NUTRIDOM LIQUID CALCIUM (CAL-MAG-VIT. D) EDITORIAL
Calcium, magnesium and vitamin D three nutrients that have many related and synergistic actions in the body. It is important to maintain individual levels of each of them but one also needs to consider a good balance between each of these nutrients for optimal health.
Calcium and Magnesium
The relationship between calcium and magnesium has been known for a long time and studies show that calcium intake affects magnesium retention and vice versa. However, calcium intake levels have increased dramatically over the last half decade due mostly to the increase in dairy consumption. This was likely due to the relationship discovered between calcium and bone health, however the Harvard Milk study in 1997 concluded that higher intake of dairy did not decrease the incidence of osteoporosis or associated risk of bone fracture. The increase in calcium intake occurred without a concurrent increase in magnesium which is required of the absorption and metabolism of calcium. The resulting average ratio of calcium to magnesium balance in North America is now greater than 3.0. While this increase has occurred with food intake alone, calcium supplementation alone has further increased this ratio. Studies generally show that increases in calcium in those with calcium: magnesium ratio higher then 2.6 may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer and kidney stones among other health concerns. Ratios less then 1.7 of calcium: magnesium was shown to increase risk of total mortality.
Thus, a ratio of 2:1 of calcium to magnesium is what has been discovered to be the optimal balance between these two minerals. While many combination supplements are in this 2:1 ratio, it has been proposed that since magnesium intake in the diet remains to be much lower then calcium intake, supplements should focus on a greater magnesium intake and achieve a more balanced 1:1 intake. This could depend on how much dairy and other high calcium foods you consume in your diet
Vitamin D
Deficiency in vitamin D has become more common as lifestyle and skin cancer awareness has decreased the amount of direct sun exposure we get daily. While food fortification and supplementation have helped, there remains to be large intra-individual variation in serum concentrations of vitamin D. The fact that vitamin D significantly increases the amount of calcium that can be absorbed into the body is well known, however not many people are aware that magnesium is crucial of several steps in the activation and synthesis of vitamin D in the body. Magnesium deficiency alone results in reduced levels of vitamin D, and co-supplementation resulted in substantial increases in serum levels of active vitamin D over either magnesium or vitamin D supplementation alone.

While there continues to be a need to further studies into the interplay of these 3 important nutrients, there is sufficient evidence to show that they do need to be considered in relation to each other both in the diet and any supplemental treatments.

Sources:
Allgrove J. Physiology of Calcium, Phosphate, Magnesium and Vitamin D. Endocr Dev. 2015;28:7-32.
http://deliciousliving.com/blog/time-ditch-21-calcium-magnesium-ratio
Rosanoff A., Dai Q, Shapses SA. Essential Nutrient Interactions: Does Low or Suboptimal Magnesium Status Interact with Vitamin D and/or Calcium Status? Adv Nutr. 2016 Jan; 7(1): 25–43.

<Written by David Health Research Centre>
06/04/2017



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