We all have heard how important it is to take calcium for bone health. Drink your milk, eat your greens, take your daily calcium pills. Simple advice. What about lactose intolerance, oxalates, pus in milk, magnesium balance? Or environmental impact, humanitarian efforts, and other concerns relating to the dairy, farming, and pharmaceutical industries?
Our bodies do not produce calcium so we do need to get it externally. Especially so, since this essential mineral is important for more than bone health. Other functions include regulation of blood pressure and nerve signals. Foods that are good sources of calcium – okra, milk and milk products, sesame seeds, bone broth, and kidney beans. For milk and milk products – Kerrygold, Westgold, and other Irish butters made from grass-fed cows. Organic Valley and Raw Farm USA are two brands that offer raw cheese and other products. (I’m really enjoying Organic Valley’s aged cheddar and one of my favourites snacks is butter.)
☞ Why grass-fed? It’s not just butter from grass-fed cows; it’s specifically cows eating fresh spring grass, which has extra proteins and is the highest in nutrients. We can see this in the brightness of the butter’s colour. We usually get Kerrygold and we are also trying Fond O’Foods German butter that’s certified non-GMO. There are many farms that do produce healthy and delicious butter.
Eating eggs? You can easily make a calcium powder from the shells. First, boil them to sterilize and then dry them in the oven at 200 degrees for twenty minutes. Grind them in a blender or coffee grinder to make the powder. (source: Mamabear. Elizabeth)
If your diet is insufficient, taking supplements may be necessary. Some people like taking organic and grass-fed whey. One serving offers about 60% of daily calcium needs. I take Whole Fish Bone Calcium from Traditional Foods Market with Earthley’s Cod Liver Oil.
What we take in from food is of primary importance, though it’s understandable for a myriad of reasons, supplementation may be necessary. Look for good sources, no fillers, no preservatives, etc.
Keep reading for other ways to support bone and teeth health naturally.
Deep within your bones, a remarkable process unfolds every day: old bone tissue is broken down while new bone material is carefully crafted in its place. This natural cycle of renewal ensures your bones stay resilient and strong, like a forest that constantly regenerates itself. – Secrets of the Tribe
☞ for those who are lactose intolerant, this article on A2/A2 milk may be of interest to you. There are also kefirs from A2/A2 milk, which has been shown to be better for digestion and gut health.
☞ Oxalates are naturally-occurring compounds in plants. You can find them in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. According to Livestrong, one cup of spinach contains 755mg of oxalates, half a cup of rhubard has 541mg, one-ounce of almonds has 122mg, half a cup of beets has 76mg, and raspberries have 48mg. Other berries have 4mg. For some people, oxalates can build up and create kidney stones. Also they bind to calcium which affects bioavailability of this mineral.
The Root Cause Protocol highlights the importance of magnesium/calcium balance. They see that people tend to have higher calcium than magnesium from their diet. And with magnesium quickly depleted due to stress, people can experience inflammation from excess calcium. Magnesium is needed for over 300+ functions, one of which is to regulate calcium. It is also needed for us to assimilate calcium. The Root Cause Protocol recommends a ratio of 2:1 magnesium to calcium. Join the Root Cause Protocol community to learn more. They also have some 101 videos to get started.
If you’re looking for magnesium, I prefer topical applications. Check out Good Night Lotion or the lotions and oils from Ancient Minerals.
Calcium also works with potassium and phosphorus.
Herbs for Bone Health
Mother Earth provides. Herbs, from teas, to balms, to tinctures, support our health and wellbeing in so many ways. Herbs for bone health include nettle, horsetail, alfalfa, and dandelion root. Here’s an article with a list of thirteen medicinal herbs for bone health.
Different cultures revered different herbs for bone health. From Native American healers, juniper, Mediterranean cultures, rosemary, Traditional Chinese Medicine, red sage, from the Amazon rainforests, Cat’s Claw, to name a few by Secret Tribe.
Looking for tinctures? The Nourish Naturally, which includes a general formula for everyone and a specific one for men and for women, is a great way to get food sources of calcium. These also taste good.
You may be eating well and taking your supplements. However, there can be internal dryness that minimizes or prevents absorption of minerals. Chronic constipation can be a sign.
Bone Renewal Tea is an herbal tea specifically created to address this issue. I take this tea daily and I have noticed a difference. Just a small cup or two and I still have more than half the jar I bought in April.
Homeopathics and Cell Salts
Check out Miranda Castro’s Healing Cell Salts for Bones, Hair, Nails, and Teeth.
The body can be deficient in many ways, which can compromise our ability to assimilate and absorb minerals. Cell salts are the foundational salts that the human body requires. Certain may be more depleted than others. While some people love taking the 12 in 1, which I do take when I’m feeling under the weather, taking specific ones to address the imbalance is a better approach. Out of the twelve salts, calc fluor is for strengthening the bone and enamel, silica for strengthening hair and nails, and calc phos heals fractures and helps address underlying digestive imbalance.
With Homeopathy, the key is matching the remedy with the symptoms. Homeopathic remedies can help with acute conditions, such as a toothache, and for more constitutional questions, it’s best to work with a practitioner. The most often used remedies include arnica montana for pain and swelling, hypericum perforatum for nerve pain, and hepar sulphuris for abscess.
Oil PUlling
By now, oil pulling has become a mainstream go-to. An Ayurvedic practice, oil pulling is briskly swishing a comfortable volume of oil in your mouth to pull out toxins. This may be ten to twenty minutes. Be sure to spit out the oil into a garbage can, not down the sink. Alternatively, you can fill your mouth with the oil and simply hold until you start to salivate.
Currently, I’m using the traditional choice of sesame seed oil. Being highly nutritious, It’s called “King of Oil”. Coconut oil is a solid at room temperature where I live now. I used to use Coconut oil when I lived in a more tropical climate. Many people also enjoy the addition of essential oils.
Oil pulling has many benefits aside from gum and teeth health. It supports the digestive system and sinuses. In Ayurveda and other eastern systems, the tongue is believed to be related to all the organs. So oil pulling also has a positive impact on them.
Done on an empty stomach, start by scraping your tongue and brushing your teeth before oil pulling. If ten minutes is too uncomfortable, start with five minutes.
Energy Balancing
As a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner and Self-Help teacher, I love this energy balancing. Everything is related and starting with any simple Self-Help, which is applying Jin Shin Jyutsu to yourself, is helpful. Jin Shin Jyutsu works with twenty-six energy zones on each side of the body. These lock up when energy has deviated from its correct pathways. Once locked, people can experience pain, anxiety, indigestion, etc. Bone is the densest part of the body so we may address it with the earth element – Spleen and Stomach. The Stomach flow pattern also moves through the jaw. Self-Help for this is holding your thumb. The jaw also is related to the hips, so we can place our hands on the bikini line. Teeth and bones are also governed by Kidney Energy. Self-Help for this is holding our index finger. This also helps with the tooth enamel.
Our teeth are also related to the organs so stagnation or accumulation of energy in either affects the other.
For more information about supporting your teeth, check out our article on Cure Tooth Naturally. For women experiencing the peri- or menopausal years may want to check out this article or read Susan Weed’s book.
