Most of us believe loading up on calcium is the best way to strengthen bones. Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD, says that’s a dangerous myth. He explains why you should end your relationship with calcium immediately, and shares ten healthy ways to build a fracture-resistant frame.
Henderson, NV (September 2014)—We all want to develop strong bones in order to prevent fractures, speed healing if they do occur, and (perhaps most of all) stave off osteoporosis. That’s why so many of us load up on calcium. It’s the smart thing to do, right? Wrong, says Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD. Not only are your efforts not helping to combat or slow osteoporosis, they may be significantly harming your health in general.
“Most adults have no need for significant calcium intake, and pumping large amounts of calcium into your body does not strengthen your bones,” says Dr. Levy, author of Death by Calcium: Proof of the Toxic Effects of Dairy and Calcium Supplements (MedFox Publishing, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-615-88960-3, $29.95, www.deathbycalcium.com). “Actually, an excess of calcium reliably promotes heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, cancer, and other degenerative diseases, and increases all-cause mortality by 250 percent.”
In Death by Calcium, Dr. Levy presents compelling scientific evidence that systematically debunks much of what Western society believes about calcium and osteoporosis. The book explains why calcium is dangerous in excess quantities, why limiting it promotes health, and provides strategies to help readers begin to get their calcium levels in balance.
“The good news is, you can take steps to reduce your body’s calcium levels, build more fracture-resistant bones, and promote better overall health,” he promises.
Here, Dr. Thomas E. Levy shares four lifestyle changes to consider if you want to build strong bones the healthy way, as well as six supplements that can help all your tissues, not just your bones:
To Reduce Excess Calcium in Your Body:
Limit your dairy intake. If you drink milk as a beverage, consider replacing it with other drinks. In particular, avoid buying and drinking milk that has added vitamin D, since vitamin D, when ingested with calcium, can “overdose” the body’s calcium absorption. But here’s some good news for dairy lovers: There’s no need to cut cheese, ice cream, and other products out of your life entirely. However, it’s best to make these items a special treat instead of a daily staple. Having your favorite cheese or yogurt once every week or two will minimize the negative impact of the extra calcium.
“And one last tip: Read labels,” instructs Dr. Levy. “Many products that aren’t typically associated with calcium can have large amounts added to them in a presumed attempt to promote good health and make the products in question even more nutritious. Some milks even have more calcium added to them.”
Stop taking calcium supplements. Whether you cut back on dairy products or not, discontinue all calcium-containing supplements and antacids.
“These supplements offer virtually no health benefits and simply increase the concentration of harmful calcium deposits in your body,” Dr. Levy asserts.
Step up your exercise routine. Believe it or not, inducing a good sweat on a regular basis can eliminate a substantial amount of calcium from your body over time.
“Even if you’re not a world-class endurance athlete (and let’s face it, most of aren’t and never will be), every little bit helps,” points out Dr. Levy. “Plus, regular exercise also promotes a host of other health benefits.”
Sweat it out in the sauna. Spending some time in the sauna is also an excellent way to sweat out much of your excess calcium, as well as other toxins (like toxic metals) that may have accumulated over the years.
“If your budget allows, one of the best things you can do for your general health is to purchase and use an infrared sauna in your home,” Dr. Levy asserts. “Just be sure to clear its use with your healthcare practitioner, as some individuals might not tolerate the stress of the heat and loss of fluids well.”
To Strengthen Your Frame:
NOTE: You can find the supplements mentioned at many health and vitamin stores or order
them online. Before adding a new supplement, though, be sure to talk to your
healthcare provider to ensure that you are taking healthy dosages.
Get friendly with vitamin C. Vitamin C deficiencies have been implicated in the causation and/or worsening of most, if not all, chronic degenerative diseases—including osteoporosis. In osteoporosis patients, antioxidant levels—particularly vitamin C—are extremely low in the bones themselves (and, in fact, are significantly depressed throughout the body).
“Vitamin C supplements directly address this imbalance,” explains Dr. Levy. “Studies suggest that not only does vitamin C increase bone density, it also lowers fracture risk and accelerates and improves the quality of bone healing. Overall, taking a vitamin C supplement of any size daily will help just about anyone’s health and should lower all-cause mortality. (And interestingly, other conditions including the formation of kidney stones, acute infections, and acute toxin exposures can be addressed and resolved with aggressive multi-gram doses of vitamin C.)”
Monitor your magnesium levels. Magnesium and calcium can be characterized as biological antagonists, with magnesium acting as a natural calcium channel blocker. In fact, their antagonism toward each other excludes the possibility of having elevated levels of both minerals simultaneously! Magnesium dissolves calcium deposits, decreases elevated intracellular calcium levels, increases bone density, decreases fracture incidence, and more.
“Regular supplementation with bioavailable forms of magnesium is of the utmost importance in treating osteoporosis and degenerative diseases in general,” states Dr. Levy. “When you indulge in dairy specifically, consider taking an extra 100 to 300 mg of magnesium glycinate beforehand.”
Fight unwanted calcium deposits with vitamin K. While mainstream medicine in the U.S. makes little use of vitamin K in the treatment of osteoporosis, it is an important part of osteoporosis therapy in Japan. It promotes bone strength and helps modulate bone remodeling.
“And outside of bone, vitamin K inhibits and reverses abnormal calcifications, has been associated with a lesser incidence of coronary heart disease, and has been shown to have a positive effect in preventing some kinds of cancers,” Dr. Levy adds.
Let vitamin D work for you. As mentioned previously, when vitamin D is ingested with calcium, it amplifies calcium’s unhealthy effects. (Again, never take any supplement containing calcium!) However, when taken on its own, vitamin D helps optimize the correct assimilation of calcium into a renewed, healthy bone mineral matrix and can significantly reduce fracture risk.
“In fact, vitamin D is essential to total-body health and can also play a beneficial role in autoimmune diseases, immune function, cancer prevention, asthma, and more,” says Dr. Levy.
Combat calcium with omega-3 fatty acids. We’ve all heard that omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil, promote brain and heart health and defend against degenerative diseases. How? In large part, they inhibit cellular uptake of calcium!
“It shouldn’t surprise you that this supplement can help your bones, too,” Dr. Levy comments. “Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids are associated with increased bone density and do not produce any adverse effects in osteoporosis patients.”
Get some help from hormones. Deficiencies of estrogen in women, testosterone in men, and thyroid hormone in men and women can profoundly limit the degree of positive response in all of the other supplementation measures discussed.
“Testing for a deficiency, and treating it if it’s present, can improve your bone health and general health,” Dr. Levy says. “For optimal results, talk to a healthcare practitioner experienced in hormone replacement therapy.”
“Armed with the right knowledge, you can take steps to strengthen your bones at any age while addressing any calcium imbalance that may have built up,” Dr. Levy concludes. “The most important thing to know and do right now? Contrary to popular belief, step away—and stay away—from the calcium.”
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About the Author:
Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD, is the author of Death by Calcium: Proof of the Toxic Effects of Dairy and Calcium Supplements. He is a board-certified cardiologist and is also the author of Primal Panacea and Curing the Incurable: Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins; plus three other groundbreaking medical books. He is one of the world’s leading vitamin C experts and frequently lectures to medical professionals all over the globe about the proper role of vitamin C and antioxidants in the treatment of a host of medical conditions and diseases.
For more information, please visit www.deathbycalcium.com.
About the Book:
Death by Calcium: Proof of the Toxic Effects of Dairy and Calcium Supplements (MedFox Publishing, 2013, ISBN: 978-0-615-88960-3, $29.95, www.deathbycalcium.com) is available at www.deathbycalcium.com or Amazon.
