The Dr. Josh Axe Show - 10 Signs You Have a Calcium Deficiency (How to Boost Calcium Naturally)

Starting point is 00:00:00 If you've been doing everything right, eating clean, exercising, but somehow you're still not feeling your best, your energy's dragging, your memory is slipping and it's frustrating because you know there's more to your potential. Well, what if the issue isn't just in your routine, but it's deep down inside your cells? You know, you're investing in the best supplements, working out regularly and sticking to a clean diet. but if your cells are stuck in what's called cell danger response, all the hard work might not be paying off as it should. Think of your cells like a house under renovation. You can bring in the highest quality materials like the best supplements in clean foods, but if the workers inside the house or are on lockdown because of a storm, nothing gets done. The materials just pile up unused. That's what happens when your cells are in CDR. They can't.

Starting point is 00:00:55 fully use the good stuff you're giving them. Getting out of CDR, the cell danger response, is the key to unlocking your body's full potential. When your cells are no longer in protective mode, they can finally use the nutrients, hormones, and energy you're working so hard to provide. That's when everything starts to click. Your energy improves, your workouts become more efficient, and you start to feel like yourself again. Go to beyond bloodwork.com. to learn how to break free from cell danger response and make the effort pay off. Hey everyone, welcome to Dr. Josh Axe show. I'm your host, Dr. Axe.

Starting point is 00:01:37 And each and every week on this podcast, we dive deep into the science and principles behind how to grow in body, mind, spirit, and take your health in your life to the next level. Today I'll be talking about calcium. And it is mind-blowing how many people are deficient in this mineral. And it's essential for building strong bones and teeth. but it also plays a major role in how your heart, your muscles, and your nerves function. And while most people associate calcium with dairy products, there are actually many other foods that are high in calcium. And here's another thing.

Starting point is 00:02:08 You are probably going to be shocked to find out how important calcium is to a number of other functions in the body that are crucial for healing. And in this episode, I'll also explore the importance of calcium, how it works in the body, the signs that you might be deficient, and the best sources of calcium. Here's the other big one. Did you know that if you take calcium without certain other vitamins and minerals, you won't absorb it and you'll actually increase your risk of dying from heart disease? So there's a very, very specific way you need to take calcium and a very specific type of supplement if you want it to work right in your body or else it could actually make your health worse. Before I dive in, though, make sure to subscribe here to the podcast and to my weekly newsletter that you can find in the show notes.

Starting point is 00:02:56 So calcium deficiency is really widespread, partly because many people don't get enough calcium-rich foods in their diet. According to the World Health Organization, calcium intake in many countries is below the recommended levels, particularly in populations that rely less on dairy products. Up to 68% of post-menopausal women are estimated to have insufficient calcium levels. And a global study published in the prestigious Lancet Journal show that more than one in three adults worldwide suffer from low bone mass largely due to inadequate calcium intake. And calcium is critical for anti-aging and longevity. Because if you have weak bones or insufficient calcium,

Starting point is 00:03:46 your chance of fractures or even tendon and ligament issues and injuries goes up dramatically. And calcium is like a building block for many other functions within your body. While we often think of calcium as key to bone health, it's actually critical to so much more. Now, in reality, around 99% of the calcium in your body is stored in your bones and your teeth. But also it's important for muscle function. Calcium helps muscles contract without it. Your muscles wouldn't work properly.

Starting point is 00:04:16 It's important for nerve communication. Calcium enables nerves to send signals to your cells and organs and tissues. and it's also important for blood clotting. If you don't have enough calcium, you can't have healthy blood. Calcium plays a role in helping your blood clot when you have an injury or something like a cut. There's medical evidence showing that it's really, really important as well for preventing bone fractures.

Starting point is 00:04:41 In fact, the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published a study confirming that calcium deficiency contributes to weakened bones, which increases the risk of fractures in men and women. One of the biggest things that can kill elderly people is if they would fall and have a break of a bone, especially hip fractures, are very high up on that list. So you want to make sure you have strong bones to slow the aging process and keep you younger, longer. Now, calcium is also important for heartbeat regulation. Your heart depends on calcium to keep a steady rhythm, also preventing osteoporosis.

Starting point is 00:05:16 Of course, we've talked about the breaking bones. That's one of the biggest cause of osteoporosis. is calcium deficiency. Now, the amount of calcium we need each day is actually relatively high. Adults between the ages of 19 and 50 need about 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, just as the minimum dosage. Women that are 51 plus need 1,200 milligrams a day. And these levels help ensure your bones remain strong

Starting point is 00:05:45 and your muscles and heart functioning properly. Now, here are the 10 biggest warning signs you may have a calcium deficiency. Number one is muscle cramps. Now, muscle cramps tend to be an entire electrolyte deficiency. So it's not just calcium. It's also magnesium and potassium. But all of those electrolytes, if you're deficient in calcium, you're probably also deficient in the others as well. But muscle cramping is a big, big sign. You are electrolyte and calcium deficient. Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet. Brittle nails. If you have thin and brittle nails and they break easily, that's one of the biggest signs of calcium deficiency.

