Taking Calcium

Question: Is taking extra calcium a waste of money? I take a multi vitamin daily, it has calcium in it. Is taking calcium tabs on top of that worth the money? I also drink one glass of milk a day(sometimes more). Osteoporosis does not run in my family and no-one in my family has ever really discussed the disease. I'm not so sure the extra calcium is worth it. Waste of money or not?

Answer: Osteoporosis is not a genetic condition, it's one brought on by dietary deficiency. If you're only dietary source of calcium is one glass of milk, the calcium in your multivitamin is not enough to supplement your daily requirements. You need a Calcium tablet as well.

Question: will drinking a lot of milk and taking calcium tablets make me taller? I have been drinking a lot of mik lately and taking multi-vitamins. I also take calcium tablets. Will these things make me taller?

Answer: Make the most of what you got. Your height is a predetermined factor of genetics. MIlk is good for you but carful of the calories (skim milk is better) although if you are lactose intollerant then its a big no no. Multi vitamins are a good help in the day and age as we tend to rush around, but rememeber, nothing beats a good serve of fruit, vegetable and some meat for protein. Your diet may make you bulk up is size and give a perception to your height, but no you are what you are in height

Question: I've heard that taking up to 1800mg of calcium a day helps you burn a lot more calories. How many, and why? I've seen this info in webmd and on medical reports (or whatever doctors call them) that I looked up online. I know for certain that calcium has been proven to help you lose weight, but how much should I take, and how many more calories do people taking calcium burn on average?

Answer: Karen McLaughlin, M.Sc., RD stated... Get Enough Calcium! Scientific research has demonstrated that dietary calcium plays a role in weight control. Calcium helps to regular fat storage and promotes fat loss in the abdominal area. Eating about 1000 mg of calcium per day (from food, not supplements), equates to the burning of about 100 more calories of body fat per day (or about 10 pounds of fat per year!) Choose 8 servings from the following list to meet your daily goal: ½ cup calcium fortified orange juice ½ cup fortified tomato juice 1 cup cooked or 2 cups raw greens (e.g. kale, collard greens, broccoli) ½ cup cow's milk, soy milk, or yogurt ¾ oz cheese ½ cup calcium-set tofu ¼ cup almonds 2 tbsp almond butter or sesame tahini ¼ cup soy nuts 1 oz calcium-fortified breakfast cereal Although 8 servings sounds like a lot, many of the serving sizes are quite small. For example, if you include ½ cup of fortified orange juice as well as ½ cup milk on cereal at breakfast, 1.5 oz of cheese on your sandwich at lunch, 1 cup of milk with supper, and ½ cup of yogurt plus ¼ cup of almonds for a snack, you've gotten in 8 servings! www.getfitwithkaren.com The adult UL for calcium is 2.5 grams or 2500 mg per day. WEBMD advice is not always reliable, so check with a medical professional when you get a chance.

Question: Is it possible to stop taking calcium channel blockers? If you have narrowed arteries and have been taking a calcium channel blocker to lower blood pressure, is there any other way to achieve the same thing without having to take drugs? Although I have been on these drugs for about 5 years, I would prefer a natural alternative, but don't know if anything else would achieve the same results. I should point out that I eat a very low fat, heart healthy diet and try to exercise when the weather permits or my back isn't killing me!

