Why Calcium Is So Important

Calcium is a very helpful step in getting your body the right nutrition to make a noticeable difference in your health. About 99% of your calcium should be in your bones and teeth, and that last 1% is used for every muscle contraction you have in your body (yes, that includes your heart) and plays a critical role in your immune system. Vitamin D, especially D3 helps drive the calcium from your blood into your tissues. So this is good to take in the winter if your are not getting 15 minutes of sun per day. I have seen that just improving this one area can have an immediate impact on your sleep, muscle recovery, immune system, and can even help your body fight cancer and speed your recovery from cancer treatments. 

Calcium is one supplement that your body does not naturally create and you must eat the right food or take a bio-available supplement. I always prefer if people can eat their nutrition vs. take a supplement. The following are some top food sources of calcium: - RAW milk, cheese, or yogurts (look online for a local source in your area) - Eggs - Cruciferous Vegetables - Spinach - Broccoli - Kelp - Okra - Sardines - White Beans - Kefir - Oranges - Rainbow Trout

Vegetable sources of calcium are very easy to absorb. Not everyone chooses to eat these foods regularly, so supplementation is important. Adding a calcium lactate supplement at my bedtime has made a significant improvement in my sleep quality, and how refreshed I feel in the morning. If you need additional calcium, I usually recommend that you take a calcium supplement at night time. Due to calcium being needed for every muscle contraction in the body, including your heart, many people have improved sleep by taking it after dinner and up to bedtime. Please try to eat calcium-rich foods throughout the day as your body can only use so much calcium at one time. 

Here are two very absorbable forms of calcium. Super Cal - true bone support has trace minerals and Vitamin D and K.

MegaCal is a powdered form of Calcium - supports normal bone and vascular health, normal nerve function.. This is great for people who are unable to take calcium pills - like young children who need lots of calcium to grow their bones and teeth, and those who have swallowing difficulties.

In order of bio-availability, here are the top forms of calcium that I would recommend. 1. Calcium Bicarbonate - liquid form only - Evian water, liquid supplements 2. Calcium Lactate - Pill or powder form (available in MegaCal above) 3. Calcium Citrate - Citracal is a brand name (this form is ok to take on an empty stomach) - Options include with trace minerals, vitamin D, gummy form, and mini-pill options. 4. Calcium Gluconate - this takes 4 steps of conversion and is my lowest recommended form of calcium Any other type of calcium is not going to give you noticeable results.

Increasing your calcium intake is one of the easiest and most impactful way to improve your overall health, and most people test for having lower than normal levels. If you have access to a blood pressure cuff, you can test how much calcium you have in your body. (Depending on your calf size, you may need to get a thigh blood pressure cuff.) 

Step 1: Secure the blood pressure cuff just below your knee. 

Step 2: Use the manual squeeze bulb to steadily increase the pressure. 

Step 3: Stop when your calf feels like it's cramping or it's uncomfortable

If your calcium levels are good, then you should be able to tolerate 220-240 on the Sphygmomanometer (the circular dial with the numbers). If your calcium levels are lower than that, please consume the foods listed above or start taking a calcium supplement.  

Comment below about your test results - Who has the highest and who has the lowest score?

Here are some additional sites that may help:

https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/calcium-supplements/art-20047097 https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-3709/calcium-lactate-oral/details https://www.standardprocess.com/Standard-Process-Document-Library/Brochures/calciumsupplementsL1300