Heavy Metals in Calcium Supplements
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According to my hair mineral analysis, I need to supplement calcium. I consume plenty of dairy, but apparently I am not absorbing it or enough of it.
The htma coach I am working with suggested I take calcium citrate, gluconate, or taurinate. I prefer whole food supplements and found this whole fish bone calclium from Traditional Foods https://www.traditionalfoods.org/fish-bone-calciu-mchc-powder.html
I asked them for a COA for heavy metals and this is what they sent me:
When converted to PPB these all seem way too high.
However, I have found articles and studies finding heavy metal contamination common in many other calcium supplements.Has anyone else researched this or found clean calcium supplements? I have eggshells from my own chickens, but the htma coach did not think calcium carbonate was a well absorbed form.
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Here is a website doing crowd funded heavy metal testing on many things. Most things have been contaminated. They have a small list of products that tested acceptable. I don't think they have much in the way of Safe supplements, but if this testing is correct, it shows how contaminated everything is. Ray Peat would have been correct in his statement that supplements will have heavy metal residues
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@Sippy the amount of the supplement actually consumed is what makes the "contamination" level relevant. contamination is a weird way to think about it too, the word implies that there is ever a "pure" substance out there. Like, for example, I think white rice has a similar amount of arsenic (too lazy to check if I'm being accurate here), and a normal serving of white rice is way more weight than a calcium supplement. I'm too lazy to do the dose conversion for you.
Anyways, there is a study that shows eggshells are less contaminated than most calcium supplements.
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Do we know how heavy metals get into so many things? Did Ray hypothesize something? The machinery used in processing?
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“…like you recommend, just getting the natural medium-chain triglycerides from that, yeah? - Yeah, many places call MCT a type of coconut oil, but it's really a totally unnatural thing that never occurs in nature, even though the components do, but they are arranged in a unique, manufactured way that the arrangement has very powerful biological effects. - Okay, very good. Ellie Z asks, is supplemental calcium carbonate from undisclosed sources dangerous due to potential heavy metals or do benefits outweigh the risk? - Yeah, it can come from a mine that contains very harmful amounts of heavy metals.”
https://www.bioenergetic.life/clips/72755?t=1465&c=29
If you listen for about a minute beyond the quote above, Dr. Peat adds that eggshells and coral calcium are better sources.
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Also:
“…Because naturally as mammals we accumulate heavy metals and things we want out of our circulation in our bones, and so if you're taking a calcium supplement that's from an animal's bones, then you could essentially be poisoning yourself. Is this correct, Dr. Peat? Yeah, old cows are sometimes used to make the bone meal, and their lead content is really high. Okay. All right. So calcium in the form of eggshells is an excellent supplement for combating osteoporosis. For those people who don't want to drink milk,”
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@DavidPS Do you know if ray recommended any other forms of calcium? The person I'm working with is very familiar with Ray's work , but she disagreed with eggshells as being a well absorbed form of calcium. She actually said that they were one of the least assimilated forms. She has being doing htma work for a while and uses diet more than supplements. I consume lots of raw dairy, but clearly need more calcium. I just want to find a well absorbed form of calcium that I can take long term that isn't high in heavy metals.
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@Sippy
Peatbot.com: Good forms of dietary calcium include:
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Dairy Products: Milk is highly recommended, with options like whole milk or 2% milk depending on dietary preferences and weight considerations. Cheese is also a good source of calcium.
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Eggshell Powder: This can be made by washing and baking eggshells, then grinding them into a powder. A quarter teaspoon taken three times a day can provide around 2,000 milligrams of calcium.
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Leafy Greens: Cooked kale is rich in calcium and can be consumed with orange juice to aid absorption.
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Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives: While not mentioned in the context, options like fortified almond or soy milk can also be sources of calcium, though they may not be as effective as cow's milk.
These sources can help increase dietary calcium intake, which is important for bone health and reducing high blood calcium levels.
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Also consider the phosphate to calcium ratio
Peatbot.com: The phosphate to calcium ratio is important because it plays a crucial role in various physiological processes and can impact health in several ways:
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Bone Health: Calcium and phosphate are essential components of bone. An appropriate balance between these two minerals is necessary for maintaining bone density and strength. An imbalance, such as excess phosphate relative to calcium, can lead to bone loss or decalcification, as phosphate can activate processes that remove calcium from bones.
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Soft Tissue Calcification: When there is an excess of phosphate, it can lead to the deposition of calcium phosphate crystals in soft tissues, such as blood vessels, which can contribute to conditions like arteriosclerosis. This is because phosphate can promote calcification in soft tissues, which is undesirable.
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Cellular Function: Phosphate ions in cell water can modify ion selectivity, affecting the uptake of other ions like sodium, calcium, and potassium. This can lead to changes in cell activation and depolarization, impacting cellular function and signaling.
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Mitochondrial Function: Increased phosphate levels can decrease mitochondrial energy production, leading to lipid peroxidation and activation of inflammatory processes. This can contribute to tissue atrophy, fibrosis, and cancer.
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Hormonal Regulation: Phosphate levels can influence the activity of hormones such as parathyroid hormone, which regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism. High phosphate levels can increase parathyroid hormone activity, leading to inflammatory diseases and bone loss.
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Dietary Considerations: The balance of dietary phosphate and calcium is important for overall health. Excessive dietary phosphate can promote organ growth and cancer, while a deficiency can lead to increased cellular uptake of phosphate, mimicking the effects of excess dietary phosphate.
Overall, maintaining an appropriate phosphate to calcium ratio is crucial for preventing various health issues related to bone health, soft tissue calcification, cellular function, and hormonal regulation.
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