Answer: I have never, ever known any human being that was deficient in drugs. High blood pressure is a nutritional deficiency. That can mean you are not getting the nutrients in your food supply or you have co-factors in your body that is not allowing you to properly utilize the nutrients you are eating. Calcium channel blockers are very dangerous drugs and should really only be used for a very short while in emergency situations. Doctors do NOT understand nutrition and have NO training in that field. There are many ways to get your blood pressure under control, but the best way is to make your body healthy. Drugs will only give you "Make Believe Health." I strongly suggest you work with a Certified Nutritional Therapist that can test you and find out what specific nutrients you are deficient in and possibly find the cofactors that may be causing your problem. You need to stop just treating the "symptoms" and get to the "root cause" of your problem. A Certified Nutritional Therapist can work with you and your doctor to resolve this issue. Calcium channel blockers are among the top 10 drugs prescribed in the U.S. for blood pressure control. Calcium channel blockers are prescribed for hypertension (high blood pressure), heart arrhythmias (irregular heart beats), and angina (chest pain). Unfortunately, research shows that these drugs make one far more susceptible to dying of a heart attack (resulting in early death) as well as potentiating cancer. These expensive drugs allow the sick to get sicker as well as leading the way to cancer. Each body cell has an outer membrane with a sandwich of fats called lipids. The layers in the sandwich contain a wonderful host of protective nutrients, including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), phosphatidyl choline, vitamin E and others. The cell’s membrane is studded with pores called calcium channels,” which pump calcium ions into the cell from outside the cell. In normal daily operation, calcium ions pass back and forth through the calcium channels in the cell’s membrane, repeatedly, many thousands of times per day. Inside the cell, calcium is needed in the mitochondria (where energy is made) and in the endoplasmic reticulum (where drugs, toxins, hormones, etc. are detoxified). Outside the cell, calcium is used in hundreds of bodily reactions. Calcium can passively flow out of the cell, but for calcium to reenter, the cell requires the use of the calcium channel pump. Pumping calcium through the calcium channel requires: a) energy and b) depends upon the cell’s membrane sandwich to have the exact types of layers in the membrane. The channel partly runs on an electric current that is generated by the polarized side arms that protrude from the cell’s sandwich. If the right layers are not in the sandwich, the electric current cannot flow properly to open the calcium channel. Hence, the calcium pump will not work correctly. In effect, it is broken. Normally, the synchronized contraction of the heart muscle is brought about by the flow of ions through these channels. Many nutrients that feed and nourish the cell also flow through these channels. When a cell is damaged from toxins or junk foods (such as hydrogenated oils) or lacks critical nutrients, such as phosphatidyl choline, the calcium pump will not work well. Massive amounts of calcium leak back into the cell and cannot be pumped out again. With its interior flooded with calcium and no way to get it out, the cell malfunctions at first, then later dies. The Wall Street Journal (winter, l996) reported that patients who took calcium channel blockers had 60% more chance of dying of a heart attack. This is because calcium channel blocker drugs take a system that is functioning poorly and damage it even more. Many previous studies have associated calcium channel blockers with increased heart attacks, increased risk of breast cancer, increased suicide risk, and increased gastrointestinal bleeding. Short acting versions of these drugs have been previously shown to be dangerous and now long-acting versions are being shown to be possibly dangerous as well. The LOW FAT diet is disasterous and you are listening to the wrong people that promote that do NOT understand how the body works. Did you know that primitive people ate primarily wild animals and wild fish and lots of animal fats. They had NO cavities, good jaw formations, resistant to disease and great body physiques. What you may believe to be "heart healthy" is endoctrination not backed by good science. Consider this, something is not right or you would not be in the position you are in with the blood pressure issue. Drugs are NOT fixing the problem either. If you believe doctors alone, have the answers, you need to free yourself from the lies you believe. good luck to you

Question: Does anyone know anything about taking calcium supplements? I started taking Citracal at my doctor's recommendation. It says on the bottle to take one to two pills per day. Each pill is 25% of the daily allowance. I've been taking 2 pills, but I still don't think I'm getting enough calcium, because I don't really get it in my diet. Can I take 3 pills, or is there something wrong with that? Thanks. Sorry, I am 41 years old and don't know my bone density. I don't drink milk and eat cheese and yogurt here and there.

Answer: Do you get any other sources of calcium in your diet? You also must have Vit D to absorb the calcium. Check with your doctor as to what he feels is appropriate for you. You might want to take a multiple vitamin plus minerals. This would give you both Vit D and some calcium. You would then only have to supplement your calcium. You don't mention your age or your bone density.

