by Louise Mclean, LCCH.
I have written about my friend who took calcium supplements for at least 20 years and the terrible side effects she experienced, becoming so stiff she could hardly move. See here. Even so, she took only natural calcium supplements, not pharmaceutical ones.
When people are diagnosed with osteoarthritis or osteoporosis, the doctor is very quick to prescribe calcium supplements. I have heard that the pharmaceutical calcium supplements have made some people feel very unwell. The natural health calcium supplements are better.
The truth is that in fact our bones are made up of 12 minerals, including Calcium, that is Boron, Chromium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Phosphorus, Selenium, Sulphur, Silica and Zinc!
However, apart from young children, adults do not need to take any calcium supplements because there is calcium in literally every single food we eat! It is not just dairy products but fruit and vegetables as well. Since the knowledge of vitamin and mineral content in foods has been lost or never taught, people are in ignorance of it. As mentioned in my dieting article, the book by Adele Davis 'Let's Get Well' lists all the vitamin and mineral content of foods at the back and is very interesting to know.
I have also heard that old people given calcium supplements by their doctors become extremely stiff and unable to move. The truth is that as we age we have more calcium in our bodies, not less. This is why there are so many stiff elderly people around.
I would advise not taking calcium supplements at all, as there should be sufficient in your diet. Those people who have been taking them and become stiff, should try to detox the calcium by taking a calcium chelator, either EDTA, Chanca Piedra (an Amazonian herb) or DMSO. They also say apple cider vinegar helps.
It is quite common for doctors giving people routine X rays, to see calcium deposits present.
My friend was so stiff, almost unable to move from taking calcium for so many years after incorrect advice from a practitioner, that it has taken her four years to clear the calcium build up and this has been a heavy load for her kidneys to detox. Of course there is the obvious danger of kidney stones as well, which can be broken down and removed with Chanca Piedra.
The answer for strong bones is vitamin D3 in a sensible dose (2,000 i.u. a day), Vitamin K2, Magnesium, Zinc and a teaspoon of food grade Diatomaceous earth in water gives lots of Silica, which is a bone strengthener. The Diatomaceous earth also kills intestinal parasites! The other minerals that make up bones should be in your super multi vitamin if you are taking the right ones. I use Mercola Wholefood Complex with added Multivitamin plus vital Minerals for Women.
In addition, be careful not to take very high dose Vitamin D3 as it will pull calcium out of your bones, which will add to the calcium load. It must always be taken with Vitamin K2.
So please advise any elderly friends or relatives not to take these calcium supplements, which are often handed out by doctors like sweeties!
