October 5, 2009
Calcium: Why It's Important
Nerves and Relaxation
“Although 99% of the calcium in the body is in the bones and teeth, symptoms resulting from an undersupply to the nerves and soft tissues can make life quite unbearable. For example, calcium aids in the transportation of nerve impulses. When this mineral is undersupplied, nerves become tense, and you become grouchy.
The calcium-deficient person wastes energy, and his nervous tension and inability to relax induce fatigue out of all proportion to the work he actually does.
He is usually so restless that it is tiring to be around him. His irritability and quick temper add nothing to his popularity…..”
Insomnia
“….A calcium deficiency often shows itself by insomnia, another form of an inability to relax…..”
Cramps/Spasms
“….An undersupply of calcium also causes irritability of the muscles which may take the form of cramps or spasms. If the blood calcium drops extremely low, convulsions known as tetany can occur; fortunately the usual muscle symptoms are less severe. Leg or foot cramps are the most common although either cramps or spasms may occur in almost any muscle.
Spastic Colitis and/or Constipation
“For example, spasms in the intestine, spoken of as spastic colitis or spastic constipation, are usually relieved by adequate calcium….”
Pre-menstruation, Menstruation and Menopause
“…..The amount of calcium in a woman’s blood parallels the activity of the ovaries; the blood calcium falls to such an extent during the week prior to menstruation that nervous tension, irritability, and perhaps mental depression result. At the onset of menstruation, the blood calcium takes a further drop, often resulting in cramps of the muscular walls of the uterus. This condition is especially severe during adolescence, when the demands of growth exaggerate the need for calcium. Menstrual cramps usually disappear within ½ an hour after calcium is taken.
“During the year before menstruation begins and again during menopause, the lack of ovarian hormones cause severe calcium-deficiency symptoms to occur; at these times unusually large amounts of calcium should be obtained, and every step be taken to insure its absorption into the blood and to prevent its loss from the kidneys. When these steps are taken, the girl at purberty often becomes more pleasant and manageable, and the woman at menopause usually loses her irritability, hot flashes, night sweats, leg cramps, and mental depression. Even after cessation of menstruation, a pseudo-menstrual cycle can usually be observed, and calcium-deficiency symptoms can be particularly noticed during one week of each month. The calcium intake should be increased at such times.”
Natural Painkiller
“….this mineral is a pain killer par excellence. Old medical textbooks give as the treatment for the sharp stabbing pains of pleurisy-than which there are few worse- injections of calcium. Why calcium has not been used more widely in alleviatinig other pain remains a mystery. (Comment: I guess that might just be because you can’t patent it!) One physician tells me that he uses no opiates but injects one to four grams of calcium gluconate into the veins of patients suffering even excruciating pain and that relief occurs almost immediately…..”
Editor’s comment: I have personal experience with calmag’s painkilling qualities. When I had my son, I drank about two litres (a bit more than two quarts) of calmag during labor. I had absolutely no pain and no contractions. My muscles were so relaxed I didn’t feel anything. Obviously that isn’t optimum. I didn’t even have a loose bowel from all the calmag, which I drank in a pretty short space of time. I definitely don’t advocate anyone try and stop the contractions like this because you need them to help deliver a baby. However, it demonstrated to me the power of calmag as a painkiller.
Hyperactivity
Kids running around acting a bit crazy or driving you nuts is a symptom of low calcium and magnesium levels and B complex. Too much refined carbohydrates and sugar deplete calcium and magnesium rapidly. Sugar alkalizes the stomach acids and this further prevents absorption of calcium and magnesium which both need an acid environment (correct pH) to be absorbed and used by the body.
So, you have a two-fold destruction or loss of calcium and magnesium when consuming refined carbohydrates (they convert to sugar in the body) and/or sugar-loaded foods or candy. One, your stomach becomes alkaline and can’t absorb the calcium or magnesium – and many other things like protein – and, two, it burns up any calcium and magnesium you might have in your body – creates deficiencies.
Muscle Contraction and Relaxation
Vitally important for the contraction and relaxation of your muscles, calcium and magnesium work together in this activity. Calcium contracts your muscles while magnesium relaxes them. The heart contracts and relaxes to pump blood through your body. If you have insufficient calcium, it will be too slack and if you have insufficient magnesium, it can’t relax. This is basically a heartbeat. All your muscles work in this way.
Insufficient calcium and/or magnesium makes your nerves tense up and they pull on the muscles and this can cause misalignment of your spine too.
Calcium Absorption
In order for your body to absorb calcium, it needs to be in a certain ratio with magnesium – 2:1 – and it needs some kind of acid to create the correct pH so it can be absorbed. This can be in the form of apple cider vinegar or some kind of vitamin C.
Furthermore, your body needs vitamin D to be able to be absorbed into your bloodstream and it needs vitamin F (essential fatty acids) to be pulled into your tissues.
The best source of vitamin D is the sun but if you don’t get enough sun because you spend a lot of time indoors or its winter and there’s very little sun, you definitely need to make sure you’re getting it. The best nutritional source is cod liver oil.
Sunburn
The effects of sunburn come (besides the radiation aspect) come from insufficient tissue calcium. This occurs when people are deficient in the essential fatty acids.
Vitamin D helps with the absorption of calcium but vitamin F helps pull it into your tissues.
Fever Blisters
Breakouts are caused by the presence of the herpes virus in its various forms but the fever blisters manifest when there is insufficient tissue calcium. That’s one of the reasons why we need vitamin F (essential fatty acids). These are a mere drop in the ocean of why your body needs calcium and magnesium. There are many more chemical actions in your body just from these two minerals.
With kind acknowledgement to Adelle Davis.