Question: Taking Calcium & Magnesium tablet to help try conceive a baby girl? I heard you could try taking calcium/magnesium tablets to help increase your chances of conceiving a girl. Has anyone else heard of this? I think it might be because you should eat more calcium in your diet to try conceive a girl? Has anyone actually tried this?

Answer: I haven't heard of this. But the calcium will be good for your bones and the magnesium will help to stop the calcium making you constipated.

Question: Will taking calcium supplements help me get taller? I'm 15 and around 5'3" WIll taking calcium supplements help me at all, and if it does, what kind of calcium and how much of it?

Answer: Plenty of protein, calcium and zinc will ensure normal growth and a deficiency can stunt it. Unfortunately you can't grow any faster than normal, no matter what you do or eat.

Question: Should I be taking calcium pills since I am lactose intolerant? I am 27 and have been lactose intolerant since I hit puberty. Ever since then the only dairy products, like yogurt and milk, that I consume are soy based. Should I be taking a calcium pill every day? I buy calcium enriched OJ but I somehow I suspect that's not good enough...

Answer: Most soy milk contains added calcium so its calcium content is about the same as dairy milk. Lactose free milk is available at supermarkets. Its calcium content is about the same as whole milk. Calcium enriched OJ may perhaps be OK if you drink enough of it. It would depend on its calcium content. You can find further information in a web search for "calcium rich foods".

Question: Stop taking calcium supplement 2 weeks before due date? Should we stop taking calcium supplement 2 weeks before due date cause calcium might make the baby's head too hard for the mom to deliver easily? Have you ever heard of this? I asked my Ob but she said no.

Answer: Some midwives believe excessive calcium (beyond the upper tolerable intake of 2500g per day) may increase the rate of aging (calcification) of the placenta. However I haven't seen any studies that support this. But it is ALWAYS dangerous to exceed the upper tolerable level of any vitamin.

Question: Will taking in more calcium help teeth get whiter? If I continue to brush my teeth 3 times a day like I normally do and start taking calcium pills or liquid calcium will the calcium pills make my teeth whiter? I heard from someone that they took calcium pills everyday for a couple days and there teeth got white pretty fast. Thanks!

Answer: It must have been a coincidence that your friend's teeth turned white when she took calcium pills. Calcium pills will help strengthen your teeth but that's it. By the way: I just recently noticed that my friend's teeth were A LOT whiter than usual. I was pretty sure that she had gotten her teeth professionally whitened, but she said that she had actually just started using a new toothpaste. I've never seen results like this from a whitening toothpaste! Why not try it out, it's called Crest Pro-Health NIGHT. (I just bought a tube) Hope this helps =)

Question: Will taking calcium help a bone heal faster? My husband broke a bone in his foot and is in a cast. Would it be helpful for him to take a calcium supplement to help the bone heal better/faster?

Answer: yes - since i had my leg shattered (last December and it hasnt healed yet) i have been taking calcium with vitamin D, B-complex, vitamin C and Fish or Flax oil capsules. In the beginning i was told my leg might never heal but it did pretty good. Make sure he has a healthy diet - nothing fatty or too much sugar -it slows down healing process.

Question: Ever since i started taking calcium pills ive bin really thirsty every morning? in the morning i am like REALLY dehydrated i don't know why, n i take 3 calcium pills a day. but im fine the rest of the day. is this bad?

Answer: i suggest you up your water intake. if you're drinking soda STOP. since your weight and the mg of the pills isn't listed that's the best advice i can give you.

Question: Is 17 weeks pregnant already late to start taking calcium supplements or drinking milk? I take butter every day (a good amount) dried figs dates orange juice with calcium bread and my multivitamin has 20% calcium in it. Please advice (my doc's a jerk so I am in the process of looking for a new one)

Answer: You need to get on a good prenatal vitamin you can get one at the drug store for about 10 bucks! I also recommend taking TUMS you can use them as a calcium supplement and they taste good, well to me anyways. Good luck finding a better doctor!

