SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT...BIOAVAILABILITY VERSUS ABSORPTION
Great news...bones aren’t static. They are living tissues that are constantly breaking down and then rebuilding themselves. In your youth, your body did this efficiently. Peak bone density is usually achieved in your early 30’s. As you get older, your body breaks down more bone than it can rebuild.
There are several reasons for bone loss.
- Maintain proper acid/alkaline balance
- Support the bone matrix
- Reduce bone breakdown
- Enhance calcium absorption and utilization
- Support your homocysteine levels
The usual approach is to take a calcium supplement and or increase dairy intake for calcium levels. According to NIH (National Institute of Health) ten million individuals are estimated to have osteoporosis “The bone thief.” 34 million people are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. 80 percent of afflicted women are caucasion and 20 percent are other races. Each year more than 320,0000 Americans are hospitalized for a hip fracture. 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures and 300,000 fractures at other body sites occur every year from bones becoming brittle from osteoporosis.
SOLUTION: Dr. Robert Heaney published research on calcium supplementation and high calcium levels in food in the American Journal Clinical Nutrition 1990. He wanted to determine why traditional calcium solutions were not supporting bone health. He investigated seven different forms of calcium supplementation in women. The forms of calcium that he investigated were Calcium Oxalate, Hydroxyapatite, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Citrate Malate and Patented Amino Acid Calcium Mineral Chelate. Raw milk was used as the food form for measurement
Each individual in the research study was given a cold tag radioisotope containing a different calcium supplement to drink. Each hour blood was drawn to measure the amount of calcium entering the blood. Calcium elimination levels were also collected from urine and fecal matter. Special diagnostic equipment similar to a geiger counter tracked the calcium levels entering into the cells and tissue for bioavailability. Bioavailability is the actual amount of a nutrient element that the body identifies and recognizes as compatible with the body chemistry for biological and nutritional cellular support. This is different from absorption. Absorption does not mean there is bio-availability for nutritional support. Absorption can occur from breathing in toxic airborne particulates, ingesting preservatives in food, environmental toxins, insect bites, topical products that are put on the skin, allergens, etc. The body has absorbed the element but it is not bioavailable to support the health and function of the body or its chemistry..
This research made international history regarding calcium benefits to the body. Because the calcium used was a cold tag radioisotope, Dr. Heany was able to account for the entire amount of the isotope drunk, the bioavailability and the amount excreted by the body that was not bioavailable.
Calcium from Calcium Carbonate fell in the low 20% range for bioavailability. Calcium Citrate was a little higher than the Calcium Carbonate. Calcium Citrate Malate was 5% more than the Calcium Citrate. These results were only significant if the mineral supplements were taken on an empty stomach. The absorption variations between subjects. Antacid calcium carbonate was shown to be at very low levels between the subjects at less than 10%. And was generally not recommended as a nutritional source for calcium. Calcium Phosphate or Calcium Hydroxyapatite consistently demonstrated the poorest uptake of Calcium . No wonder there is a problem with bone health if relying on these types of calcium supplementation.
The patented amino acid calcium mineral chelate averaged 44% bioavailable without the benefit of a meal enhancement. No other calcium supplement form, including milk, had as high of a rate of bioavailability. Supplements that call themselves a chelate but are improperly chelated were shown to interfere with iron levels in the body. They made it more difficult for women to meet their daily iron requirements. This negative effect was seen with all ionizable forms of calcium-carbonates, citrates, phosphates, oxides, etc. The patented amino acid calcium mineral chelate did not ionize in the gut and had no potential to interfere with iron.
The patented amino acid calcium mineral chelate had 82% greater bioavailability than calcium citrate. It was 87% greater than calcium carbonate even with meals. It was 165% greater than calcium hydroxyapatite and the patented amino acid calcium mineral chelate was 63% better than whole milk bioavailability which was at 19%.
The patented amino acid calcium mineral chelate maintained proper acid/alkaline balance in the body.
It supported the bone matrix.
It reduced bone resorption
It had the highest calcium bioavailability and utilization without the support of a meal
It supported homocysteine levels.
This is the form of calcium used in all Life Zone products. You cannot manipulate a cold tag radioisotope. The amount each individual drank was 100% accounted for in the body, blood, tissue and cells. This is the only calcium bioavailable test that I am aware of for this level of accuracy.