If you pay attention to the various misleading ads in the media, you are probably aware that calcium is not only important to health, but it's critical to women to avoid osteoporosis as they age. Playing on fear about health is one way to sell things. There's a little truth in those ads, but not much, as the whole truth doesn't sell the product. Let's look at the whole story.

In order to change calcium from blood calcium into bone calcium takes a complex chemical change requiring several chemical catalysts in lots of steps. In the body, these chemical catalysts are actually enzymes, and each of these steps requires a particular enzyme to do this job. Enzymes are basically protein - differing combinations of amino acids - along with a vitamin or a mineral as well.

This means that if you are short in any vitamin or mineral or particular amino acid required for this complex process, at any step in the process, it may not happen. Thus, you don't just need lots of calcium, but you also have to have every vitamin and mineral needed at each step in this complex process. And, to complicate it further, your ability to digest foods changes as you age.

One of the most used minerals in enzyme making is magnesium, and it is also used in the body to "balance" the calcium. The ideal balance is about 2/1, and that's what most nutritionists recommend as a supplement. (I used to do the same.) Calcium and magnesium also make

up the "battery" the powers the heart, and these two minerals are ones required in the largest amounts of all.

Surprisingly enough, most people in our culture of milk, cheese, and ice cream etc get plenty of calcium. It's rare for a real calcium deficiency in an individual, although it certainly is possible. What is much more probable is that a magnesium deficiency is present, and the top priority (triage in doctorese) of the body is keeping the heart beating, along with all the other enzymes necessary that need magnesium (over 6000 at last count) . Making bone just isn't that high on the priority scale.

A common result is that we wind up with much more calcium than magnesium for good balance. So, what happens to the excess calcium?

1. The body tries to take it out the kidney/urine pathway, but without enough vitamin C to make it water soluble, it might cause kidney stones. (There's absolutely no truth to the idea that too much vitamin C causes kidney stones. The opposite is actually true.)

2. Excess calcium may be deposited in bone spurs or cysts in various spots on the skeleton. Arthritis and back problems are often to due to this.

3. It can also be deposited in lungs, breasts and other various body tissues, causing calcareous spots on x-rays in these areas. Sarcoidosis is a possible lung problem.

4. Calcium is the "backbone" of plaque found in blood vessels, and on teeth. Remove excess calcium and these problems lessen. Another way that vitamin C helps health.

Where is magnesium found, and why do we not get enough? One of the prime sources of magnesium is green vegetables. I hate them, from early childhood, and as a result, I have been plagued with bone spurs, cysts, and back problems. (They taste extremely bitter to me for no good reason). Vegetables are excellent for health in three ways - fiber, magnesium and folic acid.

Much of the water in the world flows thru limestone (dolomite) which is mostly composed of a 2/1 mix of calcium and magnesium. This makes the local water in many areas "hard", because the soft dolomite is dissolved into the water as calcium and magnesium carbonate. Many local water systems are so loaded with this "hard" water that they have to use an ion exchange system to wash clothes. (Along with various other minerals found locally - but that's another issue).

By the way, drinking "hard" water is actually better for you. The ion exchange method of "softening" water exchanges sodium ions for the calcium and magnesium ions. This adds sodium to the water, usually not very good for persons with heart problems.)

So, a BALANCE between magnesium and calcium is required. How can you, as an individual different in many ways than anyone else, obtain that balance?

1. Make sure you take sufficient vitamin C to help get rid of excess calcium. I recommend and take 4 grams per day (4000 mg) in two doses 2 grams in AM, and 2 in PM.

2. Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, and take a good vitamin/mineral supplement. (Better than those cheap once daily types.)

3. This is a bit tricky - How much milk product do you consume every day? These only have calcium so you have to supplement with magnesium to keep the balance. A hair mineral analysis (not very accurate, but it will show balance) may help.

There are a few useful symptoms that may help:

1. Do you have bone spurs, kidney stones, calcareous cysts or spots, etc? If so, you have or have had excess calcium. More vitamin C will gradually take this out.

2. How about cramps? They are a very useful symptom of either a shortage of calcium or magnesium. You have to decide which. Look at your recent diet for few days or weeks.

3. How fast are your hair and your fingernails growing? Hair and fingernails are pretty good indicators for most people. It is an often overlooked excretion route, and both use calcium. If very fast, perhaps you have too much calcium. If very slow, perhaps too little.

YOUR nutrition needs are somewhat different from everyone else. You uptake vitamins and minerals at least somewhat differently, even from those in your immediate family. This idea of INDIVIDUALITY is very important and needs to be more fully understood.

Very few enlightened persons in our culture get enough Vitamin C. The RDA is a joke, and while 75 mg will prevent outright scurvy, it just isn't enough for good health in this polluted world. (By the way, the zoo vets know that a 150 lb ape requires a minimum of 4000 mg (4 grams) of Vitamin C per day, and our body requirements are exactly the same.)

Oh, also by the way, don't fall for the hype in the health food stores. Any source of calcium or magnesium works. The cheapest forms work almost as well as the most expensive. (Another myth, dolomite does NOT contain lead, and if you want a 2/1 mix, it works well.)

For more free info on vitamin/mineral requirements and recommendations, go to: http://www.alternate-health.com/vitmin.html. Good luck and better

health.