Question: What are the benefits of taking extra Calcium? I started taking extra calcium (I take a Multivitam for people over the age of 50) because I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have noticed that it helps me to sleep better as well. Are there any other benefits?

Answer: There is some good information in the answers given, but some incorrect information as well. There are a few main points to make. First and foremost, your body can only absorb up to 600 mg of Calcium at any given point in time (which is why most multivitamins only have up to 500 mg per dose), so taking more than that in a dose can actually hurt you. If you take more than your body can absorb, it will NOT all be passed (although some can, not al of it will)... like other minerals, it can build up in your body and can contribute to gall stones, kidney stones, Calcium build-up, and other adverse health concerns. Another very important thing is to make sure you take other ingredients to help the absorption of the Calcium, which is why most Calcium products also have Vitamin D and/or K, Magnesium, or Boron among other things. Those other ingredients help the absorption of Calcium into your bones. If your doctor has recommended you take extra Calcium, make sure you know what amounts of the other vitamins/minerals you should take to work with the Calcium. As long as you take Calcium correctly and with the right synergistic ingredients, Calcium is primarily beneficial for bone health and structure, as well as the health of teeth and nails as has already been mentioned... but just adding Calcium alone (or too much at once) can cause more problems than the minor bone health aspects you may get. The source of Calcium doesn't matter as much as what you take with it, but Calcium is Calcium. Drinking more milk will put more Calcium in your system, so be mindful of that while you are taking Calcium supplements. I'm not sure what the other person was referring to about "artificial Calcium".... Calcium is processed from natural sources, whether those be mineral, bonemeal, or dairy (which is seldom in a supplement form). Some people take Calcium and/or Magnesium at night to help relax their body, but with all minerals, you need to make sure you're taking them for the right reason, not just as a sleep aid or something else. Good luck!

Question: Can taking calcium pills help growth? I really want to grow taller so if i take calcium pills (600mg) with 250mg of magnesium will it help me grow any taller? Also if i take it with the right food and exercise (not weight lifting) can it help? P.S i already know its more about genetics but im still not as tall as my dad and im a 17 year old male!

Answer: Good intake of calcium daily as found in various foodstuffs like tonned milk, banana, ragi, nachni, yogurt, my favourite nachos with cheese.. a best way i cud advice is to have milk shakes(chocolate, coffee flavoure) 2-3 times a day as an replacement for tea, coffee is a good alternative... Good sleep aftr exercises helps ur bones to relax and expand.. Atlest 8hrs good sleep at night... Remember food without exercises or exercises without food wont help you much. Also there are genetics n familial relationships related to height.. i.e if either ur parents are short heighted or either ur brother , sister.. than there are little chances for increase in height...BUT keep a positive attitude follow the daily regimen of food n exercises.If you goin to gym regularly, i wud advice not to perform any weight lifting exercises... stritctly NO.. Herbal Solutions: Being a medical student myself, the best advice i wud like to give is " sp height enhancer " These herbal growth remedies are found to be the permanent cure of short height. The herbal product can be bought from http://www.growtallersupplements.com The herbal product have a certain procedure for treating the short height. The herbs correct the chemical as well as hormonal imbalances which is the actual cause of the short height. These imbalances lead to the persistent short height and posture. The best thing about super-growth is that it is effective even after puberty. i hope i have given the best advice to u... Hoping u mark this as best answer in the options given... take care frnd Share the knowledge to othrs too if possible...

Question: Can a 16yr old male grow more by taking calcium tablets (800mg) a day? Hey guys, just started taking Calcium tablets and just wondering if it will work. I'm 16 years old and I'm 5' 7" (All my mates are way taller than me and so is the whole year group at my school). My dad didn't stop growing till 22 and he's 5' 10". Just wondering if this will help my growth. What other factors can help, just really curious! Thanks.

Answer: You will be as tall as you are going to be and no calcium replacement will change this.