best supplements

Common Forms: calcium citrate
calcium carbonate
calcium gluconate
calcium lactate
calcium chloride
calcium malate
calcium aspartate
calcium ascorbate

Overview

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It is essential for the development and maintenance of strong bones and teeth; roughly 99% of calcium in the body is deposited in these two places. Calcium also helps the heart
nerves
muscles
and other body systems work properly. To function correctly
calcium must be accompanied by several other nutrients including magnesium
phosphorous
and vitamins A
C
D
and K.

The best sources of calcium are foods (see Dietary Sources)
but supplements may be necessary for those who cannot meet their calcium needs through diet alone. In fact
according to the National Institutes of Health
many Americans consume less than half the amount of calcium recommended to build and maintain healthy bones. Heavy use of caffeine can diminish calcium levels; therefore
higher amounts of calcium may be needed if you drink a lot of coffee. Also
a diet high in protein can increase loss of calcium through the urine. Excessive intake of sodium
phosphates (from carbonated beverages) and alcohol
as well as the use of aluminum-containing antacids also contribute to increased excretion of calcium.

Calcium deficiency can be found in people with malabsorption problems
such as Crohn's disease
celiac disease
and surgical intestinal resection. Prolonged bed rest causes loss of calcium from the bones and the elderly are less able to absorb calcium.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency include muscle spasm or cramping
typically in hands or feet; hair loss (alopecia); dry skin and nails which may also become misshapen; numbness
tingling
or burning sensation around the mouth and fingers; nausea and vomiting; headaches; yeast infections (candidiasis); anxiety; convulsions/seizures; and poor tooth and bone development.

Uses

Obtaining adequate calcium can help prevent and/or treat the following conditions:

Osteoporosis

An inadequate supply of calcium over the lifetime is thought to play a significant role in contributing to the development of osteoporosis. Calcium is necessary to help build and maintain healthy bones and strong teeth. Studies have shown that calcium
particularly in combination with vitamin D
can help prevent bone loss associated with menopause
as well as the bone loss experienced by elderly men. If adequate amounts of calcium are not being obtained through the diet
calcium supplements are necessary.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Calcium levels often measure lower the week prior to one's menstrual period compared to the week after. Studies suggest that calcium supplementation helps relieve mood swings
food cravings
pain or tenderness
and bloating associated with premenstrual syndrome.

High Cholesterol

Preliminary studies in animals and people suggest that calcium supplements
in the range of 1
500
to 2
0
mg per day
may help to lower cholesterol. The information available thus far suggests that keeping cholesterol levels normal or even low by using calcium supplements (along with many other measures such as changing your diet and exercising) is likely to be more beneficial than trying to treat it by adding calcium once you already have elevated cholesterol. More research in this area is needed.

Stroke

In a population based study (one in which large groups of people are followed over time)
women who take in more calcium
both through the diet and with added supplements
were less likely to have a stroke over a 14 year time course. More research is needed to fully assess the strength of the connection between calcium and risk of stroke.

Colon Cancer

Although some studies are conflicting
mounting evidence suggests that people who consume high amounts of calcium
vitamin D
and milk in their diets are significantly less likely to develop colorectal cancer than those who consume low amounts of the same substances. Although it is best to obtain calcium from the diet
the suggested amounts for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer (namely
800
IU/day of vitamin D and 1
800
mg/day of calcium) will most likely require supplementation.

Obesity

Both animal and human studies have found that dietary calcium intake (from low-fat dairy products) may be associated with a decrease in body weight. These effects cannot necessarily be attributed to calcium alone since dairy sources of calcium contain other nutrients (including magnesium and potassium) that may be involved in the weight loss. A review of all studies up to the year 2000 did conclude
however
that supplementation of 1
0
mg of calcium can facilitate as much as 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) of weight loss and 5 kilogram (11 pound) loss of fat.

Dietary Sources

The richest dietary sources of calcium include cheeses (such as parmesan
romano
gruyere
cheddar
American
mozzarella
and feta)
wheat-soy flour
and blackstrap molasses. Some other good sources of calcium include almonds
brewer's yeast
bok choy
Brazil nuts
broccoli
cabbage
dried figs
kelp
dark leafy greens (dandelion
turnip
collard
mustard
kale
Swiss chard)
hazelnuts
ice cream
milk
oysters
sardines
canned salmon soybean flour
tahini
and yogurt.

