Is a Calcium Deficiency Causing Your
High Blood Pressure?

I grew up associating calcium deficiency with tooth cavities, brittle bones, and not drinking enough milk, but did not really appreciate that calcium has a major role to play in many systems in the body.

Pregnant women are often warned to be sure to have dental check-ups throughout their pregnancy as it is a known fact that cavities can develop when the growing foetus draws on the mothers calcium reserves. This phenomena adds weight to the argument that calcium deficiency and hypertension are linked as you are about to learn.

Parents should educate their children at an early age and in a simplified way, not only about the importance of nutrition, but how the pairing of nutrients play a vital role in regulating systems around the body, and that education is far removed from the myth taught that you need to drink lots of milk to get enough calcium.

Did you know the most bountiful of minerals in your body is calcium? About 99% of it is contained in the bones and teeth. The other 1% is used in combination with other minerals and vitamins to regulate blood pressure, heart beat, blood clotting, to name a few.

But calcium has also other important uses throughout the organs especially the systems for regulating blood pressure.

It is needed to help muscles contract, including those of our artery walls. It is required for the production of enzymes and hormones that have a part to play in fat metabolism. Can these systems perform normally if a calcium deficiency exists?

Some mineral combinations that help keep blood pressure levels in check are -

Quite frankly, the general public are getting pretty confused as to what to do about calcium deficiency. Beforehand we were informed that drinking more milk or taking a calcium supplement would help not only to bring blood pressure down but protect us from heart attack. But now, about face, we are told it`s down right dangerous to take calcium supplements.

Showing the bad results of excessive calcium, The Optimum Nutrition Bible, by Patrick Holford, founder of The Institute For Optimum Nutrition stated [quote]An excess will interfere with absorption of other minerals, especially if their intake is slightly low. It may lead to calcification of kidneys, heart and other soft tissue...[/unquote]

As with everything in this world, we need to make our own decisions, make an informed choice in the matter.

Is Supplementing the Answer to Offset a Calcium Deficiency?

The Food and Nutrition Board have set the RDA of calcium to

You may possibly see a re-assessment to these figures in response to the revealing scientific data that linked calcium supplement intake for warding off osteoporosis in the over 50`s age group, to a 30% higher incident of heart attack, and lesser percentages in incidents of stroke and sudden death. Although the trials conducted at the University of Auckland are limited, it has been suggested by the researchers that treatment against osteoporosis using calcium supplements cease, as the trials indicated the problem lay with supplements and not dietary intake. But does it?

Understanding Calcium Deficiency - Use some common sense!

To begin with, this subject calls for some good old fashioned common sense! How much milk do you drink in a day? How much Cheese or yoghurt do you eat in a week? How much broccoli, baked beans, chick peas, salmon, sardines, pasta, rice, bread, cheesecakes, and ice cream do you eat in a month??? The list goes on and on and I`m presuming you eat some of these as staple foods, frequently. They all are high in calcium, so do we need to supplement? Are the supplements better absorbed than these foods? Hardly!

Research has enlightened us that osteoporosis, bone fractures, high blood pressure, and heart disease have increased rather than decreased even although we have followed these international health guidelines to combat calcium deficiency. So something is amiss. It`s high time we took a look at some facts that are being constantly swept under the carpet.

Evidence shows that our bodies have access to an abundance of calcium. but despite that, as we age and even further boost our intake, it still leaches from the bones. The question is, what is causing it to do that?

The sources that we are using to boost it, are actually causing us to loose even more. First of all, milk, other dairy products, and meat are high protein foods and when we consume an excess the processes needed to break it down in the gut cause large amounts of calcium to be excreted by the kidneys.

Robert M. Kradjian, M.D. stated that [quote] on a high-protein diet, more calcium is lost in the urine than can be deposited in the bones. On an extremely high-protein diet, you can take in as much calcium as you wish and you will still be in a negative balance.[/unquote]

And while we are on the subject of balance, our pH balance is greatly compromised on a high protein diet as it produces excess acid. Too much acid causes acidosis, a dangerous condition, so our bodies take calcium from our food and bones to buffer and neutralize the acid.

Milk is high in phosphorus an acid forming substance. The problem is, the calcium it contains is not enough to balance the calcium needed to buffer the effect of the phosphorus. Milk is also a protein and protein foods form acid. What do you think now? Do you think dairy products are really beneficial to our health and can ward off calcium deficiency symptoms? Hardly!

Now lets talk about the importance of maintaining the correct ratio of calcium and magnesium to regulate blood pressure and other functions.

The official RR (Recommended Ratio) in the UK and US of calcium to magnesium to ward of calcium deficiency symptoms is 2 - 1. Based on 100g, dairy products contain a whacking great ratio of 10:1 calcium to magnesium. In meat it is 2:1; Pork 1:1. Yet research has shown that the dominant mineral should be magnesium. It at least should be 2:1 magnesium to calcium. For more information on the importance of magnesium, see my page on Magnesium and High Blood Pressure.

Another excerpt from the Optimum Nutrition Bible goes on to say that magnesium deficiency signs include calcium deposited in soft tissue.

That sure spells trouble to me! Calcium being found in arterial plaque means hardening of arteries of the body as well as in the heart. Blood clots forming and breaking loose in the arteries! Kidney damage! ...and the list goes on.

Take The Alternative to Ward Off Calcium Deficiency

If you think you still need to supplement with calcium, take calcium citrate which is better absorbed by the body and keep it low. But common sense dictates to cut down on dairy as a source of calcium.

Get your body pH balance slightly alkaline. You may need to cut down on your dairy and meat intake to do that. Drink alkalized water, but again keep an eye on not overdoing it.

Increase in vitamin D to help the absorption of calcium. Don`t use so much sun block! You need the sunlight to produce vitamin D in your body.

Get enough vitamin K2 (the best form) that will help keep your calcium in the bones and teeth and not depositing in soft tissue.

Cut down on sugars and fizzy drinks which also cause acidity putting a load on the buffering system.

Take a good ionic organic trace minerals supplement that has all the minerals and trace minerals your body needs, balanced out for you.

Last, if the damage has been done and you want to help clear the debris from your arteries, take a good proteolytic enzyme formula. Nattokinase and other enzymes will help break up the calcium deposits, clear it out, and help to keep the arteries clear of plaque.

Caution!

Talk to your doctor first before taking any steps to self-diagnose. Acting on a wrong diagnosis, could cause you harm. See the disclaimer at the foot of this page.

Our bodies need minerals and trace mineral, Calcium being only one of them. Unfortunately, the farming methods have long depleted the soils, so our foods do not contain the nutrients they used to in order to maintain optimum health. By supplementing your diet with a balance of ionic minerals, you give your body a fighting chance against disease.

Yes! Calcium deficiency is a cause of high blood pressure. There are more causes...

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