Calcium

Sources:

• Vegetables: cabbage, kale, and broccoli
• Seeds: sesame, poppy, chia
• Nuts: almonds
• Sardines and salmon with bones
• Beans and lentils
• Dairy is not a good source, calcium from broccoli is about 100 times more absorbable than dairy and isn’t linked with health complications such as cancer that dairy is linked with.

Deficiency:

• Can be a problem if you are on a low-fat diet.
• Diets high in oxalates can be problematic as oxalates bind to calcium and make it less available.

Uses:

• Most famous for its role in bone health
• Dental health
• Needed for muscular contraction
• Vascular contraction and vasodilation - heart health. May also reduce high blood pressure
• Nerve signaling
• Hormonal signaling
• Reduces the risk of colon cancer

Most women are not aware that there are dangers of over-supplementing with calcium.

These dangers are linked with supplementation and not with the consumption of calcium-rich foods - except dairy. Due to this, I often recommended dietary changes to improve calcium levels, or, if I do supplement, I include a companion nutrient such as magnesium to minimise these risks.

• Kidney stones and renal damage, calcium oxalate is what most kidney stones are made out of. If you tend to produce stones avoid calcium supplementation altogether
• A common cause of hyperparathyroidism
• Constipation
• Can reduce the absorption of other minerals such as zinc and iron
• Some studies are linking excess calcium supplementation to cardiovascular disease. Plaque caused by calcium deposits in the arteries (calcification) contribute to arterial stiffness and can interfere with valve function

Medication interactions:

• Antacids like Nexium and Mylanta increase calcium loss via your urine. Better to reduce your need for these drugs and increase calcium-containing foods than to start supplementing.
• Laxatives can reduce calcium absorption. If you are on long term laxatives it is a priority to fix your digestion, rather than adding a calcium supplement
• Glucocorticoids like prednisone are linked with osteoporosis caused by calcium depletion. Calcium should be co-prescribed when steroids are used for over a month.
• It’s really important to co-prescribe calcium with Bisphosphonates medication for osteoporosis but they can’t be taken at the same time, ideally, separate them by at least 4 hours.
• Do not take calcium with antibiotics such as Fluoroquinolone, as it makes them less effective.
• Calcium may reduce Levothyroxine’s effectiveness if taken together. Must take at different times of the day.
• Seizure medication like Phenytoin needs to be taken at least 4 hours away from calcium supplementation
• Medication for Paget’s disease such as Tiludronate disodium needs to away from calcium supplementation.
• Thiazide-type diuretics increase calcium reabsorption, therefore supplementation is NOT recommended.

Fun Fact:

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body!