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Vit D + Calcium: Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Plus: Jessie Inchauspé's "Glucose Revolution"
The 10almonds Team
May 05, 2023
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⏰ IN A RUSH?
Today’s 30-Second Summary
If you don’t have time to read the whole email today, here are some key takeaways:
You can have too much of a good thing!
Too little calcium is bad for you, but too much can be even worse
You want to harden your bones, not your arteries!
Double-whammy if you’re taking a high dose of vitamin D, which can really flood the bloodstream with calcium
When it comes to vitamin D, best to stick to 600 IU (15μg) as a daily dose, or 800 IU (20μg) if aged over 70.
Fulton offer cork-based insoles that shape themselves to the arch of your feet, giving you perfect customized support
Also 15% off if you use our code “NEWSLETTER15”, and a 90-day satisfaction-guaranteed trial!
Magic mushrooms may induce lasting improvements in color-blind vision
At-home yoga reduces anxiety, improves short-term memory
Read on to learn about these things and more…
👀 WATCH AND LEARN
ATOMIC HABITS: Tiny Changes that Create Remarkable Results | James Clear
James Clear’s book Atomic Habits is one that we’ve previously reviewed in our “One Minute Book Review” section, and we highly recommend it. For those who prefer short videos to reading, here’s a quick overview:
💀 MAIN FEATURE
Vit D + Calcium: Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Myth: you can’t get too much calcium!
Myth: you must get as much vitamin D as possible!
Let’s tackle calcium first:
❝Calcium is good for you! You need more calcium for your bones! Be careful you don’t get calcium-deficient!❞
Contingently, those comments seem reasonable. Contingently on you not already having the right amount of calcium. Most people know what happens in the case of too little calcium: brittle bones, osteoporosis, and so forth.
But what about too much?
Hypercalcemia
Having too much calcium—or “hypercalcemia”— can lead to problems with…
Groans: gastrointestinal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Peptic ulcer disease and pancreatitis.
Bones: bone-related pains. Osteoporosis, osteomalacia, arthritis and pathological fractures.
Stones: kidney stones causing pain.
Moans: refers to fatigue and malaise.
Thrones: polyuria, polydipsia, and constipation
Psychic overtones: lethargy, confusion, depression, and memory loss.
(mnemonic courtesy of Sadiq et al, 2022)
What causes this, and how do we avoid it? Is it just dietary?
It’s mostly not dietary!
Overconsumption of calcium is certainly possible, but not common unless one has an extreme diet and/or over-supplementation. However…
Too much vitamin D
Again with “too much of a good thing”! While keeping good levels of vitamin D is, obviously, good, overdoing it (including commonly prescribed super-therapeutic doses of vitamin D) can lead to hypercalcemia.
This happens because vitamin D triggers calcium absorption into the gut, and acts as gatekeeper to the bloodstream.
Normally, the body only absorbs 10–20% of the calcium we consume, and that’s all well and good. But with overly high vitamin D levels, the other 80–90% can be waved on through, and that is very much Not Good™.
See for yourself:
How much is too much?
The United States’ Office of Dietary Supplements defines 4000 IU (100μg) as a high daily dose of vitamin D, and recommends 600 IU (15μg) as a daily dose, or 800 IU (20μg) if aged over 70.
See for yourself: Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals ← there’s quite a bit of extra info there too
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Fulton: A Better Way To Walk
Here at 10almonds, we’ve talked a lot about the health benefits of walking. It’s no surprise, then, that we also believe it’s important to take good care of your feet!
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Fulton offers a 90-day comfort guarantee, so your order is risk-free.
If you do choose to try some, you can enjoy 15% off with the code “NEWSLETTER15” 😉
🌍 AROUND THE WEB
What’s happening in the health world…
More to come tomorrow!
📖 ONE-MINUTE BOOK REVIEW
Glucose Revolution: The life-changing power of balancing your blood sugar - by Jessie Inchauspé
While we all know that keeping balanced blood sugars is important for all us (be we diabetic, pre-diabetic, or not at all), it can be a mystifying topic!
Beyond a generic "sugar is bad"...
What does it all mean and how does it all work?
Should we go low-carb?
What's the deal with fruit?
Carbs or protein for breakfast?
Is "quick energy" ever a good thing?
How do starches weigh in again?
It's all so confusing!
Happily, Jessie Inchauspé has the incredible trifecta of qualifications to help us: she's a biochemist, a keen cook, and a great educator. What we mean by this latter is:
Instead of dry textbook explanations, or "trust me" hand-waives, she explains biochemistry in a clear, simple, digestible (if you'll pardon the pun) way with very helpful diagrams what things cause (or flatten) blood sugar spikes and how and why. If you read this book, you will understand, without guesswork or gaps, exactly what is happening on a physical level, and why and how her "10 hacks" work.
Her "10 hacks" are explained so thoroughly that each gets a chapter of its own, but we'll not keep them a mystery from you meanwhile, they are:
Eat foods in the right order
Add a green starter to your meals
Stop counting calories
Flatten your breakfast curve
Have any type of sugar you like—they're all the same
Pick dessert over a sweet snack
Reach for the vinegar before you eat
After you eat, move
If you have to snack, go savoury
Put some clothes on your carbs
She then finishes up with a collection of handy cheat-sheets and some of her own recipes.
Bottom line: this isn't just a "how-to" book. It gives the how-to, yes, but it also gives such good explanations that you'll never be confused again by what's going on in your glucose-related health.
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May your levels of everything be just right,
The 10almonds Team