• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Butter Nutrition
  • About
    • Media, Interviews & Guest Posts
    • Contact
  • Praise
  • Services
    • Creating Wealth eBook
    • Metabolism FastTrack eCourse
    • Hair Analysis
      • About Hair Analysis
      • Hair Analysis – Frequently Asked Questions
    • Gut Testing
    • Fatty Acid Testing
    • Free Consult
  • The Store
  • Blog
    • Recipes
    • Popular
    • Digestion
    • Weight Loss
    • Thyroid
    • Metabolism
    • Hormones
    • Detoxification
    • Low Energy
    • Hair Analysis
    • Skin and Beauty
      • Essential Oils
    • Diet Review
  • Quiz
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Articles
    • Recipes
  • Services
    • FAQs
  • Praise
  • Take the Quiz!
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Articles
      • Recipes
    • Services
      • FAQs
    • Praise
    • Take the Quiz!
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×

    Home » Nutrition

    8 Signs of Calcium Deficiency

    By Catherine on March 12, 2020 Last Updated January 20, 2022 3 Comments | No Medical Advice | This Post Contains Affiliate Links

    Signs of Calcium Deficiency | Butter Nutrition One of the reasons I love nutritional therapy is how truly helpful and life changing it can be.

    About 13 years ago I had a brief encounter with insomnia. It was an awful, staring at the ceiling, couldn't fall asleep kind of feeling that you just never quite forget. Within a week or so of the insomnia symptoms, my research ensued and a calcium deficiency was among the first to come on my radar. Calcium made a lot of sense at the time, because my diet was fairly low in calcium. Within a day or two of upping my calcium intake, the insomnia vanished.

    The point of my story is how different this could have gone. I could have gone to a traditional doctor who would have likely dismissed diet and nutrition, and gone straight to recommending a prescription medication to help me sleep. The Rx medication could have created side effects and other problems within my body, and my calcium deficiency could have just gotten worse over time...

    Now 13 years later, with the help of hair analysis, I can keep my calcium levels right where I want them and avoid the calcium dips that can trigger symptoms, like insomnia, anxiety, and blood sugar issues.

    Signs of Low Calcium

    The following symptoms have been linked to calcium deficiency and could be clues that you're just not getting enough:

    • insomnia
    • anxiety
    • poor blood sugar regulation
    • PMS
    • osteoporosis and osteopenia
    • depression
    • muscle cramps and spasms
    • dental problems

    Of course, there are other reasons your calcium can be low like kidney disease, magnesium deficiency, and low vitamin D levels. That's why it's important to investigate the situation and discover exactly how your body needs to be supported with data.

    Role of Calcium

    Calcium has many important roles in the body. It's the most abundant mineral in the human body and the vast majority of calcium is found in the bones and teeth. A much smaller amount (around 1%) is found in the blood and soft tissues. Calcium is such an important mineral in the human body that when intake it too low, demineralization of bone begins to make calcium available to maintain normal blood calcium concentrations.

    So how does this play in the body? Well, when blood calcium levels decrease (from lack of dietary calcium), it triggers parathyroid hormone or PTH (which controls calcium metabolism in the body) to break down bone to buffer the pH of the blood. This increases stress, and is an inflammatory process that can play a role insomnia and other symptoms.

    According to Dr. Dr. Ray Peat, PhD, parathyroid hormone (PTH) is an important regulator of calcium metabolism. If dietary calcium isn’t sufficient, causing blood calcium to decrease, the PTH increases, and removes calcium from bones to maintain a normal amount in the blood. PTH has many other effects, contributing to inflammation, calcification of soft tissues, and decreased respiratory energy production.”

    How to get more in your diet?

    The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium is 1,000-1,200 mg.

    Boost your intake with the following calcium-rich foods:

    • Sardines w/the bones (3.2oz): 346.54mg
    • Whole Milk (1 cup): 276mg
    • Sesame Seeds (¼ cup): 351mg
    • Whole Milk Yogurt (1 cup): 296mg
    • Cheese (1oz): 202mg
    • Nettle Infusion (1 cup): 250mg
    • Collard Greens (1 cup): 267.90mg
    • Whole Milk Mozzarella Cheese (1oz): 141mg

    Supplements for calcium deficiency?

    I'm pretty insistent on making sure one knows their calcium status before taking a calcium supplement, and only if food sources aren't doing the job. I prefer hair analysis testing to access calcium status. The reason for this is that excess calcium is a real problem, and it is more common than calcium deficiency (in my office at least).

    The other concern with calcium supplementation is often the co-factors are not included such as magnesium, silica, boron, and vitamin K2 that you get when you eat calcium from food sources.