Starting point is 00:06:23 Tooth decay. Weak bones, of course, osteopenia or osteoporosis, fatigue, irregular heartbeats, memory loss, severe PMS symptoms, and dry skin and eczema. These are all warning signs you could have a calcium deficiency. Now, you can do a calcium blood test. This is the most common way to measure calcium levels in your body. It shows how much calcium is in your bloodstream. Now, though it doesn't measure the calcium stored in your bone,

Starting point is 00:06:50 it still can be fairly accurate. Now, another really good test to do is a bone density test known as a Dexas scam. And this test measures how strong your bones are and can detect early signs of bone loss, which may result from a calcium deficiency. You can also do a 24-hour urine test. This measures the amount of calcium your body is excreting, giving insights into how well your body is absorbing calcium.

Starting point is 00:07:15 However, probably the blood test is the most specific to, an actual calcium deficiency. And there are certain groups of people that are more predisposed to a calcium deficiency, older adults, and here's the biggest reason why. When we age, our gut microbiome typically becomes more unhealthy. And from that, we don't absorb calcium as well, okay? So so many things always come back to the gut health.

Starting point is 00:07:44 And so that's one major issue in a lot of older adults is they don't absorb calcium well. So even if they're getting 1,000 milligrams, they might not be absorbing most of it. Postmenopausal women, hormonal changes after menopause lead to faster bone loss, requiring higher calcium intake. Now, part of that can be due to estrogen dropping as well as testosterone. When those hormones drop in women, that actually impacts a lot of things, your adrenals and then your kidneys, but also your bones and how much calcium your body is storing. And so those hormonal changes predisposed women, especially women, to weaker bones. And then vegans, people who avoid dairy products may not get enough calcium from plant sources,

Starting point is 00:08:32 putting them at a bigger risk. And this is according to medical data. Certain conditions in Medicaid, by the way, that doesn't mean that you couldn't be a vegan or, of course, a vegetarian doesn't have an issue at all because vegetarians also eat dairy and, and eggs, and those are two good, can be great sources of calcium. But vegans, if you're eating a lot of plant plants, you don't have to have an issue. The problem is a lot of vegans today are eating a lot of processed foods, and they're not actually getting absorbable real calcium.

Starting point is 00:09:05 I also want to mention there are certain medications that can reduce calcium levels in the body, in certain medical conditions. For instance, people with any sort of gut issue, especially inflammatory bowel disease like Crohn's disease, also of colitis. Ciliacs disease, IBS, leaky gut, that affects calcium absorption. Now, kidney disease is another big one that can lead to calcium loss. And then certain medications, diuretics, anything that's a diuretic, things that like diuretics use to treat high blood pressure, can cause calcium loss in the urine.

Starting point is 00:09:38 Long-term use of any steroids like corticosteroids for conditions like asthma or arthritis, these lead to a reduced calcium absorption in the gut, which then leads to bone. loss. Now, there are several nutrients that are also essential for calcium absorption. The first is vitamin D. Vitamin D works like a gatekeeper, helping your body absorb calcium from the food you eat. Without vitamin D, your body cannot use calcium efficiently. This is also why if you have low vitamin D, that's not the only problem because now you're going to be low in calcium and magnesium and other nutrients if you're low in vitamin D. So it's sort of this domino effect. So in order to absorb calcium, Number one, you need vitamin D.

Starting point is 00:10:20 Number two, you need magnesium. It works together with calcium to keep bones strong and support muscle function and even for absorption and vitamin K2. This helps direct calcium to where it needs to go the most your bones. And it prevents it from accumulating in your arteries. Which brings me to the next study. And this is one of the most important things I can share with you about calcium. if you take the wrong type of calcium without the other minerals and vitamins I just mentioned, it can actually cause heart disease.

Starting point is 00:10:55 Now, I'm going to go through the exact calcium supplements here, and then I'm going to hit on this study that's going to really probably surprise you. Now, the first calcium supplement here is calcium citrate. It's one of the most highly absorbable forms of calcium. Calcium citrate does not require stomach acid for absorption, making it ideal for people with low stomach acid or those taking an acid. So if you have low stomach acid, you magnesium citrate could be okay for you. Studies show that calcium citrate is about 27% more absorbable than calcium carbonate.

