How’s your stomach? Are you on any acid suppressing medications? If yes, then you will have a hard time absorbing calcium because Hydrochloric Acid is required for calcium to be absorbed in your gastrointestinal tract and your medications do a great job with stopping stomach acids. What else decreases stomach acids: poor eating habits, stress, lack of thiamine B1/zinc, aging and alcohol.
Vitamin D…this we know for sure without vitamin D, calcium doesn’t move from your intestines into your blood.
Essential Fatty Acids: They are essential because your body can’t make them, you need to get them from your diet. If you have gallbladder problems or no gall bladder you will have difficulty with calcium absorption. Why…because your gallbladder is needed to break down EFA’s. And EFA’s are need to transport Calcium from the blood/serum to the tissues.
Is Calcium bio-available? Yes, cow’s milk has plenty of calcium, but not necessarily the best readily absorbing form of calcium due to lack of enzymes in the human GI-tract. Green leafy veggies and non-ionized calcium supplements.
How’s your diet? Are you eating white breads, white rice, drinking soda’s, white pasta – tastes great right? These foods impede calcium absorption.
We all need calcium, maybe some more than others depending on age and gender, but we all need it. Children are susceptible to calcium deficiency because during their growth spurts their bodies are using up all the available calcium to grow, leaving less calcium for other body functions. Aging adults are at risk of calcium deficiency because as we age our bodies break down our bones faster than they are rebuilding them. In addition to building and maintaining healthy bones, calcium is essential for regulating the heartbeat, conducting nerve impulses, stimulating hormone secretions and clotting blood.
As with any dietary supplement, it is extremely important that you consult with your health care provider before you begin a supplement regimen. Dietary supplements may not be risk-free for everyone. If you have a chronic condition, such as heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension consult your physician before you begin a calcium supplement. Furthermore, some supplements should not be taken together or with some prescriptions and even some over-the-counter medications
Contributed By: Dr. V Soni
Spinal Balance Pte. Ltd.
T: 6329-6484
3 Raffles Place
07-01, Bharat Building
Singapore 048617
Email: spinalbalance.dc@gmail.com
