Calcium/magnesium supplements…what do they do?
Some people take one of these combined tablets complete with incorporated boron 3-4 times per week in addition to the minerals contained in their general multi-vitamin tablet. So, why do we need these valuable minerals and don’t we get enough from our diet? Well, we all know that milk provided the much needed calcium for teeth and bones as this was drummed into us as kids, but did you know that calcium is also needed for functions such as blood clotting, wound healing and muscle contraction? Most calcium is stored in the bones and lack of it will assist in the development of osteoporoses, so we need to maintain levels or else. Also, a small amount circulates in the blood too, helping in the production of hormones and enzymes for regulating digestion and metabolism. If not enough is available, the body will leach it out of the bones to use and if too much withdrawal takes place, it will leave the bones porous and fragile. Supplements help to keep the reserves such that the bones have plenty of stock, and bone mass needs the extra calcium to be maintained, as it starts to deplete after the age of 35!! Muscle spasms can be a sign of deficiency so if, you do get regular spasms, increase your uptake of calcium. Another point to be noted is that calcium needs magnesium to be usable by the body so always take it together. To get calcium from nature, milk, yoghurt and cheese are good sources and low fat varieties actually give you more calcium than full-fat (not a lot of people know that!!). Tinned salmon and sardines are good sources (due to the soft bones in the fish), and broccoli and almonds all make good non-dairy sources. Did you know that, regardless of the great Popeye, the calcium in spinach is mostly inaccessible by the body so all that spinach we were forced to eat to be strong like the cartoon was a waste!! Another point of note is that too much calcium will lead to kidney stones and impair the body’s ability to absorb Zinc – hence why I don’t overdo my daily intake.