Foods that are fortified with calcium
such as juices
soy milk
rice milk
tofu and cereals
are also good sources of this mineral.

Calcium may also be obtained from a variety of herbs
spices
and seaweeds. Examples include basil
chervil
cinnamon
dill weed
fennel
fenugreek
ginseng
kelp
marjoram
oregano
parsley
poppy seed
sage
and savory.

New Life Health Centers has no means of independently evaluating the safety or functionality of the products offered by their suppliers and affiliates and thus can neither endorse nor recommend products. Information presented is of a general nature for educational and informational purposes only. Statements about products and health conditions have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration. Products and information presented herein are not intended to diagnose
treat
cure
or prevent disease. If you have any concerns about your own health
you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.

When you get sick
you go to the doctor. And the doctor will
of course
prescribe medicines. You will go and buy medicines. You take them
and hopefully
you get well.

This is how the health profession goes on nowadays – a cycle of diagnosis and prescription.

If anyone were to give you herbs for medicine
you would probably say that that person was a quack.

But nowadays
studies are being conducted to see if there are really is any merit to what is called natural medicine.

Natural medicine is the use of natural methods
herbal medicines
and traditional practices to heal ailments. Every culture has a form of natural medicine. In ancient cultures
village medicine men served as the doctors of the community
passing on medical knowledge to the apprentices that followed them.

Many categories of the healing methods fall under natural medicine. Among these are traditional medicine
complementary medicine
and alternative medicine.

Usually
natural medicine refers to medical practices that were in place before the advent of modern medicine.

This includes herbal medicine
or phytotherapy
which is prevalent in Chinese
Ayurvedic(or Indian)
and Greek medicine.

Upon the advent of modern medicine
many professionals discarded the use of herbs in favor of man-made medicine. The fact that these treatments are based on the healing properties of some herbs was forgotten.

For example
opium
digitalis
quinine
and aspirin all have their roots in traditional medicine.

Natural medicine can be considered as a lost art. This does not mean that it has lost efficacy over time. In some cases
natural therapy is actually better than modern medicine. This leads some doctors to seriously consider and study the possible uses of natural medicine

Before we continue
it is important to stress that not all the natural remedies are legitimate. It would help to only try those remedies which have been thoroughly studied and are relatively risk free.

Take herbal medicine for example. There are many well-documented and studied herbal remedies available. However
only those that deal with minor ailments such as cough
colds
fever
skin rashes
and its ilk are likely to be recommended by health professionals. These remedies are sometimes superior to synthetic medicine. This is because herbal medicines are less likely to cause negative side effects.

Currently there are numerous organizations that study the effects and advocacy of natural medicine – among which is herbal medicine. Some governments and health agencies openly advocate the use of natural methods since they are inexpensive and relatively risk-free.

As their studies compile
more herbs and treatments are added to the list of accepted medicines. However
many herbs and treatments have been proven to be bogus medicine. This represents a challenge for both the user and the agencies because they have to ascertain that the treatments they either use or advocate are legitimate.

There exist today many alternative medical treatments that fall under natural medicine. However
not all of them have been proven to be effective. You could mention homeopathy
aromatherapy
acupuncture
and other alternative medical treatments. It would pay to consult the experts as to the legitimacy of these treatments.

Natural medicine should also be thought of as an accompanying medicine. Right now
the current collective medical thought suggests that natural medicine be used only to supplement accepted modern medical practices. In that case of minor ailments your expert we actually advise you to take natural therapies instead.

The practice of modern medicine revolves around diagnosing an illness and prescribing treatments for such. Natural medicine is helpful because it suggests that treatment be not necessarily given only when sick. Natural medicine strives to make each patient practice good health habits. These habits include good diet
healthy living
and the regular natural treatment.

It is this same line of thought that leads our parents to tell us to eat our vegetables. Yes
a healthy lifestyle and will do no harm to our well-being. And this is the foundation of natural medicine – may it be massage
herbal medicine
aromatherapy or others.

It is funny but true that science
in its quest for excellence
is studying the knowledge of sages past. This
surprisingly
leads us back to the remedies nature offers. The possibilities of finding remedies to everyday illnesses in natural medicine are encouraging. So staying tuned to studying these remedies is worthwhile until we can verify that these therapies are truly helpful to our health and our society.