Increasing Your Calcium Intake
By: Dr Tom Jones
There is a lot of controversy as to which type of Calcium you should be taking. Most people aren't sure as to which type is the most beneficial. There are also a lot of people who tell you to drink milk to get Calcium. This article is designed to give you accurate information so that you are able to make a more educated decision when it comes to calcium supplementation. There are several types of Calcium supplements available as well as a list of foods that contain more calcium than milk. I hope this short article will educate you as to where you can focus your nutrition and supplementation.


(appoximate milligrams (mg) Calcium content per 8oz (1 cup)
NonDairy High Calcium Foods

Vegetables
330 Bok Choy
320 Bean Sprouts
250 Spinach, cooked
260 Collard greens
450 Turnip greens


Fish
300 Raw Oysters
130 Shrimp
490 Salmon
680 Mackeral
995 Sardines


Nuts
660 Almonds
600 Chest
450 Filberts
280 Walnuts
900 Sesame seeds
260 Sunflower seeds


Grains
300 Tapioca, dried
20 Brown rice, cooked
80 Quinoa, cooked
50 Corn meal, whole grain
40 Rye flour, dark
20 Rye flour, light


Beans
340 Garbanzo beans
450 Soybeans, cooked
400 Tofu


Here are some other foods that contain more Calcium than Whole Milk:
Kelp
Swiss Cheese
Carob Flour
Collard Greens
Turnip Greens
Cheddar Cheese
Brewer's Yeast
Parsley
Corn Tortillas
Dandelion Greens
Brazil nuts
Watercress
Dried Figs
Sunflower Seeds
Yogurt
Beet Greens
Wheat Bran

The key factor in deciding which calcium supplement is best for you is to check the amount of elemental calcium on the nutritional facts label. The term elemental calcium is used in dietary supplement ingredient lists that refer to the amount of calcium in that product. This gives you an idea of the actual amount of calcium you may absorb. Keep in mind that your body may not absorb 100% of the listed elemental calcium that you read on the label. Also, do not be fooled by the total weight of each tablet since this weight not only includes the elemental calcium weight, but also the weight of whatever product the calcium has been bound to such as carbonate, gluconate, lactate, or malate.

The nutrition facts label is the best place to look for the information on elemental calcium if you are unable to find it elsewhere on the products label. The amount of elemental calcium will be listed in miligrams (mg) according to "serving size" which is typically one or two tablets or capsules. The nutrition facts label also lists the percent daily value (% daily value), which indicates the amount one serving provides to the average daily recommended amount of a particular nutrient for most individuals. The % daily value for normal adults is 1000 mg of elemental calcium. The amount of elemental calcium per serving is also of importance when choosing between supplements. This will give you an indication as to how many tablets you may want to consume in order to reach your daily goal of calcium. You can also look for the "USP" or "CL" on the label. Supplements that display the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) or the Consumer Lab (CL) abbreviations meet the voluntary industry standards for purity, quality, and tablet dissolution or disintegration. Keep in mind that the majority of calcium should come from your overall daily nutrition. I can't emphasize enough how important a diet high in fruits and vegetables plays in the role of overall health including the benefits of calcium. In addition, incorporating increased amounts of omega 3 fatty acids into your overall lifestyle plays a greater role in lowering cellular inflammation and increases absorption of calcium in the gut.

Calcium needs to be absorbed in an Acidic environment. Some reports have indicated the presence of lead in some calcium carbonate supplements, although below legal thresholds. However, it is the cheapest approach and therefore most prevalent on the market. Calcium needs to be absorbed in an Acidic environment. Calcium carbonate is generally the least expensive and most widely used. Approximately 80-85% of all calcium supplements sold in this country are made from calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is also widely used in antacids. They come in tablets such as os-cal, Alka-mints®, Caltrate 600®, Os-Cal 500®, Rolaids Calcium Rich®, and Tums®. This is rather ironic since people are taking antacids to reduce their acid levels in the stomach and yet they are under the impression they are getting a lot of calcium in their body.
Calcium phosphate is sometimes touted as an option “closest to the body’s natural bone” because bones contain calcium and phosphorus but in practice the body has a harder time breaking down calcium phosphate in a Independent Pharmacy form.