    Typically calcium levels won’t get too high on their own from food alone. It’s when a calcium-rich diet is paired with calcium supplements and/or vitamin D3 supplements that calcium levels start creeping up. Soaring calcium levels can lead to calcification of your body. Think stiffness among other undesirable things, like back pain, joint issues, and osteoporosis.

    A better bet for strong bones? Get some food-sourced calcium in your diet along with magnesium K2, silica, and boron (if you know you’re low in these). And don’t forget about the benefits of weight-bearing exercise for maintaining bone health.

    My translation here should be no surprise: there is no shortcut to health. Real food is always the safest supplement.

    Testing for calcium deficiency

    My favorite way to assess your own calcium level is by completing a hair analysis. It's a non-invasive test that can give you so much information about your mineral levels and how you can go about balancing them for optimal nutrition!

    Ready to find out your calcium level?

    Get started right away here or enter your email below to learn all about the best way to understand your own mineral levels with hair analysis.

    Are your calcium levels falling short? Please share in the comments!

    PIN IT:

    References:
    https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/calcium
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3542443/
    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=45
    https://nutritiondata.self.com/
    Images by Stephanie Ghesquier from Pixabay

    More Articles You May Enjoy

    • Thyroid Triggers Everyone Ignores
    • 16 Signs of Histamine Intolerance (and WHAT causes it)
    • Is Your Chronic Gut Issue Really a Liver/Gallbladder Issue?
    • Are You Really Vitamin D Deficient? 4 Things to Consider

    About Catherine

    Hi there! I’m Catherine Crow. Seattle-based Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (FNTP), Educator, Diet Investigator, and Coconut Milk Ice Cream Enthusiast. My goal is to help guide you to improve your nutrition through strategic eating (not dieting) and without expensive supplements. Because when you know better, you can feel better! Read more...

    Free Report: How To Reverse A Slow Metabolism

    When your body decides to slow your metabolism it’s all about one thing: survival! It’s not about your body trying to conspire against you and ruin your life. It’s your body making a wise decision to sacrifice long-term health for short-term survival because it’s being told to do so (usually through food/nutrient scarcity). The slowing of the metabolism allows your body to go longer on less food. The body also tends to hold on to fat as a protective mechanism, which isn't exactly what most people are going for! Ready to learn what is slowing your metabolism and what you can do about it? Subscribe below to get access to my FREE Metabolism Report: Why Your Metabolism Was Fast, But Now It's Slow:

    Affiliate Link Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Please note: using an affiliate link does not change the price of the product, instead the seller pays Butter Nutrition a small commission. My thoughts on these products are my own.

    Paid Endorsement Disclosure: In order for me to support my blogging activities, I may receive monetary compensation or other types of remuneration for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial and/or link to any products or services from this blog.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Join the Conversation Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    1. Si

      January 21, 2022 at 1:56 pm

      Catherine,

      Are you familiar with Morley Robbins? If so, what do you think of his protocols?

      Reply
      • Catherine

        January 21, 2022 at 5:23 pm

        Agree with some parts, don't agree with others.

        Abundantly,
        Catherine

        Reply
    2. Sue

      January 22, 2022 at 10:27 am

      Could you tell me which parts you agree with? I suffer from bad fatigue and am trying to fix myself as I have not had luck with doctors. I have read Dr. Walsh also - on copper toxicity - as I suffer from anxiety and depression also. They seem to have different opinions about zinc and copper , and I thought maybe a third opinion would help. I cannot donate blood as Morley recommends. either. Thanks for your reply and your great information.

      I have also read Garret Smith's ideas about vitamin a, as Morley favors vitamin a to reduce iron? Alot of great ideas, but I am just more confused.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Meet Catherine

    As a nutritional therapist, my passion is education. My goal is to help guide you to improve your nutrition through strategic eating (not dieting) and without expensive supplements! Because when you know better, you can feel better! Read more...

    Follow on:

    • Facebook

      45k

    • Instagram

      2k

    • Pinterest

      61k

    • Tiktok

      13k

    Quiz: Are you in nutritional debt?

    Get your free customized results!

    Take the Quiz

    3 Nutrition Secrets

    Grab the 3 Nutrition Secrets You Must Know for Your Health to THRIVE!

    Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

    What Others Are Reading:

    • Duped by Vitamin D? What low levels can REALLY reveal...
    • 14 Signs of Undermethylation
    • How much protein do you need? 11 Signs You're NOT Getting Enough Protein!
    • 10 Things NOT To Do When You're Trying To Lose Weight (#2 fools everyone!)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok

    Get The eBook!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Catherine
    • Client Praise
    • Media/Interviews/Guest Posts
    • Newsletter Sign Up

    Fine Print

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility
    • Terms of Use

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Media Kit
    • FAQ

    Copyright © 2023 Butter Nutrition LLC