Cal - Mag Supreme (Algaecal) - 120 Tabs - Health First

Rebuild bone density with a unique calcium source!
Cal-Mag Supreme features Algae-Cal, the calcium-rich algae found off the eastern coast of South America.

• AlgaeCal also contains important minerals such as magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and the trace minerals boron, strontium, vanadium, copper, silica, selenium and zinc.


• AlgaeCal is USDA organic certified.


• AlgaeCal has clinical studies behind it for safety and efficacy. A new human clinical study has shown that 750 mg of calcium from AlgaeCal and 1000 IU of vitamin D3 can not only slow bone loss like other calcium sources have shown, but actually increase bone density by 1.3% over one year of use.


• Two tablets daily of Cal-Mag Supreme match the potencies of clinical study done with AlgaeCal and vitamin D.


• Cal-Mag Supreme tablets also contain additional magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamin D in addition to AlgaeCal source calcium.


• Cal-Mag Supreme tablets have a break-line for easy tablet-splitting.

Calcium

What is calcium and what does it do? Calcium is an important mineral for the optimal functioning of many body systems, and a building block in our bones and teeth. Calcium also protects the body from heavy metal toxicity by competing for absorption against lead. Calcium ions are involved, at the cellular level, with the folding structure of the RNA and DNA molecules and the activation of enzymes for the metabolism of fats. Our nerves also use calcium for the proper transmission of impulses, and our muscles use calcium to contract and relax.

In addition, calcium lowers cholesterol, by inhibiting plaque formation, and lowers blood pressure, by ensuring the proper functioning of the arterial muscles. This mineral is commonly recommended by natural health care practitioners for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, PMS, pregnancy, cancer prevention, nervous disorders, muscle cramps and insomnia.

Deficiency of calcium can occur because of insufficient dietary intake or because of increased loss caused by negative conditions within the body. The standard North American diet is high in protein, fat, sugar and phosphorus from the consumption of meats, refined grains, junk foods, salty foods, alcohol, coffee and soft drinks. Not only is this diet low in calcium, it also leads to a disruption of the acid/base balance with a shift towards acidity, and the body is forced to buffer using calcium. The calcium drawn out of the bones to be used as a buffer in the bloodstream is then lost in the urine. This can also be caused by some medications, or when the body is in a state of inflammation, like with inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. If calcium is deficient, toxic lead is absorbed by the body and deposited in the teeth and bones. The muscles in the body use calcium for contraction and deficiency can result in painful muscle spasms. Similarly, the heart uses calcium in its contractions, so deficiency can lead to arrhythmias. Deficiency of calcium also causes bone and joint diseases such as osteomalacia, osteoporosis and osteo-arthritis. It also leads to poor growth and poor bone density in children (Rickets).

Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral for all known living organisms. Magnesium ions catalyze many chemical reactions in the human body, including those in the mitochondria where most of the energy inside each cell of the body is produced. It also plays a role in cell signalling within the body, with wound healing and with enzymes governing the replication of DNA.

Who needs magnesium?
In short, most people...Recently, there has been some debate in regards to the efficacy of magnesium status testing using blood. It is argued that blood testing may not show deficiencies until they are dangerously low because only around 1% of the body's magnesium is found in the blood. It is possible that 50% or more of the population have low magnesium stores despite normal serum levels (a condition called "subclinically deficient"). These deficiencies may have to do with low dietary intake of magnesium, due to poor dietary habits, or loss through the refining and processing of foods. Chronic vomiting or diarrhea, excessive urination and sweating can also deplete magnesium. Foods rich in magnesium include dark leafy vegetables, bananas, avocado, peas, legumes, soy and whole grains.

Without magnesium, the transmission of nerve and muscle impulses is compromised. This can lead to nervous system disorders, muscle weakness or contraction, as well as cramps and spasms. For example, magnesium has been shown to decrease menstrual pain by relaxing the uterine muscles. Magnesium deficiency has also been strongly associated with depression, migraines, ADD, PMS, fibromyalgia, asthma, allergies and type II diabetes. Magnesium loss can be caused by some medications such as diuretics, antibiotics and some anti-cancer drugs. Foods high in fat and oxalic acid interfere with the absorption of magnesium. Oxalic acid containing foods include almonds, chard, cocoa, rhubarb, spinach and black tea. Body requirements for magnesium increase with increased intake of zinc and vitamin D.

AlgaeCal

Calcium is an essential mineral for health as it is required both for building bone density and for maintaining electrolyte balance in the body. For more information on electrolytes, please click here. There are a number of different forms of calcium available, each with different ability to be absorbed and utilized by the human body. For more information on the various calcium sources available, please click here. AlgaeCal is a proprietary bone building supplement made from an extract of a South American algae called Algas calcareas. When this form of calcium is combined with other bone building minerals and vitamin D in the patented AlgaeCal formula, it has been shown to improve bone density over the course of one year of supplementation.

Normal Loss of Bone Density
Bone density peaks around the age of 20, and then begins to decline from that point onwards, throughout our lives. Research has found that depending on age and hormone status, the average female over 40 loses between 0.5% and 1% of her bone density each year, with potentially larger losses occurring after menopause (potentially around 2% yearly). In men the numbers are around half what we see in women for corresponding age groups. The measurement of bone density is used to calculate fracture risk and to diagnose osteoporosis. For more information on osteoporosis, please click here.

Boosting Bone Density
Most calcium supplements are targeted at simply helping to prevent further loss of bone density, and hope to hold the body at the current bone density level. Even with regular calcium supplementation with normal calcium sources, bone mineral density tends to decrease by 0.1% over the year. AlgaeCal goes above and beyond normal calcium supplements by actually increasing bone mineral density by an average of 1.3% over one year of supplementation when combined with 1000IU of vitamin D. For more information on vitamin D, please click here. So, AlgaeCal not only stops bone loss, but can actually help you to once again regain lost bone mass.

How does it work?
The research on this particular supplement is still quite new, so there is much that is not yet understood. It is believed that the calcium extracted from algae is more absorbable in our digestive tracts and thus more available for our body's use. Some test-tube research on bone cells soaked in different forms of calcium found that the AlgaeCal form allowed for increased cell activity and calcium absorption relative to other forms of supplemental calcium. It is thought that like many other nutrients, the plant form of calcium, coming from a "whole food" source is more absorbable than the mineral-based forms. When the plants absorb the nutrients from mineral sources, they alter them to make them more bioavailable. In addition to this increased absorbability, other bone-building vitamins and minerals have been added to boost the effect of this active calcium.

How should I take AlgaeCal?
According to the maker of this particular supplement, and going along with their research results, the recommended dose is 750mg of calcium from AlgaeCal bone health supplement daily combined with 1000IU of vitamin D. That was the dose that created a 1.3% increase in bone density over the course of one year. Be sure to dose according to the calcium content of the supplement, and not its total weight. Many AlgaeCal supplements will already contain vitamin D to ensure benefits to bone health. If it does not, be sure to get at least 1,000IU of vitamin D as well. In general it is a good idea to take calcium supplements away from food to avoid blocking absorption.