Because calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate have a higher % elemental calcium in them naturally than calcium citrate (40% vs. 21%), you will often see misleading advertising claims about “the most calcium per pill”. All this means is that you have to consume more calcium citrate to get the same net 1000mg of elemental calcium, not that the carbonate form is somehow better or stronger. Using a chewable pill makes this difference easier to address because there is less concern about swallowing larger or a greater quantity of pills.

Calcium citrate is best – Because it has the highest bioavailability and does not need stomach acid to help absorption, it has been shown in some studies to be better absorbed than calcium carbonate, and does not require taking with food – 27% higher absorption rate than calcium carbonate when both are taken on an empty stomach and 22% higher absorption rate vs. calcium carbonate when both are taken with food. Calcium citrate is also the only form which can be absorbed without stomach acid meaning it is the only form effective for absorption in the mouth for dental benefit as well!

So once you have the right form of calcium you have to make sure you have the right blend of vitamins and minerals to ensure maximum benefit. Here is the chart showing these key vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin/Mineral Importance

Vitamin D3 - Most important factor in calcium absorption

Phosphorus - Required to merge calcium into bone. Without a corresponding increase in phosphorus intake, people taking
calcium supplements run the risk of a phosphorus deficiency that would reduce bone mass in the end. Some
studies indicate supplements should contain a 2:1 balance of calcium to phosphorus for proper balance.

Magnesium - Necessary for proper calcium dispersion and utilization. 80% of Americans do not get RDA of this important
factor. Again like phosphorus, studies indicate 2:1 balance of calcium to magnesium is best.

Zinc - Assists in bone maintenance in concert with calcium, but American diet provides under 60% of the RDA for this mineral

Boron - Assists in transfer of calcium from bloodstream to bone structure and helps prevent loss of calcium in urine.

Manganese - Essential mineral for skeletal development

Copper - Assists in skeletal mineralization

Silica - Assists in increasing body's uptake of calcium and the formation of collagen (connective bone tissue)

Vitamin K - Helps in the synthesis of osteocalcian protein which is unique to bone and acts as receptor for formation of calcium
ions. Also reduces urinary calcium loss.


Finally you should consider the form of tablet used. Using a chewable form of calcium that can be taken without food (only possible with calcium citrate) allows a person to take it anytime, anywhere–increasing the chance of consistent usage. Chewing up the supplement also provides instant breakdown and aids in getting the calcium into the bloodstream. Chewing it in the mouth (instead of swallowing a dissolved solution) also ensures maximum benefit for dental health as well. Keeping this thought in mind, liquid supplementation is even more effective in getting the calcium into your body. Liquid has the highest absorption rate since there is no solid material to be broken down by the body.
The evidence continues to pour in that eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is good for your health. In this case, researchers found that both young and old age groups had improvements in bone mineral status when they ate a lot of fruits and vegetables.
Specifically, boys and girls aged 16-18 years and women aged 60-83 years had significant positive associations between spine bone mineral content and fruit intake. In boys, the association was true for neck bone mineral content as well.
Among women aged 60-83 years, a significant positive association was also found between spine bone mineral content and fruit intake. The results found that if fruit intake doubled, it would result in a 5 percent increment in spine bone mineral content.
Previous studies have also found associations between fruit and vegetable intake and positive measures of bone health.
It is not yet known how fruits and vegetables may affect the bones, though some suggest it may be the alkalizing effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on acid-base balance. Other possible mechanisms include the dietary effects of vitamin K, phytoestrogens and other unidentified dietary components they contain.
Calcium can decrease the absorption of other drugs such as tetracycline antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline, minocycline), bisphosphonates (e.g., alendronate), estramustine, levothyroxine, and quinolone antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin). Also, certain medications can decrease the absorption of vitamin D (bile acid sequestrants such as cholestyramine/colestipol, mineral oil, orlistat). Therefore, separate your doses of these medications as far as possible from your doses of calcium/vitamin D. Ask your doctor or pharmacist about how long you should wait between doses and for help finding a dosing schedule that will work with all your medications.

Dr. Jones Checks in with the Icehawks

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 07/27/06

BY JOHN BUSH
STAFF WRITER

Dr. Thomas Jones enjoys a good hockey check as much as any hockey fan.

