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Dr. Mercola
July 17 2007

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The Best Way to Get Enough Calcium

A new study suggests that calcium from food sources may be more effective than calcium from supplements. It found that women who get most of their daily calcium from food sources have healthier bones and greater bone density, even though those who took more supplements tended to have higher average levels of calcium.

Researchers asked 183 postmenopausal women to document their diet over the course of a week, after which their bone mineral density and estrogen were tested. Women who got at least 70 percent of their daily calcium from food sources instead of supplements took in the least calcium (830 milligrams per day, on average), but higher spine and hip bone density than women consuming 1,030 milligrams of calcium per day primarily from supplement sources.

Women who got calcium in relatively even amounts from both food and supplemental sources had both the highest bone mineral density and the highest calcium intake (1,620 milligrams per day).

Calcium from dietary sources is usually more completely absorbed than calcium from supplements, which could explain the difference. Women who got getting calcium from foods also had higher estrogen levels; estrogen is needed to maintain bone mineral density. The connection between dietary calcium and estrogen is as yet unknown, although it could be the result of eating plant sources containing the hormone.

Those who got calcium from food sources might have also taken in more vitamin D, which would aid in calcium absorption.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition May 2007, Vol. 85, No. 5, 1428-1433

Yahoo News June 27, 2007


Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This study bears out what common sense would tell you: getting calcium from food is far better than getting it from a pill. But for many of us common sense is not very common and we seek to maximize our convenience and swallow our vitamins and minerals conveniently rather than focus on receiving them from high quality supplements.

Ah, if life were just that easy that simply swallowing a few pills would solve our nutritional needs. While supplements of course can be useful, they should be viewed just as that, supplements to a high quality diet that is used in addition to not in place of a high quality diet.

As often happens when it comes to food, quality is more important than quantity; even though the women taking supplements had higher average levels of calcium, the women who got their calcium from food had stronger bones. Calcium from food is simply better absorbed and utilized by your body than synthetic calcium from a pill.

The best food source of calcium out there is that from raw milk (NOT conventional, pasteurized milk) and other raw dairy products. Dark green, leafy vegetables is another great source of calcium. Of course, it’s not just calcium that you’re better off getting from whole foods, it’s all nutrients. Your best choice is always to favor getting nutrients the way nature intended.

Vitamin D is also important for calcium absorption, so along with your raw milk and vegetables, make sure that you are getting plenty of safe sun exposure this summer. Because of this, adequate vitamin D levels help to prevent osteoporosis and hip fractures.

You should also remember that, just as exercise and diet work in tandem to beat obesity, the same can be said for osteoporosis. Strengthening bone mass, especially during puberty, can build a good foundation that can last a lifetime. In fact, there is a stronger connection between exercise and improved bone density among teens than taking calcium.Finally, make sure your diet contains healthy levels of omega-3 fats, which are the stealth dietary weapon in preserving your bone density. Even many nutritionists are not aware of the important relationship between healthy bones and optimal fat intake.


Related Links:

  Calcium May Help Those Trying To Lose Weight

  Low-Fat, High-Fiber Diet May Lower Calcium Absorption

  Calcium Supplements Not Equally Effective




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Posted On Jun 29, 2007
A little off the main point but bone density does not equal bone strength. You can have very dense but fragile bones.
The DEXA machines usually used to measure bone density, and are considered the gold standard, measures your bone's density to that of a young healthy white female at peak bone density. Why should my 60 year old mother be told to take Fosamax or some other poison because her bones do not compare to that of a 20 something white female at peak bone density? Her doctor all but told her that her bones were going to crumble if she did not take the drug because of this reason. I have had my mother lifting weights for years. She can squat and deadlift her own bodyweight. I know she has strong bones. Those DEXA machines do NOT measure bone strength. Low bone density by itself does not mean you will fracture easily. 
Not to mention bone density varies by race, age, and even season. I think this test just like cholesterol and many others are only used to get you on drugs or to start popping 2,000 mgs calcium a day. That is it.  

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Posted On Jun 29, 2007
Excellent point!

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Posted On Jul 02, 2007
phooey, the Dexa bone scan is another revenue generator, pure and simple.  Waste of insurance money and personal time.  MD's are constantly looking to make more money due to lower reimbursement.

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Posted On Jun 28, 2007
Best way to protect your bones and your overall health is to eat your "native diet" , PROPER EXERCISE,sleep etc, forget all this garbage about this supplement and that supplement. There are so much more to bone health that can imagined, it'll make you dizzy.
Keep and live as close as possible to nature and we'll be fine.....

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Posted On Jun 28, 2007
And what good does it do to ingest calcium in a form that the body can't recognize anyway?

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Posted On Jun 28, 2007
THey should compare the amount of milk and the source of milk in the diet only group.  They might find some interesting answers

Mary

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Posted On Jun 30, 2007
Its easy to make calcium citrate at home. Egg shells are high in calcium. Take 1 raw egg and place in a jar. Top up with raw lemon juice until the egg is covered. Then place in fridge for 24 to 36 hours. Gently remove the egg ( it will be soft as the calcium hardness of the shell is leached into the lemon) and use the liquid as you home made calcium supplement. This is an excellent and absorbable form of calcium that is cheap. Add it to your salad dressings or just drink a tablespoon per day with water. Remember that acid leaches the calcium out of your bones in the same way.
Oh , exercise and weights in particular help keep bones strong. love Dom ox

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Posted On Jun 30, 2007
Thanks, dom!  I have also heard that placing organic eggshells in Bragg apple cider vinegar is a good way to make a calcium supplement-same idea, different solvent.

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Posted On Jul 02, 2007
Thank you very much for this recipe. 

I have one question that I hope you can answer.  Do you wash your eggs and how?  It is my understanding that salmonella is on the eggshell and not in the egg unless the egg is cracked.

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Posted On Jul 02, 2007
I just wash the eggs in warm water. I have not heard of anyone getting salmonella from this recipe in all the years we have been making it.  Dom ox

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Posted On Jul 17, 2007

I have made calcium citrate at home by adding 12 organic eggshells to ACV.  Let it ferment for 2 weeks and then refrigerate it.  Very easy to do.

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Posted On Jul 17, 2007

Hi Dom -

Any idea of how much calcium (mg) is produced and/or absorbed by using the raw egg shell/lemon juice method?  Just curious. And what about the balance of Magnesium that is necessary?  Great post!

Karen in CO

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Posted On Jul 01, 2007
I very much prefer getting my calcium from my foods.  Supplements just cause calcium bumps in the skin of my face - fat lot of good it does me there!  Rarely mentioned, but naturally high in calcium, are almonds.  I both eat almonds and use an unsweetened almond milk (also naturally high in calcium) to make fruit smoothies that don't shoot my blood sugar sky-high.  I eat raw milk cheeses (mail ordered) and yogurt I make myself from raw milk I purchase at a natural foods store in my area.  (Sadly, one of our raw milk dairies is going out of business - I pray that doesn't happen to any others.) 

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