It is well-known fact that calcium is mineral that is extremely important for the health of our bones, but latest studies showed that magnesium is the mineral nutrient that is crucial for creating sound bones during the period of adolescence. This study was conducted by the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) yearly group in the USA.
For a long period of time, doctors advised patients to take calcium supplementation for strengthening of the bones as it was believed that this mineral leads to solid bones and teeth. But, now the question arises: is calcium supplementation really that viable?
Results of a study conducted in 2004 showed that individuals with excess calcium in their coronary artery, who were taking statins, are at 17-fold higher risk of heart attacks than individuals who have lower blood vessel calcium levels. Researchers believe that two most authoritative pointers of heart attacks are: LDL levels and calcium accumulation.
However, a research conducted in 2007 that included postmenopausal women showed that calcium from dietary sources is more beneficial for bone wellbeing than calcium from supplements.
A study conducted in 2008 showed that calcium supplements are linked to a significant number of heart attacks in postmenopausal women.
In addition to that, a 2010 meta-analysis confirmed that calcium supplements (or more precisely, supplements without coadministered vitamin D) are linked to a substantially higher risk for heart attacks.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) confirmed that food is the best calcium source: “People who get the recommended amount of calcium from foods do not need to take a calcium supplement. These individuals still may need to take a vitamin D supplement. Getting too much calcium from supplements may increase the risk of kidney stones and other health problems”.
Professor Sabine Rohrmann, from Zurich University’s foundation of social and preventive medicine headed the team of analysts and he claims that: “Calcium supplements have been widely embraced by doctors and the public, on the grounds that they are a natural and therefore safe way of preventing osteoporotic fractures.
It is now becoming clear that taking this micronutrient in one or two daily [doses] is not natural, in that it does not reproduce the same metabolic effects as calcium in food“.
Most of the supplements available in the pharmacies contain calcium carbonate, and this chemical compound is a secondary type of calcium and manufacturers add a basic chelating agent, for instance, citrus extract in order to make it more absorbable. However, compared with other calcium supplements, the final item with calcium carbonate is a second-rate. For example, calcium orotate is the main calcium manifestation which can properly enter the layers of cells in our organism.
In addition to that, manufacturers of dairy products also impose a myth that consummation of pasteurized dairy items, for example, milk or cheese, substantially increases the levels of calcium. At this point it is important to highlight that this is not true as the purification preparation creates calcium carbonate and without a chelating agent this substance cannot enter the cells in our organism.
In order to cushion the calcium carbonate in the blood, the human body forces the calcium from the bones and different tissues. This, at many adults and elderly causes osteoporosis.
On the other hand, Professor Steven Abrams and his partners at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston managed to discover that when young people take and ingest magnesium, there is aggregation of bone mineral substance and bone thickness, and that was not the case with the admission of calcium.
Their conclusion is: “Dietary magnesium intake may be an important, relatively unrecognized, factor in bone mineral accretion in children. Lots of nutrients are key for children to have healthy bones.
One of these appears to be magnesium. Calcium is important, but, except for those children and adolescents with very low intakes, may not be more important than magnesium”, concluded the professor Steven Abrams and his partners.
Scientists advise parents to give their children a decent admission of calcium and on that way to help build solid and sound bones, but in the same time experts highlight that kids need to consume enough magnesium, as well.
According to a recent research, magnesium admission leads to a higher bone mineral thickness (BMD) in men and women. Scientists discovered that for each 100-milligram daily increment in magnesium, there is a surmised 2% increment in entire body BMD of the participant.
Dr. Kathryn M. Ryder, of the University of Tennessee, Memphis, reported: “Osteoporotic fractures are a critical wellbeing issue in aging adults. Given the high pervasiveness of low BMD and fracture, little changes in BMD may have a huge general wellbeing impact”.
In addition to that, her team explains that: “Magnesium is a “less-examined” part of the bone that may assume a part in calcium digestion system and bone quality”.
For many years, both medical experts and nutritionists believed that the proportion of calcium to magnesium in the eating methodology should be 1:1, and even a 2:1 ratio is satisfactory. However, there are many separate studies which have proved that weight control plans should contain a normal of 10 times more calcium than magnesium.
Magnesium has many structures that are extremely beneficial: magnesium oxide or chloride, but also chelated magnesium. Average amount of magnesium contained in containers is 250-500 mg.
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 350-400 mg, but, in order to function ideally the organism might need twice the sum.
In order to get all of its benefits, it is advisable to take magnesium in isolated measurements during the entire day, and you can take it with meals or on an empty stomach.
Epsom salts baths are beneficial, as well. On this way the skin absorbs magnesium much easily and you can restore its proper levels on a completely natural way. If the levels of magnesium drop, the blood contains 1% of the magnesium in the body, and the bones and tissues will start using it.
Last, but not least, it is important to mention that foods are the richest sources of magnesium. Nutritionists advice you to increase the intake of green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and cacao.