As the doctor and trainer for Monmouth University's IceHawks club team, Jones gets an extra dose of satisfaction whenever an IceHawks player delivers a big hit.

"One game against Shippensburg University, I was sitting right there when (right wing) Joe Raimondi knocked this guy clear over the boards into the penalty box," Jones said. "It was a home game and everybody went wild. After the game, Joe came up to me and said, "Dr. Jones, I did what you said and I felt great.' He was so excited. He couldn't get over how strong he felt."

Jones' involvement with the IceHawks extends far beyond a typical team trainer role. So much so that the players have presented Jones with an autographed team jersey.

"It was really nice, and completely unexpected," Jones said. "This past season was amazing."

"We consider Dr. Jones a member of the team," forward Jon Grubb said. "He's given us so much, both as individuals and as a team. We couldn't possibly repay him. We figured the best way to show him our appreciation was to present him with a signed team jersey. He's a very important part of our club and has played a significant role in our successes."

A chiropractor and physical therapist, Jones, 33, runs Human Performance Center, an advanced sports performance and chiropractic medicine clinic in Shrewsbury. He became involved with the IceHawks through a mutual acquaintance prior to the 2004-05 season, volunteering his services as both an athletic trainer and a doctor. He has since been training and developing the players both as a group and on an individual basis.



"In hockey, a big part of the game is hitting and being hit," Jones said. "The team learned which muscle groups to contract and drive from in order to hit more effectively and also to take a hit with minimal consequence."

After the team struggled on the ice in 2004-05, the IceHawks showed a marked improvement this past season under new coach Fred Berzolla.

A member of the Delaware Valley Collegiate Hockey Conference, the IceHawks, who play their home games at Wall Sports Arena, reached the league playoffs and finished 11th in the American Collegiate Hockey Association Division III Atlantic rankings.

"I do a lot of sports performance training and off-ice training with them," said Jones, who attended Toms River South and is a professor of human anatomy and physiology at Ocean County College. "I do a lot of injury-prevention work. This year we didn't have anybody who required surgery. I attribute that to the players' conditioning. They're really hard workers.

"When I look at athletes, I don't want to train individual muscles. It's more linking the motor patterns required for the sport. I want to train particular patterns for the sport and develop it in an unconscious manner and try to achieve perfection of movement. It's linking power, strength, agility and coordination, and it makes them more powerful."

The players have certainly been impressed with the results from the training they've received from Jones.

"Doc helped me tremendously," defenseman and team captain Tony Losardo said. "We did a lot of core strengthening and balance training. He taught me how to use and harness energy from different muscle groups. What's really great is that Doc made everything we worked on sport-specific. He related everything to ice hockey. I'm a pretty strong skater, but the balance training made me stronger. The preventative conditioning helped me have my first injury-free season in five or six years."

"Dr. Jones showed me how to hit, how to focus and explode," Raimondi said. "He taught me which muscle groups to use. There was a game against Shippensburg where I was along the boards with a larger player from the other team. I'm not a big guy, but I hit him so hard he literally cart-wheeled over the boards into the bench. There's more to it than just learning how to hit, though. With Doc's training I saw noticeable gains from last year. I'm a much better overall player, stronger, faster and more agile."

During games, it's not unusual for Jones to tend to Monmouth's opponents, keeping in with the competitive yet friendly spirit of a club-level university sport.

"Some games I'm working more on their players than our own," Jones said.

"Some schools can't afford a doctor, I got that covered. They can't afford a trainer, I got that covered."

"It wasn't just about us and our team, you know?" Losardo said.

"Doc was there to help other players, other teams too. It's what he does."

Mostly, though, Jones helps get the IceHawks into peak playing condition.

"It's such a close team, even off the ice," Jones said. "The reason why I like working with them is they're not lazy. If you're going to work, you're going to work, and they've demonstrated that."

