The Calcium Conundrum

The Calcium Conundrum

Every woman that walks into the clinic has been told the same thing by their physician ... take more calcium. Particularly post-menopausal women have been programmed to think that calcium is the key to their bone health. In fact, that is far from the truth, so let’s talk about why osteopenia, osteoporosis and arthritis for that matter, seem to be in every woman’s health future.

So when we talk about the bones needing lots of calcium, what exactly do the bones do with all that calcium? The answer is .... nothing. The bones are literally closets and storage spaces for calcium because the real calcium users are the skin, your immune system, every single muscle, connective tissue and in fact just about every system of the body. Many descriptions of calcium imply that calcium is the reason for the strength of bones and teeth. But in fact it is the matrix of bone that determines its strength. Even the National Institutes of Health states that “Bone strength is determined by bone geometry, cortical thickness and porosity, trabecular bone morphology and intrinsic properties of bony tissue.” No mention of calcium...

Why then do our bones develop weakness and conditions like osteoporosis? The answer is because when our body function runs out of calcium, it races to the bones and teeth and begins to extract calcium to meet the demands that the body has. In order to get the calcium out of storage, the body has to break down the matrix of bone in order to free up minerals. So the loss of calcium is a reason for the loss of bone, but simply taking calcium won’t bring the bone back. Why you ask? Because the matrix of the bone has been compromised and without restoring that calcium won’t be absorbed and held in the bone. The closet door was smashed open (must have forgotten where the key was), the calcium was taken out and it’s no good trying to put it back without fixing the door.

This is where the statement by the NIH comes into play. It is describing the facets of the matrix of bone and it is this matrix that needs to be restored in order to have a place for calcium to be held. Since the 1980s, orthopedic surgery has used special complexes that can be inserted into joint spaces which will grow new bone and cartilage tissue. These are called Bone Morphagenetic Proteins (BMPs) and they essentially stimulate and activate the growth factors for connective tissue stem cells, bone and cartilage tissue. Along with BMPs the body requires large amounts of amino acids and essential fatty acids which provide the building blocks for BMPs and the lubrication for healthy joint fluid.

Once the matrix is restored, you then have a place for calcium to bind. If you don’t do the matrix building first, then all the calcium you take will remain in the blood stream and this is believed to be a primary reason for higher rates of cardiovascular events in women. Higher calcium in the blood increases the deposit of calcium into smaller blood vessels (potential for blood clots) and in hollow organs such as the gallbladder and the kidneys (forming stones). Also higher levels of available calcium in the blood can be deposited within tissues causing increased muscle tension, cramps and constipation.

The final piece is supporting all the ways in which calcium is absorbed to the matrix. You may not realize that the thyroid is not alone in its little location in the neck. It is surrounded by four smaller glands called the parathyroid glands. These overlooked glands have four functions and every one of them is related to calcium. They secrete a hormone known as PTH which controls the release of calcium from the bones into the blood. It also controls the absorption of calcium from your food in the intestines and stimulates the kidneys to conserve calcium and support vitamin D strength. So this means these are the core of your calcium control center. Now there is a very good reason for them to surround the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is like the parent ... it releases calcitonin which prevents the action of the parathyroid glands by reducing blood calcium levels. The lesson here is that if you are chronically hypothyroid or you have had your thyroid removed, just what do you think the effect is on your parathyroid glands and your calcium utilization capability? I shudder to think!

Let me end by saying that if you are concerned about your bone health as you age, then you need to look at much more than your blood calcium level. Easy ways to do this is to increase your protein intake, boost your stomach digestive action, drown yourself in essential fatty acids and get on some natural thyroid support. If you start with that, then you’re on the right road. If you already have bone loss, then you need to get going with a complete overhaul of your bone matrix before you pick up a bottle of calcium. Your bones will thank you!

Karen Clickner, ND is the owner of Conscious Body Natural Medicine, Inc., in Westborough, MA. For more information visit www.consciousbodynatmed.com