HOW IMPORTANT IS CALCIUM?

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HOW IMPORTANT IS CALCIUM?

JoAnn Guest Dec 24, 2004 11:33 PST

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HOW IMPORTANT IS CALCIUM?

http://www.herbsfirst.com/NewsLetters/0898calcium.html

 

There is no element that is less understood and more ignorantly

applied than calcium and its compounds. Calcium is the great builder

of the structural parts of the body, not only of the bones and

ligaments, but the walls of the arteries, the heart, the walls of

the veins, the teeth, the epithelial and connective tissues.

 

It is also an integral and necessary element in both blood and lymph. We

 

know that many malnutritional diseases, such as rickets, and

cretinism (though of course there are other causes) are usually the

results of a deficiency of calcium.

 

At the same time, we know that excess of calcium is responsible for

arteriosclerosis, (or hardening of the arteries), also for scleroma

(or sclerosis of tissue, liver, skin, eyes and so forth).

 

In fact,we know that old age itself is brought about by a gradual

hardening

of the whole structural system through deposition of calcium

compounds that are insoluble and inorganic.

 

Calcium is little understood and often ignorantly administered.

 

While the young growing organism can use relatively large amounts of

calcium, a fully matured and solidified body requires less calcium.

 

For middle age, comparatively less than half the amount is

necessary. The older age requires a very small amount; above which

calcium becomes a very dangerous thing to use, often bringing about

most disastrous results, and yet never being thought of as the cause

of the chronic suffering, and sometimes death of the patient.

 

The calcium that does the trouble is the inorganic type.

Of course,

inorganic calcium cannot be used in the life process of the cell,

but forms instead the greatest number of obstructions to the normal

life processes of the human organism.

 

Organic calcium, as found in some foods and herbs, is distinctly

alkaline in reaction such as lemons, limes, oranges, cabbage,

cauliflower, celery, lettuce, string beans and onions; while others

have an acid reaction upon certain fluids and tissues such as milk,

cheese, peas, beans, lentils, cucumbers, radishes, fish, meat,

potatoes, and so forth.

 

Green and leafy vegetables contain calcium chloride, as do many

berries and herbs. Organic calcium chloride is found in red clover,

wheat bran, rhubarb, yellow dock, watercress, blue vervain,

motherwort, cactus, hawthorn berries, comfrey root, marshmallow, and

many others.

 

It is as though the good Lord knew that millions of us would suffer

with some heart trouble, and so made the remedy easily available.

Calcium chloride is a great heart tonic. In fact, it is so potent

and effective in its action upon a weak heart that the great English

scientist, Sir Lauder Brunton, said: " Heart failure, which so often

follows influenza and pneumonia, may be averted by the extended use

of calcium chloride. "

 

When we see how important calcium is in body action, we should never

use in our body something that will counteract calcium's power.

 

By the use of refined sugar, we are using a substance that is known as

a calcium destroyer.

 

As Dr. Bernard Jensen, D.C. - N.D., in his book You Can Master

Diseases, (copyright 1952, Bernard Jensen, Pub. Div., CA),

states:

 

" White sugar has been called a leacher of calcium. "

 

As soon as sugar enters the body, it goes directly into the blood

stream and commences removing the calcium it comes into contact with

and robs the cells of the calcium, from the arteries, veins,

capillaries, tissue, muscles, bones, etc.

 

A prospective mother is carrying the fetus in her womb. If she does

not have enough calcium in her body to supply the baby, as well as

herself, she is in trouble. The baby, by nature, will get first

choice and will draw from the mother's body any calcium it can get

for its' own survival. The fetus draws from the veins, arteries,

muscles, teeth and bones of the mother. This is the reason for so

much varicosity and loss of teeth during pregnancy.

 

The more sugars and starches (which turn to sugar) the mother

consumes,

the faster the drainage of calcium from her body, and

trouble from weakened areas.

 

 

FOREARM AND HIP FRACTURES MOST COMMON

 

" The principle clinical manifestation of osteoporosis is fracture. "

Dr. B. E. C. Nordin, professor of mineral metabolism at the

University of Luds, points out, " and three osteoporotic fracture

syndromes can be defined: the lower forearm fracture, which

predominantly affects women between the ages of 50 and 65; the

fracture of the proximal femur (the hip), which affects both sexes

over the age of seventy; and the relatively rare vertebral crush

fracture syndrome, which may be present at any age, but is most

common in elderly women " (British Medical Journal, March 13, 1971).

 

So you see that osteoporosis can not be taken lightly, and it most

certainly must be dealt with. Every one of us who approaches the

half-century mark in age is likely to encounter this unless we do

something about it preferably well in advance of that time.

 

Osteoporosis characteristically occurs in women after menopause and

is presumably related to low estrogen output--the female hormone

that dwindles when ovulation and the monthly periods cease.

In men,

fragile porous bones typically develops considerably later in life

and disorder is less severe. But though the disease is associated

with late middle age and old age, the process probably begins many

decades earlier.

 

" I would advise women to start calcium and Vitamin D supplements at

age 30, or perhaps 25, " says Dr. Jennifer Jowsey of the Mayo Clinic.

With the average American diet, there's apparently a long term

gradual loss of bone mineral exceeding the rate of mineral uptake

and bone formation. In later years, when hormonal changes increase

the susceptibility to osteoporosis, the skeleton has already lost a

good deal of its substance. By then, because of previous loss, the

rate of bone formation must not only equal the rate of bone

demineralization (the normal condition) but must exceed it if bone

strength is to be restored.

 

It is far more difficult, Dr. Jowsey warns, to induce new,

compensatory bone formation that it is simply to slow down bone

demineralization. Adequate calcium and Vitamin D in the diet will go

far to accomplish the latter.

But preliminary finds, the Mayo

scientist says, indicate that lost bone will not be automatically

restored by such dietary correction.

 

 

OSTEOPOROSIS, PUFF BY PUFF

 

We can believe from what Dr. Jowsey says that long term marginal

deficiency in calcium and Vitamin D is the principle villain in the

tragedy of osteoporosis.

 

However, other factors, too, influence bone

health. We now know, for example, that cigarettes contribute to bone

demineralization and that we should swear off smoking, supposing we

are still hooked on this altogether harmful habit.

 

In a letter appearing in the Journal of American Medical

Association, (July 31, 1972), Dr. Harry W. Daniell reports his

findings that heavy cigarette smoking appears to be a prominent

factor in inducing osteoporosis.

Dr. Daniell, who practices in

Reddings, California, was prompted to undertake his study when he

realized that most of his under 65 patients suffering from

osteoporosis were habitual heavy smokers. (When it occurs before 65,

osteoporosis is considered " premature " .) The west coast physician

and his associates then studied records from the three small

hospitals in the area, coming up with the cases of 17 women who have

had at least one characteristic osteoporotic bone fracture prior to

age 65. Follow-up interviews with the patients of surviving

relatives revealed that of the 17, only one was a non-smoker; one

smoked less than 20 cigarettes a day; and 15 of the 17 had smoked 20

or more cigarettes daily for many years. An 88 percent correlation

between heavy smoking and early incidence of osteoporosis

is " statistically significant! "

 

As to how cigarette smoking could so affect the bones, Dr. Daniell

points out that bone minerals (mostly calcium and phosphorus,

responsible for the bone's hardness) are " known to be strikingly

more soluble in acid solutions, " and cigarette smoking is known to

increase the acidity of bone tissue.

 

Thus the bone minerals could be

expected to dissolve and be absorbed into the bloodstream at a much

faster rate when smoking provides the acid environment.

 

Studies, have shown, Dr. Daniell says, that three consecutive

cigarettes cause a prompt transient hypercalcemia--or high content

of calcium in the blood.

 

This finding, he explains, suggests that

the act of smoking is associated with rapid calcium loss from bone

structures.

 

Still other factors can influence the onset of osteoporosis. Writing

in the British Medical Journal (June 2, 1973), Dr. P. E. Belchotz

and colleagues suggest that taking your calcium supplement just

before going to bed might make a difference in preventing excess

mineral loss.

 

Here's the rationale: regular meals during the day constantly

provide at least some calcium to the bloodstream. But calcium

absorption from the gut continues only three to five hours after

eating, and therefore from about midnight on, the lack of incoming

calcium from the intestinal tract triggers the action of the

parathyroid hormone (parathormone), which stimulates bone

demineralization or " resportion. " The female hormone, estrogen, the

authors note, to some extent, desensitizes bones to the action of

parathormone. But in postmenopausal women, this protection has been

reduced.

 

Initial clinical studies by the investigators tend to confirm their

hypotheses. S take your bone meal or dolomite just

before retiring and you may counteract those bad night hours when

your bones are most likely to dribble away their substance.

 

Another factor that triggers the action of parathormone, according

to Dr. Jowsey and her associates at the Mayo Clinic, is a mineral

imbalance, with phosphorus intake grossly exceeding calcium intake

(Postgraduate Medicine, October, 1972). Heavy meat-eaters are at

risk of this condition because meat, while very poor in calcium, has

a high phosphorus content.

 

It's meateaters unbalanced high

phosphorus intake, in Dr. Jowsey's opinion, that accounts for the

now established fact that longtime vegetarians are less susceptible

to osteoporosis than are omnivorous.

 

Bones that are osteoporotic are like beams in a frame house that

have been eaten away for years by termites. But instead of termites,

what's eating away the calcium from the bones of an osteoporotic

person is their own blood. That's because every nerve in the body--

including those which cause the heart to beat and the brain to

function--needs a precise amount of calcium to carry out its' job.

Our bodies are strictly programmed to keep this calcium at the

required level. And if there is not enough of this mineral coming in

from dietary sources, complex metabolic machinery immediately

removes this required amount from the legs, hips, spine, ribs and

arms.

 

Ordinarily this is a slow but relentless undermining process. But

with cortisone administrations, it is swift and relentless. Just as

bad, it usually produces no symptoms--until the patient discovers

that a minor bump or fall has broken an arm, a leg or worse of all,

a hip.

 

 

INCREASE RISK OF FRACTURES

 

An article on the subject was published in the newsletter (February,

1974) of the Jewish Hospital of St. Louis. It begins by pointing out

that cortisone and its derivatives are being administered to several

million patients in the United States who suffer from a number of

chronic disorders, rheumatoid arthritis being just one of them. But

is warns that however useful these compounds may be in alleviating

these disorders, they result in a number of serious side effects,

including the production of often severe bone loss with an

increasing risk of bone fractures.

 

It is not unusual for patients to have a loss of 30-50 percent of

their bone mass after several years of high-dose cortisone

treatment.

 

Dr. Theodore Hahn, a spokesman for a bone research team at the

Jewish Hospital, says it appears that cortisone directly blocks the

activity of the bone forming cells and at the same time decreases

intestinal absorption of calcium.

 

As is these two effects weren't

bad enough, the calcium deficiency in turn can produce " secondary

hormonal changes which increases bone breakdown. "

 

But Dr. Hahn and his co-workers have some good news for people who

have been taking cortisone drugs; large, but carefully controlled

doses of Vitamin D, along with calcium supplements, can reverse this

severe degeneration of the skeleton. The article " Preliminary

Results from a Group of 30 Patients Treated with this Regimen " ,

states indirectly that bone mass can be increased by as much as 25-

30 percent of over six month period, thereby greatly decreasing the

risk of bone fracture in cortisone treated patients.

 

 

DOCTORS ARE WARNED - BUT ARE PATIENTS?

 

How many people who are taking cortisone--all those several million

of them--are aware that the drug can cause brittle bones?

 

And how

many doctors are going to tell their patients that it is a good idea

to get substantially more calcium and Vitamin D into their diets

before they begin splintering their bones?

 

It does seem that many doctors pay scant attention to the possible

side effects of drug therapy, particularly when those side effects

are intimately linked to nutrition. This attitude seems to be

reflected even in the Merck Manual, a standard reference book for

physicians.

In the section on adrenocortical steroids, which

includes cortisone and its derivatives, the medical text says under

the subheading " Management during Long-Term Treatment " :

 

If back pain occurs, X-ray of the spine should be made for possible

osteopetrosis...If Pathologic fractures occur but the patient's

condition warrants continuation of hormonal therapy, additional

calcium and protein probably are more effective that the anabolic

steroids. "

 

No advice about giving more calcium as a preventive measure is

offered. Presumably, the doctor is not expected to do anything until

the patient begins complaining of back pain or comes in with a

fracture that results from a slight bump.

 

It has been mentioned in this article the difference between organic

and inorganic calcium, and other minerals.

 

The inorganic minerals

are the ones that can be accepted into the body, but not

assimilated.

 

The inorganic minerals are " accumulative " , lie in

deposits in weakened or injured parts of the body, to later give

'side effects' or after effects.

 

Often times in purchasing calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron,

zinc, etc., we buy minerals of the inorganic type that has not gone

through plant life and by osmosis made organic and given " life " so it

can be 'assimilated'.

 

The type that can be assimilated is from herbs,

fruits, vegetables, whole grains, raw nuts and seeds.

 

These are non-toxic, non-poisonous and non-habit forming, if chosen

by one who knows assimilable herbs.

 

We have been using a calcium

formula for years to aid our patients and students in regaining a

more perfect body structure.

 

The one way we can change the condition of the bowel structure is to

treat it like we would a sick plant, and we do not want to be guilty

of " casting seeds out on barren soil. " The bone must be fed, must be

given exercise, and must also be accompanied by faith--in knowing it

will improve.

 

One of the finest foods we have to furnish calcium is a calcium

formula we have used for many years. The combination of herbs used

in this herbal formula is:

 

 

Herbal Calcium Formula

 

Horsetail Grass: Contains manganese, zinc, silicon, iron, magnesium,

chlorine, sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorus.

 

Nettle: Contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron and allantoin.

 

Oat Straw: Contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium,

chlorine, magnesium and iron.

 

Lobelia: Contains potassium, sodium, iron, phosphorus and calcium.

 

In these four herbs, which work together so well, you will notice

they are all high in calcium, high in potassium and have all the

other minerals needed in the construction of bone--all accentuated

with allantoin from the comfrey leaf for the speeding of cell

proliferation.

 

Vitamin D is always needed in bone construction and this comes from

the powerful sun. By following the routine of the three oil massage

program, Vitamin D can be obtained in adequate amounts, without

burning.

 

This program consists of entire body massage with castor

oil each day for two days, the next two days with olive oil and the

following two days with wheat germ oil.

 

Rest one day and repeat this

cycle week after week. Immediately after the oil massage, lie in the

sun--entire bare body exposed--two minutes first day on front and

two minutes on back. Each additional day add two minutes front and

back. With this procedure there will be no burn. In fifteen days in

the sun you are up to one hour a day. Also eat plenty of whole,

presoaked (in pure water) and low- heated grains and plenty of good

fresh green

vegetables such as watercress.

 

 

ACTIVITY FORTIFIES THE BONES

 

In 1970, at the annual meeting of the Swedish Medical Society held

in Stockholm, Drs. Nils Westlin and Bo Nilsson of Malmo, Sweden

reported that when they measured bone densities in young men they

found that 64 athletes had significantly higher bone density that 39

non-athletes of the same age. Density was found to rise with

increases in physical activity (Medical Tribune, February 6, 1970).

 

Dr. Carlton Fredericks has said that women with bones weakened by

osteoporosis should, if they are capable of doing it, skip rope as a

means of therapeutic exercise. The impact on the spine, vertically

exerted, generates the electrical forces that drive calcium to the

bone areas requiring reinforcement (The Carlton Fredericks

Newsletter of Nutrition, July 1, 1972).

 

Obviously, an elderly man or woman isn't suddenly going to take up

jumping rope after having not exercised for several years. But much

the same effect could be gained from walking. A brisk walk at least,

for those unable to perform more vigorous exercise, is essential if

bones are to stay healthy.

 

Over the years of practice I have had a number of patients who have

had broken bones from osteoporosis. One case was a woman in her

middle eighties with a fractured hip. After three months in a cast

it showed no sign of healing, any more than two pieces of stick

growing together. This woman was frightened because she was told

that if the hip bones did not knit after putting on another cast for

three months, they would cut her leg open and use stainless steel

rods, bolts and nuts to make it possible for her to at least get

around on crutches.

 

This was in the early sixties and not much comfrey was available

then. The lady's daughter was in one of my classes, and we asked the

students to help out by donating as much comfrey as they could. We

had enough donated from the class members that the patient had from

a pint to a quart of comfrey green drink or comfrey tea each day,

six days a week, week after week. At the end of this " three months, "

the cast was removed and the doctors were amazed, because during the

first three months were was " no knitting " of the bone even evident,

but with the comfrey being taken orally during the next three-month

period the leg was healed. The daughter told us her mother was out

square dancing within a couple of weeks after the cast was removed!

 

 

Testimonials

 

1. Tooth Grows Back: My oldest daughter age 13 now, had a dental

cavity at age 7 (the only dental cavity among our six children). We

had the cavity drilled out and a filling put in by our local

dentist. Two years later, the filling came out and a hole was left

in her tooth. Nothing more was done about it except the herbal

calcium formula [Calc Tea] that you recommend in your book, School

of Natural Healing, made up of: comfrey, horsetail, oatstraw, and

lobelia. This combination of herbs has been used very consistently

by the entire family over the last two years. We have recently

discovered that the hole where the filling was is now completely

grown over and is absolutely unnoticeable even under close

inspection.

 

2. Insomnia Cured: I have found great relief by taking Dr.

Christopher's calcium formula and thyroid formula through the night

which was recommended in his " How Important is Calcium " newsletter.

I have recommended this treatment to others and to my mother and

they all have found it helps their insomnia also. -A.R., Williston,

ND

 

Newletter Volume 1 Number 11, used by permission.

return to newsletters

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-DISCLAIMER

 

The information provided here is for educational purposes only, and

should not be used to diagnose and treat diseases. If you have a

serious health problem, we recommend that you consult a competent

health practitioner.

 

After each product is a list of what it has been used to aid. We are

not claiming that the product will cure any of these diseases or

that we created them to cure these disorders. We are merely

reporting that people have used the product to aid these conditions.

 

Finally, we wish to caution you that the information on this web

site is for educational purposes only. Always consult with a

qualified health practitioner before deciding on any course of

treatment, especially for serious or life-threatening illnesses.

_________________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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