It seems that whenever one of us is sick, our holistic chiropractor tells us to take massive amounts of Calcium Lactate. I've had a basic understanding of why, but I wanted more answers. Here's what a little research uncovered.

Calcium is essential for many bodily functions other than bone mineralization. They include muscle contraction, nerve conduction, maintenance and function of cell membranes, blood coagulation, and proper functioning of many of the body's enzyme systems.

Calcium is also the most abundant mineral found in the human body. It assists in the immune response actions formed by the white blood cells, helps maintain our acid/base balance, and maintains protective intestinal flora.


The best sources of calcium are, of course, whole foods (NOT dairy products- more on that later!). Green leafy vegetables (collard greens, spinach, lettuce, and broccoli, to name a few) seeds, raw nuts, some dried fruits (namely figs) and white beans are just a sampling of the ways God has provided for us to get an adequate supply of calcium.

Despite the fact that one may eat well, consuming large quantities of the appropriate fruits and vegetables, our bodies will use up those "naturally occurring" sources of calcium very rapidly when our immune systems are overloaded. Also, teething infants and growing children use massive amounts of calcium as their bodies are forming teeth, nervous systems, blood vessels and larger bones.

This is where the calcium supplements come into play. For more information on which ones to use and how much to take, visit http://www.mercola.com/ or http://www.standardprocess.com/.