will tell you the story especially if you are taking in
Vitamin D via supplements. Remember Vitamin D is a driver in absorbing calcium.
All CBC blood tests will give you the calcium number. They should be in the good
range.
I personally believe that your calcium balance that stabilizes your chemistry is
one of the most important issues a cancer patient or one preventing it can
address.
Again it is worth repeating closely monitoring your urine pH first thing in the
morning with a target of 6.5 pH will tell you whether you are obtaining enough
total alkalinity minerals. If you are running acid (under 6.5 that indicates you
are not obtaining all of the right foods and/or you are eating too much in acid
foods.
Below are some notes regarding our personal calcium intake. The first 3 items
below are just a sample of the amount of calcium in certain items, in these
cases per ounce.
The present intake information is our attempt to try to assess how much calcium
we are taking in and what items we are ingesting to do it.
You will note that all of the foods we eat are natural with only a minor
adjustment in supplements on our days when we do not eat fish out of a can and I
might add we eat the best fish money can buy out of the cold waters of the
Northwest. The adjustment is a compensation (about 250 mgs of Calcium) There is
also a calcium carbonate addition to a little soymilk we have on our morning
cereal and although the claim of 300 mgs is reported we have found that calcium
carbonate (Tums) has a much less elemental amount of actual calcium and really
is not a big factor in our overall calcium intake.
General Calcium sample measures in mgs
10 mixed nuts - 1 oz about 70 mg calcium
100 med pumpkin seeds - 1 oz about 12 mg of calcium
2 table spoon flax seed 1 oz. about 50 mg calcium
Present Intake 10-15-10
Soy milk 1 cup 30% of RDA 350 mg (Soy milk using calcium
carbonate) brings a reduction of elemental calcium to
about 125 mgs.
Fish in cans with bones 1/2 can, about 2 ounces, about
1/2 cup, about 200 mgs calcium.
2 portions Spinach (A cup, about a good handful compressed
in one measuring cup and into the smoothie) 150 mgs calcium total
1 portion (a good handful) of Kale (compressed in the cup)
into our smoothie 75 mgs calcium
Extra veggies in smoothie, Chard, Wheat Grass, Aloe Vera (out of our garden)
parsley, basal, spinach total 100 mg (a guess) Could be 200 mg
or more. Again we are not concerned with an excess of calcium derived from
natural live foods.
The greens in 2 salads a day. Guess 150 mgs. Calcium.
Nuts 5 in morning, 5 for lunch, 5 smoothie, 5 supper Aprox.
150 mg total calcium
Pumpkin seeds 100 throughout day 12 mg calcium.
Flax seed 2 table spoons in morning ground up on cereal,
1 table spoon in smoothie 75 mg total.
Calcium breakdown condensed Daily
Soy milk 125 mg elemental
calcium
Fish in cans (4 days a week) 250
Spinach in smoothie 100
Greens in salad 100 mg Calcium
Kale 75
Extra Veggies 2 salads 50
Nuts 150
Pumpkin seed 10
Flax seed 75
Cottage cheese in salad 50
Black beans in salad 50
Yogurt 150
Extra Veggies in smoothie 100 +
Just about a 1200 mg total on days when we have fish. Days
without fish one should consider supplements using Life
Extensions Bone Restore. With 5 capsules of Bone Restore
logging in 1200 mgs of Calcium. 1 capsule would log in at
about 250 mgs. This would just about compensate for the
days without fish.
Cautions
While you may not think that caution is necessary for eating certain foods, both
kale and collard greens can present health problems if you are taking a blood
thinner such as warfarin. The reason involves their vitamin K content. While a
good source of calcium, these greens are excellent sources of vitamin K. This
nutrient is essential for proper blood clotting. However, individuals taking
warfarin must monitor their vitamin K intake due to an increased risk of
bleeding. Both contain well over the RDA of 90 mcg for women and 120 mcg for
men. The Linus Pauling Institute recommends consuming no more than 90 to 120 mcg
of vitamin K daily, and avoiding large fluctuations in intake if you are using a
blood thinner.
Below is a great link to calcium foods.
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/food/calcium-foods.htm
Below a great link on Calcium and the Sun
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/What_Does_Calcium_Have_to_do_With_The_Sun.html
This information is intended to heighten
awareness of potential health care alternatives
and should not be considered as medical advice.
See your qualified health-care professional for
medical attention, advice, diagnosis, and
treatments
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