| Premenstrual Cramps A recent study shows that 1,200 mg elemental calcium in the form of calcium carbonate reduces premenstrual symptoms, including mood swings, food cravings, pain or tenderness and bloating. The study also illustrates a relationship between PMS and calcium deficiency. Kidney Stones For years people have believed that calcium supplementation can increase the risk of kidney stones. In reality, calcium supplementation may help prevent them. Studies show that the risk of kidney stone disease decreases rather than increases among individuals who had a higher calcium intake. Dietary modification may play an important role in the likelihood of stone recurrence. Notably, dietary calcium restriction should be avoided only in individuals who have had a calcium oxalate kidney stone. What you need to know about supplements Calcium comes in many different supplemental forms. The “elemental calcium” listing on the label will tell you how much calcium it contains. If the label does not indicate how much elemental calcium is in each tablet, you can use the table below. If you are taking a 500 mg tablet of calcium carbonate, for example, it contains 40% elemental calcium (200 mg of calcium from each tablet). Here are the typical percentage of actual calcium in supplement products. Supplement Elemental Calcium (%) Calcium carbonate 40 Dicalcium phosphate 38 Bone meal 31 Hydroxyapatite 30 Oyster shell 28 Dolomite 22 Calcium citrate 21 Calcium laciate 13 Calcium gluconate 9 NOTE: This is not an indication of the quality of the supplent, it merely shows the level of calcium they contain. Calcium carbonate and other insoluable forms (dolomite, bone meal and oyster shell) are the cheapest sources. Calcium carbonate may seem to be the most concentrated form, however it is very difficult to absorb. Calcium citate-malate is one of the best absorbed. Fossilized Coral Calcium Fossilized coral calcium was first discovered in 1979 when a British journalist from the Guiness Book of Records was sent to Okinawa to interview the world’s oldest documented living person who, at the time, was a energetic 115 year old in remarkably good health. His health and vitality was that of a person half his age. Much of the population in Okinawa is elderly, seldom dying before the age of 95, and enjoy remarkable health. Arthritis, heart disease, cancer and other debilitating diseases are practically nonexistent. A team of researchers found that neither the climate nor the diet of Okinawa was their secret, but the secret was in the water, which contained large deposits of minerals from fossilized stony coral. The island of Okinawa is built up from fossilized coral. When it rains, it erodes the reefs producing mineral-rich water they caled “milk of the ocean”. They drink large quantities of this daily. Because of this, their mineral intake is very high. It is estimated that their daily intake of calcium is 70 times the Daily Value (DV), 22 times the DV of magnesium, 18 times the DV of potassium, 120 times the DV of fluoride, etc... Stony coral (hermatype) forms its shell or skeleton from minerals in the sea, mainly calcium, magnesium, sulfur, silicon, and around 70 others. For this reason, coral sand or granulated coral, which consists of the fossilized skeleton of stony coral, is made up of approximately 90% of calcium carbonate (chelated) and abundant amounts of many other minerals that are necessary to maintain health. Fossilized coral grains are from the skeletal structure of reef-building coral that are no longer living. Coral miners are not allowed to disturb the living reefs, which are the nursery grounds and habitat of many fishes, invertebrates and plants. The methods used in harvesting does not and will not destroy living reefs or in any way damage the enviroment, but helps to offer nutrients for our good health. |
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