Preventing Heat Related Illness in Athletes

Preventing Heat Related Illness
Now that we are in mid summer, high school and college student athletes are returning to the field for preseason workouts and conditioning. The intensity of the summer sun, heat, and humidity can put many athletes at risk for heat related illness or, even worse. As the air temperature rises, your body cools itself when your sweat evaporates. On hot, humid days, the increased moisture in the air slows the evaporation of sweat. When sweating isn't enough to cool your body, your body temperature will begin to rise. According to the CDC, an average of 400 people die each year in the United States due to heat related illness with the majority of the deaths caused from athletic overexertion. There are two main types of heat related illnesses that are commonly seen each year throughout the country: Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke.
Heat exhaustion occurs when people exercise in a hot, humid place. Body fluids are lost through sweating (diaphoresis) causing the body to overheat. The individual’s body temperature may be elevated up to 104°F.
The warning signs of heat exhaustion include the following:
Heavy sweating
Paleness
Muscle cramps
Tiredness
Weakness
Dizziness
Headache
Nausea or vomiting
Fainting

Heat Stroke is a life threatening medical condition. The athlete’s cooling system, which is being controlled by the brain, stops working correctly. Therefore, the athlete’s internal body temperature begins to rise higher than in heat exhaustion. As their body temperature begins to rise, their brain can become damaged along with other internal organs. A heat stroke victim’s body temperature may reach 105°F or higher.


Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include the following:
An extremely high body temperature (above 104°F)
Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
Rapid, strong pulse
Throbbing headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Unconsciousness

Other Factors that can lead to Heat Related Illness
Along with the high temperatures and humidity, there are other factors that can affect the athlete. Athletes should be very careful not to consume any diuretics. A diuretic is any type of food, liquid, or drug that can elevate the rate of urination. Alcohol and caffeine are both diuretics. Their consumption means that your body will urinate more. This means your body loses water and therefore can lead to dehydration rather easily.
Other variables that can influence the playing conditions and temperatures are the surfaces of the training facilities. Coaches whose athletes practice on Astroturf have to be even more aware of the heat. It causes a temperature increase of up to 10 degrees higher than the existing temperature. So a 90-degree day will be 100 degrees for athletes on the turf.
Another great danger to athletes in high heat conditions comes from society’s approval of the diehard stereotype of the male athlete. That produces athletes who knowingly push themselves beyond their limits to impress their coaches and teammates with their toughness.

Guidelines for Preseason training in the summer
The body needs up to 14 days of progressive activity in the heat to undergo physiological changes that allow for safe acclimatization. The first five days are the most crucial. Players should also practice in light colored clothing non-restrictive clothing
According to the Journal of Athletic Training, Heat Acclimatizing guidelines,
• -Each individual total practice time should last three hours or less
• -On the first 5 practice days, athletes can participate in only one daily practice
• -During the first 2 days of sports requiring helmets or shoulder pads, a helmet should by the only protective equipment permitted.
• -On Days 3 to 5, only helmets and shoulder pads should be worn.
• -Starting no earlier than day 6 and continuing through day 14, double-practice days must be followed by a single-practice day.

What you should know as an athlete.
• Be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. You may be able to spot a teammate who may display some of these signs. There are many athletes and just a few coaches so you have a better chance of spotting one of your friends with this problem.
• Most teams do not have a “Bobby Boucher” to worry about providing you water and protecting you from the dehydration. Therefore, it is up to you to make sure you hydrate yourself every 15 – 20 minutes in the heat. Even if you are not thirsty.
• Team Captains should make this one of their responsibilities for their team
• Notify a coach or trainer immediately if you spot these symptoms.
• If an athlete or someone on the field or court displays some or all of these signs, appears to be getting worse, or passes out, call 911 immediately.
• In the meantime:
• Get the victim out of the sun, either inside in the shade or inside a building that has air conditioning
• Cool non-alcoholic beverages. Not cold as this may be a shock to the body
• Rest
• Remove any type of equipment or heavy clothing

Ideas for preventing dehydration
• Hydrating prior, during, and after your practice or practices.
• Hydrating with plenty of water. Cool water will allow for more efficient cooling of the body compared to cold or ice cold water.
• In addition to water, Pedialyte is a good source for replacing diminished electrolyte levels. If you can’t get Pedialyte, Gatorade will do. Again, your majority of hydration should be water.
• The best types of foods to eat that will assist in rehydrating your body are: Apples
• Apricots
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Celery
• Cherries
• Citrus fruits (e.g., oranges, tangerines and grapefruit)
• Cucumbers
• Grapes
• Lettuce
• Pineapple
• Squash
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon