Calcium supplements - Page 2

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

@Shelbelle wrote:
With my bone density remaining stable for the last 16 years, I have to feel that the calcium has been very beneficial to me and not done me any harm. It is just like statins, millions of people taking them, but I would never take them. What works for some, will never work for everyone.
I also take Tums when needed, plenty of calcium in there too.

@Shelbelle I believe you are smart to be taking the magnesium, K2 and D3 which may be helping at off setting the fact you are taking all the calcium supplements. I also believe those 3 supplements are what has helped your bone density...not the calcium...which is explained in this video...

Dr Ken Berry - Reverse and Prevent Osteoporosis

I have no way of knowing yet if you watched the other 12 minute video. In the video it explains there is no scientific evidence taking the calcium supplements helps and it is beyond reason how anyone started to take them religiously to begin with...and for generations. Additionally, taking them does nothing but bring added serious health risks.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

After years of having low bone density results I decided to seek other remedies for it besides taking calcium supps which obviously did not help me. I increased my physical activity with resistance training and I started taking silica (not to be confused with silicone) extract powder supp. My last density scan was unexpectedly normal and my doc wanted to know more about what I had done.

Silicon (same as silica) and Bone Health:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2658806/

I am a retired medical lab specialist and I use to test blood samples for calcium levels. So I am well aware of the health risks which may come with hypercalcemia.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

@Shelbelle wrote:
With my bone density remaining stable for the last 16 years, I have to feel that the calcium has been very beneficial to me and not done me any harm. It is just like statins, millions of people taking them, but I would never take them. What works for some, will never work for everyone.
I also take Tums when needed, plenty of calcium in there too.

@Shelbelle Tums are just really screwing up your breakdown of Calcium... and absorption of calcium... so doing exactly opposite of what you think it is doing for you.

The antacid Tums is not a good source of calcium, and it decreases the very stomach acid needed to aid calcium absorption and protein digestion.

CrazyDaisy · ‎03-20-2010

I would never take medical advise or much of any kind of advise from a You Tube video. No wonder doctors cringe when the patient starts the sentence with "I saw on the Internet...."

Someday, when scientists discover the center of the Universe....some people will be disappointed it is not them.

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

chrystaltree · ‎05-10-2010

That's not unusual. It happened to me. I take calcium supplements because back in the distant past, I had gastric bypass surgery. I have absorption problems. I was taking calcium supplements and my legs began to ache and the muscles in the back of my thighs would tighten up. It was the calcium, I was taking too much. I had been taking 3 Citrical tablets and my doc cut it back to 1 tablet. The leg pain and cramps went away.

Susan Louise · ‎03-14-2010

@CrazyDaisy wrote:
I would never take medical advise or much of any kind of advise from a You Tube video. No wonder doctors cringe when the patient starts the sentence with "I saw on the Internet...."

@CrazyDaisy Not all Drs give good advice. Some are just pill pushers. Others are so 'old school' they refuse to incorporate new findings/updated facts on various health issues. They have been doing things a certain way for X # of years and refuse to change even when there is proof otherwise. They will wear horse blinders til they retire. Unfortunately, their stubborness puts patients at risk.

The same holds true for patients who can be just as stubborn. They believe what they believe no matter what. The old saying my grandparents told me holds true today..."You can lead a horse to water...".

DH and I have gotten lots of great advice through very respectful sources online.

I know from my own personal experience that going against my own Dr's advice has helped me get healthier. My Dr was leading me down the wrong path on a few issues.

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

TUMS IS A GOOD SOURCE OF CALCIUM, RIGHT? DEFINITELY NOT! HERE’S WHY…

Whether you take Tums or other calcium supplements for acid reflux, which it’s effective at masking the symptoms of, while actually making the problem worse, or to get more calcium in your diet, you need to know this information.

What’s Wrong with Most Calcium Supplements

Tums and other commonly used calcium supplements contain calcium carbonate, the cheapest and single worst form of calcium. This is not to be confused with other types of calcium.

Not all calcium is created equal!

The biggest problem with calcium carbonate is that it’s not bioavailable, so much so that 25% of the American population can't even absorb it. Even among those who can, only somewhere between 5 and 30% of the actual supplement gets absorbed into the body.

Here’s what the makers of Tums don’t want you to know – calcium carbonate is predominantly made by finely grinding limestone rock.

So if you take Tums, you’re eating expensive rocks!

To make matters worse, they cover up the taste of rock with these terrible ingredients:

Adipic acid – A synthetic (read: not food) additive included for flavor and texture.
Com starch – All corn products are acidic and should be avoided.
FD&C blue #1 lake, FD&C red#40 lake, FD&C yellow #5 (tatffazine) lake, FD&C yellow #6 lake – All this means is artificial food coloring. These are toxic!
Flavors – What does this even mean? It’s not clear at all, and I wouldn’t trust it based on what they do list.
Mineral oil – This is a petroleum byproduct. It’s not safe ON your body, much less IN your body!
Sodium polyphosphate – This is a food emulsifier. It’s not as good as sodium bicarbonate, so don’t let the “sodium” fool you.
Sucrose – This is a simple sugar, it’s acidic, and it shouldn’t be anywhere near your health supplements!
Talc – Yes, the same powder used on men’s necks after a shave or haircut is added to some foods. Your body can’t absorb it at all – gross! Recent studies have associated talc to certain forms of cancer.

However, that’s not the worst part of your standard calcium supplement.

Is Tums Putting Your Heart at Risk?

You might have heard that there’s an increased risk of heart attack from taking the wrong calcium supplement. And it’s true, a 20-30% increased risk was confirmed by research at Dartmouth University.

The reason for this increased risk is simple. Your body needs a very precise balance of minerals. If calcium drops too low or goes too high, you have a heart attack. And if magnesium, which is necessary for calcium absorption, drops too low or goes too high, you have a heart attack.

Taking Tums or cheap calcium supplements is actually dangerous to your health.

That’s why it’s absolutely essential that calcium and magnesium should ALWAYS be in a 1:1 ratio so you can properly absorb the calcium. Tums’ ratio of calcium to magnesium is 42:1.

One more note on this… Don’t worry about your food-based calcium and magnesium levels. You can’t eat too much of these minerals. Your body knows what to do with any excess, but too little is more commonly a problem than too much.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@SilleeMee wrote:
After years of having low bone density results I decided to seek other remedies for it besides taking calcium supps which obviously did not help me. I increased my physical activity with resistance training and I started taking silica (not to be confused with silicone) extract powder supp. My last density scan was unexpectedly normal and my doc wanted to know more about what I had done.

Silicon (same as silica) and Bone Health:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2658806/

I am a retired medical lab specialist and I use to test blood samples for calcium levels. So I am well aware of the health risks which may come with hypercalcemia.

@SilleeMee , I recently started taking the silica (AFTER my good bone scan which I do credit calcium citrate + magnesium glycinate + K2 after previously being osteopenic). I was already taking massive quantities of D which seems to be required to keep my numbers normal. However, in looking at the information about silica I noticed almost every site mentioned that people with thyroid disease either probably shouldn't take it or should check with their doctor. I hate it when they do that and then don't follow up with why, so I went on a hunt and the only thing I could find was ONE study done with rats, and it didn't appear it affected their thyroid numbers significantly. So, without more data, and since I'm not a rat, I'm going to continue with the silica for now and see how my bloodwork comes out at my physical. I think I remember it is also supposed to possibly have a good effect on cholesterol.