The Deadly side- effects of calcium supplements

I've written before that osteoporosis is linked to gluten sensitivity and celiac disease. Those with osteoporosis will get lots of help with a gluten free diet, exercise, and supplements described in detail in Dr. Gaby's book "How to prevent and treat Osteoporosis".


Many think that more calcium is better. Not so, in fact, there is increasing evidence that too much calcium is increasing the risk of heart disease and cancer. This is because there are different types of calcium and as I say often "it takes a little of a lot of substances to get a super hero team, not a lot of one thing " to get any job done. And that includes preventing and treating osteoporosis.I advocate to never take more calcium than magnesium and to never go without vitamins D and K-2.


Here is an article which goes into details about the link between calcium intake above 100 mg a day and breast cancer and heart attacks. 
And how there is poor if not absent research for calcium supplements reducing fracture risk! I know you want to reduce your risk of breaking a bone and are taking calcium as a way to that end.


The article explains why vitamin K2 ingestion is crucial if you take vitamin D and calcium. And why food is the best source of calcium.


I agree with everything Dr. Mercola suggests here:

The bottom line is, optimize your vitamin D levels through sun exposure and consume a variety of fresh, local organic whole foods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, organic meats and eggs, unprocessed salt, and raw organic unpasteurized dairy, which will give you the bioavailable calcium your body needs along with the trace minerals and other cofactors it needs to be absorbed and properly utilized by your body.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/30/calcium-supplement-on-heart-attack.aspx?e_cid=20120130_DNL_art_1


Avoid high doses of calcium and use a combination of food, sun exposure,exercise, good food (gluten free if you are gluten sensitive) and supplements including potassium, vitamin D, and K2 to prevent and treat osteoporosis.
Dr. Barbara

Here are some ways Gluten causes Depression

In my opinion it is very important to make sure a depressed person is not celiac, or gluten sensitive as this in the most common cause of reversible depression.  37% of gluten sensitive persons have a mental disorder and 37% have a neurological problem like migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome or worse, Parkinson’s disease.

Gluten causes depression by:

 1. Causing vasoconstriction and hypo-perfusion of the brain.

2. Lowering of brain neurochemicals.

3. Causing low vitamin D3 a natural antidepressant,

4. Gluten creates antibodies to brain connective tissues (Molecular mimicry) and inflammation.

5. Gluten ingestion creates morphine like substances in the bowel which are absorbed into the blood stream in people who are gluten sensitive and leads to hallucinations.

6. Causes low cholesterol and subsequent low steroid hormones and hormone imbalances i.e. PMS

7. Causing protein deficiency and subsequent low neurochemicals and poor connective tissues AND low Glutathione (GSH) which is the major rate limiting step to detoxification (low GSH leads heavy metal and other toxicity and to hallucinations or paranoid ideas, remember the “Mad Hatter”).

8. Gluten sensitive persons have a high rate of abnormal methylation genes, (in my study, 90%, study is in the process of being published) and high HOMOCYSTEINE (greater than 8), a neurotoxin. This can be re-mediated with supplements with the added benefit of also incurring a 50% reduction in heart disease and cancer and reduction of risk of many other diseases.  

9. Reducing immune strength and making persons who are gluten sensitive immunocompromised and at risk of having multiple and serious infections. Some of these infections trigger brain dysfunction especially Lyme’s disease, streptococcus, CMV, Epstein Barr and herpes virus.

10. Causing a 10x increased rate of autoimmune disease such as hypothyroidism, which present as depression.

11. Causes malnutrition including mineral deficiencies (such as zinc, sulphur, and selenium deficiencies) linked to depression, low hormones, toxicity and immunocompromised state.

If you are gluten sensitive it’s important to never eat gluten. How do you know if you are gluten sensitive? Sometimes you have no outward signs so it’s important to do some reliable testing. I find www.enterolab.com gives me the information I need to diagnose and help people. If you are already on a gluten free diet, do the genetics test?

Even if you are well, I think the most important information you could have is your genetic status for gluten sensitivity. If you have the genes for gluten sensitivity, you have the information to make informed decisions to add 15 -20 extra healthy years to your life.

Undiagnosed celiacs and gluten sensitive persons have a 400% increased risk of dying, and live 15- 20 years less than the average life expectancy. And have about 15 years of disability. This is a public health crisis.

Add 15 -20 healthy years to your life by finding out if you have the genes for gluten sensitivity and making some healthy changes in your diet.

To your Health

Dr. Barbara