calcium

Why you shouldn't stop taking calcium

In all my years of practicing medicine, I've learned that if Big Pharma has a new drug coming out, inevitably there will be reported "scare" against any existing, cost-efficient, and especially natural treatment.

And that's what happened recently when the headlines were all abuzz with a reported link between calcium supplements and an increased risk of dementia in women.

The timing is impeccable, since Big Pharma is preparing to get its new osteoporosis drug approved by the FDA.

That's a mighty big coincidence.

But ladies, before you toss those calcium supplements in the trash and opt for a riskier option, let's first take a good look at the details of this cockamamie study.

To begin with, the study only reviewed a small number of patients without taking into account any other risk factors like diet or family history.

Furthermore, the research focused on older women who had already suffered some form of a stroke at some point in their lives. So if you've never experienced a stroke, then it's hard to see how this study would apply to you.

But even if you have suffered a stroke, the idea that calcium would cause dementia seems to be a bit of a stretch.

IF they developed dementia, it probably had NOTHING to do with calcium.

And even if it did, we don't know whether the calcium supplements were from a quality maker that you can trust -- or those cheap, chewable candies that are basically balls of sugar with trace amounts of calcium, at best.

Now, you don't have to toss your calcium in the garbage, but you might be taking more of it than you need. You see, calcium can't work on its own -- it needs magnesium and vitamins D and K to effectively do its job and keep your bones strong.

So, make sure you're taking calcium as part of an overall regimen with ALL of the nutrients you need.

A visit with a holistic doctor can help get you a plan and the proper doses of each vitamin and mineral needed.

If you're still not convinced -- and you're apt to believe whatever these wacky headlines are telling you -- then rest assured that nobody's touching the calcium sources in your diet. Even the study says that eating calcium-rich foods is OK and won't contribute to dementia.

In fact, your diet can be a very good source of calcium!

So go ahead and load up on the dozens of Paleo-friendly foods that are rich in calcium: fish, broccoli, leafy greens, and almonds, just to name a few.

And whatever you do, don't let Big Pharma scare you into one of their drugs that may not do any more for your bones than a good diet and the right supplement plan would!

'B' is for bone health

Calcium, calcium, calcium. When it comes to bone health, that's all you ever hear from the mainstream -- and seniors in particular are often ordered to gnaw on calcium chews until they're sick to the stomach.

So naturally, those orders are flat-out wrong.

Of course, you DO need calcium. But you're almost certainly getting more than enough from your diet -- so much, that calcium deficiency is about as common in modern America as an intelligent politician.

So forget calcium (and spit out those chews). There are other nutrients you're low in that your bones are screaming for with every squeak, creak and pop -- and they include vitamin D, magnesium and vitamin B12.

Yes, B12.

It doesn't get nearly as much attention as the others. In fact, it gets almost no attention at all, which is why your levels are almost certainly too low -- and new research confirms that the lower those levels, the higher your risk of a bone break, especially if you're a man.

Let your B12 levels drop, and your fracture risks jumps by 70 percent. Even worse, your risk of a painful and potentially crippling lumbar fracture climbs by 120 percent, according to the study of more than 1,000 senior men.

The researchers claim this is not a reason to boost your B12 levels -- and that you should wait for studies that show whether or not supplements can help prevent breaks and fractures.

Listen to them, and you'll wait yourself right into the back of an ambulance after one of your bones snaps like a twig.

Listen to me instead and boost your B12 levels now -- because you need it for more than just bone health: B vitamins in general -- and B12 in particular -- are critical to your brain, heart and arteries. They can lift your mood, prevent (or even reverse) dementia and fight inflammation.

The best natural sources of B vitamins are meats. But if you're like most people, you'll need more than you can get from diet alone -- so along with a regular steak habit, be sure to take a quality B complex from a maker you trust.