Osteoporosis Is NOT a Calcium Problem
Dr. Berg’s Healthy Keto and Intermittent Fasting Podcast
Dr. Eric Berg
4.7 • 1.7K Ratings
🗓️ 18 October 2023
⏱️ 9 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
There is a myth that calcium is the main mineral you need for osteoporosis and to strengthen your bones.
The majority of what makes up bone is collagen, which is protein. There is calcium in your bones, but it’s tied up with phosphorus.
In some interesting studies, they found that taking calcium doesn’t prevent bone fractures. There is also strong evidence that taking a calcium supplement can increase the risk of cardiovascular problems.
It’s essential to get enough vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals in your diet. The most important vitamins for bone health are vitamin D and vitamin K2.
Another factor in your bone health is your hormones. For example, a deficiency in estrogen or high cortisol can lead to osteoporosis.
Bone loss isn’t contributed to one thing. Overall, to build bone, you need to focus on creating a healthy body.
The best source of calcium to help strengthen the bones is dairy. But, a combination of plants and dairy is great for supporting healthy calcium levels.
Signs and symptoms of a calcium deficiency:
• Muscle spasms
• Tetany
• Changes in heart rate
• Numbness around the mouth
• Numbness in the fingertips and feet
• Spasm in the larynx (hoarseness, rough-sounding voice, a lump in the throat)
• Consuming excessive amounts of protein, sodium, coffee, soft drinks, and refined sugar
Calcium is needed for your health, but it may be best to get it from food. One of the biggest health benefits of calcium is that it may help prevent certain intestinal cancers. Keep in mind that you need plenty of vitamin D and magnesium to absorb calcium.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | There is definitely a myth that calcium is the main mineral that you need for osteoporosis to strengthen |
| 0:08.6 | your bones. And unfortunately, so many menopausal women are just downing like over a thousand |
| 0:15.1 | milligrams of calcium. Of course, it's in the wrong form. It's in an elemental form called calcium |
| 0:20.6 | carbonate, |
| 0:21.3 | which is basically limestone. You'd be better off chewing on the cement down there. But the point |
| 0:25.6 | is that somehow we have in our minds that if we take this calcium, we'll prevent osteoporosis, |
| 0:32.3 | and it's absolutely not true. Did you realize that the majority of bone, okay, what makes up bone, I'm talking about |
| 0:39.4 | over 70% of it is not calcium. It is collagen, which is protein. And there is calcium and bone for sure. |
| 0:48.8 | There's a good amount. But that calcium is tied up with phosphorus. But you don't hear people saying, well, you need to have |
| 0:56.2 | more phosphorus for bone health, and they don't definitely say you need more collagen for bone health. |
| 1:02.2 | It's mainly calcium. In some pretty hardcore research and studies, I'm going to put the links down |
| 1:07.8 | below, people that take calcium do not prevent fractures. |
| 1:13.2 | There is strong evidence that if you take calcium in supplement forms, this can increase |
| 1:19.5 | your risk of cardiovascular accidents. So if calcium is not the main mineral that builds bone |
| 1:27.0 | to prevent osteoporosis, what is? Well, it's a combination |
| 1:31.3 | of many things. Since bone is made out of protein, and that protein is activated by various |
| 1:37.6 | minerals and trace minerals like cobalt, manganese, magnesium, and phosphorus, |
| 1:45.0 | and many other minerals, |
| 1:47.0 | making sure you have all of the trace minerals in the diet, |
| 1:50.0 | is going to help you. |
| 1:51.0 | You also need vitamins. |
| 1:53.0 | Vitamins help transport these minerals. |
... |
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