Calcium is required for healthy bones, teeth and gums, and many other body processes: muscle function and strength, nerve function and nerve impulse transmission, regular heartbeat, blood clotting, blood pressure, improved sleep, colon function, and optimal protein utilization. That’s a long list already, but we are not finished.
The reason you want to make sure your body is getting enough calcium because in addition to what is listed above, it also regulates nutrient transport through your cell walls, feeds the brain, cleanses the kidneys, intestines and liver, offers protection from colon cancer by supporting optimal colon function, activates enzymes for fat digestion and muscle response, and maintains acid/alkaline balance.
Calcium is required to neutralize the acidic environment in your body, and so if your body doesn’t get enough calcium in your foods or through supplements, it will be pulled from your bones or teeth because these are your calcium storage vaults. Also, if your body has continuous acidic exposure such as soda pop, coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, animal protein (red meats) or certain drugs, you need extra calcium so it’s not pulled from your bones or teeth.
If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, you can get it in supplement form. Think of a calcium supplement as a superior glass of milk that has no lactose intolerance side effects.
Nutrition Alerts
- Muscle spasms
- Leg cramps
- Joint pains
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- PMS
- Insomnia
- Arrhythmia (irregular heart beat)
- Headaches and irritability
- Poor teeth
- Restlessness
- Numbness or tingling in extremities
- Backache
- Menstrual problems
Benefits of Calcium
- Helps build strong bones and teeth
- Helps heal bones and fractures
- Muscle function (helps cramps, spasms, twitches, restless leg syndrome)
- Aches and pains (including headaches and backaches)
- Natural tranquilizer (helps nervousness, anxiety, panic, depression and hyperactivity)
- Promotes colon health
- Builds peak bone mass
- Prevents polyps and colon cancer
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces lead toxicity
- Regulates heartbeat
- Protects heart
- Promotes restful sleep
- Essential for clotting of blood
- Reduces PMS symptoms such as bloating, cramps, water retention, irritability and moodiness
If you have trouble absorbing calcium, or would like an extra boost with absorption, you can take Alfalfa along with a calcium supplement and get all the essential and trace minerals that help enhance calcium absorption. A chewable calcium supplement can help heartburn and works best if you have it when you feel the first sign.
Calcium absorption increases at night so before bed is a good time to take your calcium supplement. In the past I would have leg cramps at night and a Shaklee veteran many years ago told me to take 2 calcium tablets at bedtime. I have been doing that for many years and can testify it works. Getting a good night’s sleep is important and hard to do if you have pain.
Another calcium benefit to mention is that it helps calm nerves. There are many stresses in life and if you can take an all natural supplement with no side effects that can help calm your nerves, it sounds a lot better than a medication that has side effects. Calcium helps alleviate charlie horse, leg cramps, and menstrual cramps. If you have a fracture or break a bone, extra calcium will help healing.
It is important to note that many calcium supplements have been studied for the amount of time it takes them to disintegrate. A tablet must dissolve in your body within about 20 minutes in order for your body to absorb it properly. You can test your calcium tablet yourself by placing it in a small dish of water and test to see how long it takes to dissolve.
To learn more about Shaklee calcium supplements, visit Calcium for Bones, Teeth, Nerves and Muscles.