Calcium (Ca)

Optimal Result: 32 - 64 Units.

Calcium is found in every cell throughout the body. Over ninety percent is found stored in the bones and teeth.

- Calcium is regulated by the thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal and pituitary gland. It’s use in the body is involved in maintaining the acid alkaline balance.

- It is necessary for normal blood clotting, nerve conduction, muscle contraction and relaxation, cell division, heart rate, and maintenance of the bones and teeth.

- It is a primary extra-cellular element.
- Excellent quality bioavailable calcium is lacking in the diets of most people. The main food sources are raw and organic dairy products, carrots and carrot juice and a few other vegetable sources such as nuts and seeds. However, when cows milk is pasteurized and homogenized, calcium availability declines greatly. As a result, most people are not benefitting enough from the calcium in the milk, cheese and yogurt they are consuming.

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Sources Of Calcium

Seafood - sardines, caviar, smelt
Animal products - egg yolks
Nuts/seeds - almonds, sesame seeds, filberts
Vegetables - kale, collards, mustard greens, turnip greens
Dairy - cheeses, milk
Miscellaneous - molasses, kelp, brewer's yeast, torula yeast

Roles In The Body

About 99% of our calcium is found in bone structures. However, calcium is essential for four other critical roles:

Cell Membrane Regulation - affecting cell permeability, muscle contraction and nerve impulse conduction.
Body Fluid Regulation - affecting blood clotting, acidity and alkalinity.
Regulation of cell division  
Regulation of hormone secretion - insulin

Functions Of Calcium

Circulatory - excites the heart, constricts small blood vessels
Excretory - inhibits water loss
Digestive - in excess, is constipating
Nervous - slows nerve impulse transmission
Reproductive - required for normal cell division
Endocrine - inhibits release of thyroid-releasing and other pituitary hormones
Blood - stimulates blood formation and is required for blood clotting
Muscular - reduces muscular irritability and contractibility
Skeletal - main component of bone
Metabolic - required for phosphorus metabolism and energy production in the Krebs cycle
Detoxification - inhibits uptake of lead, antagonizes cadmium
Cellular - decreases permeability of cells to sodium and potassium ions

Nutrients That Are Synergistic With Calcium

Absorption - vitamin A and D, stomach acidity, protein in diet
Utilization - magnesium, copper, vitamin C

Antagonistic Nutrients

Absorption - fluoride, low stomach acidity, low protein in diet, phosphorus in excess
Utilization - lead, cadmium, sodium, potassium, high protein diet increases calcium loss in urine

Reasons For Calcium Supplementation

  • to slow the oxidation rate
  • to help detoxify lead and cadmium
  • to balance key mineral ratios

References:

Wilson, L., Nutritional Balancing and Hair Mineral Analysis, L.D. Wilson Consultants, Inc., 1998, 2005, 2010, 2014.

What does it mean if your Calcium (Ca) result is too high?

High Hair Calcium:

- usually indicates that calcium is leaving the bones and accumulating in the soft tissues of the body

- high calcium is associated with a slow oxidation rate

- good indicator of hidden copper toxicity

- high calcium on a retest often means the body is eliminating excess calcium

Elevated calcium levels on a hair tissue mineral analysis do not necessarily indicate the presence of too much calcium in your diet, or in the body. Most often, it reflects abnormal calcium deposition in the hair and other soft tissues of the body. For this reason, calcium supplementation may be recommended. An elevated calcium level may also serve as a stress-buffering mechanism. As calcium levels rise in the tissues, it often has a calming, or numbing effect on one's emotions and can serve to reduce, or protect one from stress. In many cases, a high calcium level is indicative of a ‘calcium bio-unavailability’ which means it is present in the body but cannot be used properly.

What does it mean if your Calcium (Ca) result is too low?

Low Hair Calcium:

- a low calcium level usually means calcium is being lost in the urine

- associated with fast oxidation rate - alarm stage of stress

- often associated with copper deficiency

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