Starting point is 00:11:26 By the way, calcium carbonate is the type of calcium in most cases. I do not want you taking. We'll get to that in a moment. There's also calcium citrate malate. It's more well absorbed even than this one than just calcium citrate on its own. The third type, and this is one I really like, is a algae-based calcium. It's a marine-source calcium. When you are buying certain brands like ancient nutrition, Garden of Life, Longevity RX,

Starting point is 00:11:58 mega-food, like any of those food brands that are known to be, I'm sorry, supplement brands that are known to be food-based supplement companies, they tend to use an algae-based or an eggshell-based or, basically a food as the base of the calcium source. Okay. And the reason of that is it's highly bioavailable due to its natural plant form. And my favorite tends to be derived from either red algae or kelp. And the great thing about those is those also contain other trace minerals that could aid in calcium absorption.

Starting point is 00:12:35 And there are many benefits there. It's eco-friendly. If you are vegan, that of course is a benefit. But also there's other trace minerals there that are great. And some studies suggest that trace minerals and algae-based calcium improve its absorption compared to the others that I don't like, like calcium carbonate, and I'll tell you why in a minute. Now, another option is eggshell. Okay, eggshell calcium has good bioavailability with studies showing it is well absorbed to the matrix of proteins and additional minerals present. Now, in eggshell, there's actually a membrane attached that also is collagen, which may also be beneficial in working.

Starting point is 00:13:12 with calcium to build strong bones. And as I mentioned, if you have an eggshell option, it's going to have collagen, it's going to have calcium and maybe some other minerals as well to build your bones. Studies have shown that eggshell calcium calcium can be highly absorbable and a sustainable option of calcium, and it's one of my favorite options though. So if I'm personally buying calcium, I'm tending to do an allergy or an eggshell as my options. Now, the type of calcium you don't want to be taking typically is calcium carbonate. This requires a lot of stomach acid. And so if you're not producing stomach acid, that's one thing that's not going to allow you to absorb it and

Starting point is 00:13:56 utilize it. And the side effects can be severe on your digestive system. It can cause constipation, bloating, and gas. In some cases, excessive intake can lead to hypercalcemia, which leads to kidney stones. And though widely available and causing, effective by the way it probably is the most common form of calcium people are taking okay if you are going and buying a calcium supplement from your local drug store or a cheap supermarket chain it probably has calcium carbonate and it's probably causing you to have digestive issues and increasing your risk of kidney

Starting point is 00:14:33 issues and heart disease now while calcium carbonate is effective at actually raising your blood levels of calcium the issue is that it can cause medical issues and it's even been linked to heart disease. There's a debate in the medical community regarding the safety of calcium carbonate supplements and their potential link to an increased risk of heart disease, particularly when consumed in large doses or without adequate vitamin D or vitamin K2.

Starting point is 00:15:01 Some studies have shown that taking high doses of calcium supplements may contribute to calcification of the arteries leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, as heart attacks and strokes. A notable 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that calcium supplements, again, calcium supplements, not dietary calcium, but calcium supplements were associated with an increased risk of coronary artery calcification.

Starting point is 00:15:34 This study suggested that excess calcium from supplements might deposit in the arteries potentially increasing the risk of heart disease. So here's what happens. You consume a cheap calcium supplement like calcium carbonate from limestone. It then circulates in your bloodstream, but it can't be absorbed because it doesn't have vitamin D and vitamin K2 and calcium. So then it goes while it's in your arteries, it can get lodged in plaque in your arteries in cholesterol. And then over time, that calcium will harden, causing a hardening of your arteries, making your arteries more narrow. and over time as they get more narrow, that predisposes you to a stroke or a heart attack or some sort of heart disease in the future.

Starting point is 00:16:19 Another study proved this, in fact, a 2011 study published and the British Medical Journal analyzed 13 randomized placebo-controlled studies among nearly 30,000 participants and found that calcium supplements increased the risk of a heart attack by 20 to 30 percent, particularly when not. not taken with a vitamin D supplement at the same time. So here's the reality. When you are getting your vitamins and minerals, you need to be either getting them from real food or getting them from real food plus food-based supplements. For instance, a calcium supplement that's made of algae and eggshell and things you can actually consume naturally within your diet.

Starting point is 00:17:01 Now, I do want to mention there are a few studies that show, like a 2012 meta-analysis, that calcium supplementation may, not cause cardiovascular risk, but it's less than 50%. So more than 50%, I think it's around 64%, show that if you're consuming an isolated calcium supplement, it is likely to cause heart disease. Okay, so you want to stay away from isolated calcium. And if you're taking calcium, you want to make sure that same supplement also has magnesium and vitamin D and K2 in it, ideally for proper absorption. So remember when taking calcium supplements, your number one source should be algae.

