Calcium per day? avoidance of soft-tissue calcification

[personman]

My question concerns the proper amount of calcium to be consumed per day. I want to avoid calcification of the soft tissues and maintain bone density also: currently I am consuming two eggshells(from large eggs) per day spaced out approx. 12 hours. Should I increase or decrease calcium? I am pretty sure this amounts to approx. 1500+mgs. per day. Any advice would be appreciated.

[klowcarb]

Do weight baring exercise and get adequate Vitamin D and K2 from fish and grassfed dairy. I don't worry about calcium at all, especially in relevance to bone density.

[TylerDurden]

Phosphorus is also needed. But, to be honest, if one is eating a varied enough diet of raw grassfed meats/wild game plus some raw organs, one really doesn't need to worry about nutritional deficiencies. There are googleable studies online which show that even low-calcium-eating Bantu women had better bones than Western women.

[personman]

Thanks again for the response. Would you advise not to eat the eggshells then? I do weight-training twice per day and am mainly concerned with the mean here: not extreme(calcification of soft tissues) or deficient(osteoporosis). What mg. amount would you think would be best?

[TylerDurden]

Just eat the raw meats, eggshells won't be necessary.

[klowcarb]

I'm a bodybuilder too, and I don't consume eggshells (though I am not opposed to the idea). I get plenty of Vitamin D and K2 from grassfed butter, pastured eggs and fish. I get lots of weight baring exercise. The RDA of calcium is set artificially high because the SAD diet, which is grain heavy, makes calcium absorption more difficult, and also takes calcium and other minerals from the bones. I think too much calcium is a bad idea--it is my opinion based on studies, etc. that calcium and calcification leads to heart disease (not saturated fat and cholesterol). 

[personman]

How much calcium in mgs. would be advisable on a RPD? Hows about cheese?? Should I nix the cheese...?

[van]

most well waters have an abundance of ca.  It's mg. that you need to be concerned about, since that is a much more difficult mineral to obtain. 

[PaleoPhil]

On a related note, I learned from a podcast interview of Cate Shanahan that bone is composed mostly of collagen protein, rather than calcium. So there may be other things more important to bone density than calcium, such as perhaps consumption of collagen and protein-rich animal foods. This could be one factor in why diets high in animal protein have been found in studies to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. I think it was Mira and Jayson Carlson who even said that they reversed a case of osteoporosis within 2 years, via a Paleo-type diet and supplements.

[personman]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am thinking more along the linesof optimal calcium dose to AVOID soft tissue calcification. Currently I have been consuming approx. 100 grams of cheese but am thinking that ths also is too high. Unfortunately my diet options are limited at this point and I have toavail myself of grain fed beed, battery eggs, cheddar cheese and related fare. Any advice? Should I omit the cheese and substitute more protein, etc.?

[cherimoya_kid]

Thanks for the replies guys. I am thinking more along the linesof optimal calcium dose to AVOID soft tissue calcification. Currently I have been consuming approx. 100 grams of cheese but am thinking that ths also is too high. Unfortunately my diet options are limited at this point and I have toavail myself of grain fed beed, battery eggs, cheddar cheese and related fare. Any advice? Should I omit the cheese and substitute more protein, etc.?

Cheddar cheese, even when from raw milk, is generally cooked during the cheese-making process. I'd avoid cooked cheese if you can.

[personman]

I've decided to eliminate it owing to the belief that its inclusion would be an excess of calcium. It was mainly a protein and calcium source for me but I'll be seeking alternatives.

[CitrusHigh]

If you're getting plenty of K2, which is easier said than done, that is the vitamin that tells your body where to put calcium. ie in tooth and bone where it belongs and out of soft tissue for the most part.

Even if you're getting crappy calcium, or too much of it, k2 *should* help keep it out of your soft tissue.

But do the best you can to get a varied diet of pastured/wild meats, organs. Battery eggs, grained beef and factory cheese is basically SAD. I know there can be times where that's all there is, but do whatever you can to get ahold of the real stuff as often as possible. For you and the animals!

[Max]

Personman, do you eat the grainfed beef raw?  If so what does it taste like raw compared to raw grassfed beef?  Also do you notice a difference in the way your body reacts?

[personman]

buffalo hunter: yes i eat it raw and it is definitely a different physiological state that it produces: a little more inflammation  a little less 'clean' feeling. tastes fine though like candy(must he the soy beans)-a robust and waxy taste.