Calcium - Are you getting enough? Too much?

[Guest guest]

Calcium - Are you getting enough? Too much? The solution isn't as easy as gulping milk by the gallon or poppingsupplements by the handful. To call calcium the most " hyped " mineral in

history would be an understatement.There are dozens of heavily advertised supplements onthe market. On grocery store shelves, everything from orange juice tobread is " fortified " with it.Packages of antacids, such as Tums and Rolaids, brag about their calcium

content. And no one hypes the health benefits of calcium more than thedairy industry.All these products purport to help prevent osteoporosis, thedeterioration of bone mass due to calcium depletion, which afflicts

10 million Americans and causes 1.5 million fractures annually.The specter of spending our senior years stooped over like a questionmark, slowly, carefully and painfully crossing the street with the aid

of a cane or a walker, afraid of sustaining a serious or even fatalinjury from a simple fall, is frightening indeed.It would seem, therefore, that we should all eat as many calcium-richfoods as possible and take calcium supplements to guard against this

debilitating condition, right?Wrong!At least, not without knowing what we are doing.Studies have shown that those who ingest large quantities of calcium canalso be among the most at " risk " to develop osteoporosis.

The reason for this is that the amount of calcium we ingest does notnecessarily translate into the amount of calcium we " absorb " .At least as important as the amount of calcium in our diet is the " type "

of calcium we eat, and what we eat with it.Certain " cofactors " in proper " proportion " are absolutely necessary forthe body to absorb calcium, while other substances " inhibit " the body's

ability to do so.The amount of gastric hydrochloric acid and the acidity (pH level) ofour bodies is also of fundamental importance.Even our " hormonal balance " plays a key role in calcium metabolism.

Without taking all these factors into account, blithely loading up oncalcium can actually result in a net *deficiency* of the mineral.The bones: our blood's *calcium bank* Bone cells are the body's " savings

account " of calcium.When blood levels of calcium rise above normal, the excess is " stored " in the bones. Conversely, when calcium levels in the bloodstream dip,the body turns to its bone bank to " balance " the deficit.

Our *serum* calcium level is affected by many factors, many of whichare not directly related to the " amount " of calcium in our diets.For example, stress can " reduce " free calcium by disrupting hormone

balance. Stress stimulates the production of the hormone cortisol, whichin turn increases levels of the steroid hormone " aldosterone " , a keyregulator of " mineral balance " in the body.

Chronic stress can reduce blood calcium levels, requiring the body tocontinually make " withdrawals " from the bone bank.-- Diana Gonzalez

Nothing wastes more energy than worrying - the longer a problem is carried, the heavier it gets. Don't take things too seriously - live a life of serenity, not a life of regrets.

-Unknown