The Role of Calcium

What Role Does Calcium Play in Curing Osteoporosis?

Calcium, Calcium, Calcium

We have all heard of the adage, "milk builds strong bones" because of all the calcium in milk. But there is a lot of misinformation about calcium and how your body can use it. Many dairy products are supposedly full of calcium – milk, ice cream, just to name a few. And we have been led to believe that if we all drink milk we will have strong teeth and bones. Well not necessarily.

Calcium, by itself, is not enough.

Calcium, by itself, is not enough. Your body needs other very essential nutrients for the calcium to be able to be used by our body. In fact, what we do not realize is that calcium may actually be jeopardizing our health.

To tell you the truth, calcium can't be absorbed by the body completely unless there are certain other nutrients present. So you may be taking a lot of calcium, you may be drinking a lot of milk, and you may think that your diet is rich in calcium. But, in fact, very little of that calcium is really being used by your body because you lack the other essential nutrients that you need to absorb and properly use that calcium.

We will start our talk about calcium and how you get your body to absorb calcium. We will then discuss two very important vitamins that are essential to good bone health. I will also be talking to you about the exact amounts of these essential vitamins and minerals and what is really needed for your bones to be healthy.

You see, I learned, over time, the specific amounts of those various vitamins and minerals that were able to help regenerate the bone deterioration in my mother. I will share with you exactly those proportions as we go forward. Rest assured, what I am going to show you in this book are ways that I know can help regrow your bones mass because it worked with my mother.

Many health professionals have said that is difficult if not impossible to do this; but recently there have been more and more studies that have proven that you are able to regenerate a lot of the bone mass that you have potentially lost. My mother successfully did this and so can you.

We don't get enough calcium

We don't get enough calcium. This is a proven fact. According to the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals, the following percentage of Americans are not meeting their recommended intake for calcium:

• 44% boys and 58% girls ages 6-11

• 64% boys and 87% girls ages 12-19

• 55% men and 78% of women ages 20+

Results from the United States Department of Agriculture's Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals/Diet and Health Knowledge Survey. 1994-96.

But these numbers understate the problem because they are based on the average minimum recommended intake, not based on amounts that are optimal to ensure proper bone health. You may feel that you are different. You may be eating dairy products, drinking orange juice or taking calcium supplements. But that is likely still insufficient.

Ok, So You Are Taking Calcium. But Why Is This Still Not Enough?

Calcium is important. It is a major component in bones, in muscles, nerves, other tissues in the body, even your eyes. On this point, everyone agrees. But what many people don’t know is that there is a variety of factors that are important in how your body is able to use the calcium that you take with your food.

A person may be drinking milk, eating ice cream and many other foods including fruits and vegetables that have a lot of calcium. They may also be taking calcium supplements. But they do not realize that the body is unable to use the calcium that they are taking in. This has remained largely a secret.

What Plays A Role In The Body's Use Of Calcium?

When we eat foods, it is essentially a two step process. First, we have to chew our food. The more we chew our food and the smaller the pieces the better. Another major factor is the availability of the proper acids in the stomach. These stomach acids are essential to breaking down the food so that our intestines can actually absorb the food into our body.

Unfortunately, many times, calcium is actually eliminated without being used by our body at all. Much of the calcium that we eat passes right through our digestive system and never stops along the way.

Stomach Acids Are Key

Certain acids in our stomach, especially hydrochloric acid, are important for proper digestion. But many things can lower the amount of hydrochloric acid that we have in our system. When the hydrochloric acid levels drop it is very difficult for our system to digest food properly so that the food can be absorbed into our body.

You may be one of those people who often use antacids. Virtually all of us, from time to time, take antacids in some form or another because we feel we have indigestion, or become he have eaten a lot of starch or sugary foods and the antacids, we feel, are helping us digest these types of foods. But what we don’t realize is that the hydrochloric acid is being neutralized by these antacids—that is why they are called antacids!

Although we think we are getting better nutrition by taking antacids, we are doing just the opposite. We are taking away our stomach's ability to break down the food and pass it through our digestive system so that our digestive system can absorb the vitamins and minerals and especially the calcium that is in our foods. Because of this, antacids should really be avoided at all costs.

Click here to read more about antacids and acid reflux medications.

Gain the information and answers you will need to naturally help osteoporosis and osteopenia and restore your bone health. If you are looking for help and answers immediately, read my book, Freedom from Osteoporosis and Osteopenia.

Click here for information on my book