Dr. Kate Rhéaume-Bleue: The Calcium Paradox

[dreamcatcher]

Can you share your thoughts on this video?

 

[sladerunner69]

It contains a lot of truth, mainly the interaction of magnesium, vitamin K and D3 (and to that I would add vit A), playing the most important role in "guiding" or storing calcium in the correct tissues. However, I don't believe that ingesting calcium in large amounts will lead to calcification of arteries. Peat has explained that the calcification of tissues is actually a result of a chronic deficiency in calcium coupled with a low metabolism. I still would not take calcium supplements as most of them are probably not very effective or absorbable, and of course contain excipients and contamination that is an inevitable part of the manufacturing process. The only calcium supplement I would be comfortable taking is eggshell powder.

 

[dreamcatcher]

She says it's not the calcium but the lack of K2 which is problematic.

 

[Epistrophy]

She says it's not the calcium but the lack of K2 which is problematic.

Vitamin K and calcium are synergistic to retain calcium in our bones.

 

[Lecarpetron]

Cliffs notes for those interested...
- With or without concurrent D supplementation, Ca supplements increase heart disease in women
- Vitamin D facilitates Ca absorption but doesn't "direct" it to the right place; K2 does that by activating 2 proteins, one that removes Ca from arteries, another that puts it in bones/teeth
- 50% of heart attack victims have normal cholesterol
- Over age 60, higher cholesterol is protective against heart disease and dementia
- CAC test available to measure Ca in 3 main arteries...it's a better predictor of mortality than your actual age
- Ballpark figure, you can remove 50% of arterial plaque in 6 weeks with sufficient K2 intake
- K2 used to be abundant in western food supply but has now disappeared as animal products have shifted from pastured to grain fed
- K2 also helps with insulin sensitivity, cancer prevention, and controls prenatal palatal/jaw growth <--- this is interesting as current prevailing theories on the epidemic of underdeveloped jaws include absence of breastfeeding (proper swallowing mechanics) and poor diet in childhood
- K2 supplementation in high doses in isolation generally ok (unlike A/D) unless combined with warfarin
- 100 mcg from food (2 pastured egg yolks or a small piece of brie/gouda) is a good maintenance dose
- She mentioned that Vit A is being unfairly maligned, it shouldn't be pounded in huge quantities but it does have a role to play

One thing I'm not sure about...she seemed to imply that 45 mg synthetic K2 (i.e. Thorne MK-4) is the equivalent dose to 100 micrgrams of MK-7 from food?!