Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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My question is how much calcium should an average height/build, metabolically active young man have and what are some physical signs/symptoms of excess and deficiency? I have relied on the following signs to gauge my calcium intake levels": appearance of teeth(not displaying any translucent areas which I take to be a sign of deficiency) Stiffness of joints(stiffness proportional to excess?) heart rate(tachycardia proportional to excess) dryness of skin("...") headache("...")

I have been consuming approx. 5-10,000 i.u of vit D3(supps and sun), approx. 10,000+ i.u of vit.A(eggs, butter, red cabbage, liver), a substantial amount(albeit unknown amount) of vit.k2(from parsely and butter)and my calcium source has been eggshell exclusively(2 large chicken eggshells per day).

I am thinking that given the joint stiffness I am experiencing when I consume the 2 eggshells per day that I am O.D'ing on the calcium and should reduce. However, when i do so(to 1 eggshell per day) I begin to notice translucency in my teeth(perhaps too high thyroid hormone, perhaps too low calcium. I have researched sources that say the amount of calcium in a large eggshell is 800mg. Would this not be adequate? Would double this not be excessive? How else to diagnose joint stiffness and the teeth phenomenon? Any advice would be appreciated.

flag	asked Jun 19 2011 at 14:29 PersonMan

The Quilt · Answer 1 · 2011-06-19 14:49:15Z UTC

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I think Calcium supplementation is unneeded for most fit people. It is needed for those who are obese and for older americans with osteopenia or porosis but even there I dont use a whopping dose. I push Magnesium way more. 1000mgs a day is enough and 2 eggshells is fine. A guy like you Person has good Ca regulation most likely so you will easily have the hormonal machinery to handle any excess

answered Jun 19 2011 at 14:49

The Quilt
27.4k●1●13●82

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I just had a Dr. appt Friday to order some blood tests to get a baseline of lipids, vitamin D etc. Not only did my doc nearly refuse all tests because I have no apparent risk factors (except family history!) she also waved happily at me as I was leaving and said "just keep taking your calcium." It's a jungle out there. – none Jun 19 2011 at 15:01

Thanks for the feedback. I suppose the 1,000 mgs is preferable to ~1500? – PersonMan Jun 19 2011 at 15:02

Person if you eat well you are getting all the Ca you need in food. Most people with osteo penia have bad diets and leptin problems because bone metabolism requires unreal amounts of energy. – The Quilt Jun 19 2011 at 17:09

Thomas Seay · Answer 2 · 2011-06-19 14:43:05Z UTC

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I don't know. I can only tell you that since I've added milk and a pint or two of H-D ice cream back to my diet, a long-standing tendon problem has virtually disappeared. I cannot account for others, but I was eating too little of it, it would seem.

answered Jun 19 2011 at 14:43

Thomas Seay

Interesting: I used to consume approx. 3.5 grams per day and my metabolic rate was perpetually ramped in hyperdrive. This caused hypertension and dry mucous membranes as well as tachycardia/cardiac arrhythmia. I had been gradually decreasing the amount but it does stimulate brain function so...perhaps joint stiffness/calcification of soft tissues if not likely to occur with this range? Do you track your daily consumption/average? A pint or two of ice cream per day seems like a one-way ticket to ben and jerry land! – PersonMan Jun 19 2011 at 15:08

cliff · Answer 3 · 2011-06-19 14:41:00Z UTC

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Do you eat salt?

Maybe supplement k2 mk4 just to make sure your getting it.

answered Jun 19 2011 at 14:41

cliff
13.4k●1●9●28

	What is mk4? I am entering uncharted territory here. Would parsely be adequate if consumed in large enough quantities(eg.how much)? – PersonMan Jun 19 2011 at 15:03
	mk4 is the animal form of k2. 1mg per day is usually the recommended dose. – cliff Jun 19 2011 at 16:52
	Parsley would probably be adequate in large enough amounts like .5 cup or more. – cliff Jun 19 2011 at 16:53
	do you know of any natural sources(eg. parts of certain animals)? – PersonMan Jun 19 2011 at 16:53
	Animal fats are probably the best natural sources but the amounts in the animal fat are very diet dependent. – cliff Jun 19 2011 at 17:53

none · Answer 4 · 2011-06-19 14:42:23Z UTC

Calcium seems to be the boogeyman lately. I too eat eggshells, but I take 1/2 tsp ground.

Too much calcium can be constipating. So that's a pretty straightforward sign.

Too little calcium can be a little harder to "symptomatize" but here's something interesting I learned recently about calcium. If you have cravings, particularly for sweets and carbs, that can be a sign of needing more calcium in the gut. Here's what a smarter person had to say on the subject:

Calcium has been found to regulate the Agouti gene. If calcium is too low then the Agouti gene signal is too high, in turn ramping up NPY, and consequent food cravings (and consequent hot flashes in menopausal women). By increasing calcium intake the Agouti signal is turned down, NPY levels are lowered, and cravings go away – and your head wakes up!away – and your head wakes up!

This guy recommends 2-4K milligrams a day.

calcium:indices of optimality

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