Starting point is 00:17:42 Number two, eggshell. Number three, and there are some different thoughts related to this bone meal, can be an option. This is basically bones of animals that are ground. And so that is an option for some. And then coral calcium, I think it's arguable. I think it could be a good option. I personally feel like the best options are algae and eggshell. And then even sesame seeds.

Starting point is 00:18:08 There are certain seeds that are very high in calcium. And so there are some other plant-based options that can be extracted from, which could be good options as well. But remember, your number one source of calcium by far should be the food you're eating on a regular basis. A study of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that individuals who consumed high calcium diets or took high calcium supplements, had a reduce risk of bone fractures by 30%. So we do know that eating a calcium-rich diet or taking a food-based calcium supplement can be greatly beneficial. Now, here are your best sources of calcium. Number one is dairy products, especially raw, organic, and fermented.

Starting point is 00:18:52 Yogurt. One cup of yogurt contains around 415 milligrams of calcium. That's over 40% of your daily needs. One slice of cheese has two. 200 milligrams. Raw organic milk, 300 milligrams, kefir, very similar to yogurt there. So doing raw, and again, I say this again, ideally raw, at the very least organic and fermented, dairy, as natural as possible is what you want here, is going to be the best. After that, what's also greatly beneficial are steamed greens, like steamed spinach and kale. That will offer

Starting point is 00:19:31 you around 200 plus milligrams of calcium per serving. And then after that, it's going to be certain nuts and seeds. Chia seeds, one ounce provides 180 milligrams. Almonds around 80 milligrams. Sesame seeds are great as well. So doing some nuts and seeds. Those can have good sources of calcium. I'm not a big fan of tofu. That does have a good amount, though. Meringa is very high in calcium. Wildca caught fish like sardines. Certain other green vegetables. like bok choy and broccoli are very high and dried figs as well. So if you want to build up your calcium levels, I would take this food list I just shared with you of the top calcium-riched foods and add those into your diet on a daily basis. Now, in addition, there's an herb that's

Starting point is 00:20:17 been used in Chinese medicine to boost bone density. It's called nettles. And this herb is rich in calcium and has been used for centuries to strengthen bones. Also, remember, lifestyle can support calcium absorption and building your bones. Exercise in particular weight-bearing exercise, like lifting weights, walking, running, all can build bone density, again, especially weight training. And then using other ancient remedies, bone broth has been consumed for centuries that's simmering the bones and tissues of animals and drinking the broth. Actually, that broth that you get has calcium, magnesium, and potassium in it, which is also going to help your calcium levels and your bone density. And as I mentioned, listen, calcium is important for bones, but it's also important

Starting point is 00:21:06 for your ligaments and tendons. It's important for your teeth. It's important for your muscles, your heart, your nerves, even your energy levels. And if you do recognize any of those top 10 deficiencies, make sure you start loading up on calcium rich foods and supplements that are food-based and follow the lifestyle changes we talked about, like more exercise, like weight training and walking, that's going to help boost the bone density and support your calcium absorption as well. One of the thing that may support calcium absorption is probiotics. We know across the board that supports vitamin and mineral absorption. So again, I really recommend that you make sure you're getting calcium. Here's the other great thing. If you're eating a lot of those calcium rich foods,

Starting point is 00:21:48 typically a lot of those same foods also have magnesium. And so what you probably just need to do is you probably need to take a supplement with vitamin D and K2 or get more sunshine, just be outdoors more, and that's going to help those calcium levels as well. But remember, do not take isolated, synthetic calcium supplements that come from stones, okay? Those can increase your risk of a heart attack or a stroke. You want to make sure these, and this is just a principle across the board when you're buying vitamins and supplements. Make sure they are food-based or as much like food as possible and that they're not synthetic because there's always a side effect when you're doing those synthetic nutrients.

Starting point is 00:22:31 I want to say thanks so much for tuning in here to the Dr. Josh Axe. Remember each and every week I'm diving deep into the principles and the science behind how you can heal and grow in body, mind, and spirit. And make sure to subscribe, like, and share. I've been doing a series here on vitamins and minerals. If you haven't seen them, make sure and go back. and watch the one on magnesium and on vitamin D and all of your different favorite vitamins and minerals, you can become an expert on vitamins and minerals and nutrition.

Starting point is 00:23:00 If you listen to the entire series I put out on vitamins, minerals, and some of these other supplements, I think it'll benefit you, your family, and others greatly. By the way, I'm so grateful for all of you that are sharing this information, that are on mission with me, that are subscribers. Thank you so much. I can't wait to see you on the next episode.

The Dr. Josh Axe Show - 10 Signs You Have a Calcium Deficiency (How to Boost Calcium Naturally)

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