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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Glydin on December 16, 2004, at 8:00:04
I have read a number of folks here find their depression worsens with calcium supplimentation.
Does anyone has a good rationale for why this occurs?
Is it certain forms of calcium that are more problematic?
Does this seem to happen when one increases the amount of dairy or calcium fortified foods consumed?
I'm quite curious and would appreciate any input on this.
Posted by Tooooja on December 16, 2004, at 13:31:57
In reply to Calcium Supplimentation question, posted by Glydin on December 16, 2004, at 8:00:04
I'm not an expert on this but I believe that calcium and magnesium exist in a sort of antagonistic relationship to one another. Excess calcium without adequate magnesium will cause an imbalance, and as you might have read elsewhere on this board deficient magnesium is often implicated in depression. It's possible that taking calcium supplements is just exacerbating an already significant magnesium deficiency, as mag deficiency is very common on your typical western diet, which is high in processed foods. The processing removing much of the goodness, including high percentages of the magnesium. Magnesium as supplements go seems to be a bit of a champ as it's needed by more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body and when it's missing can therefore cause a host of problems.
Hope that helps a bit.
Tooooja.....
Posted by Glydin on December 16, 2004, at 14:44:01
In reply to Re: Calcium Supplimentation question, posted by Tooooja on December 16, 2004, at 13:31:57
> Hope that helps a bit.
>
> Tooooja.....Hi Tooooja,
Sounds like good reasoning to me. Thank you. I always try to use a "blend" and really have not found a problem - the Mag is excellent for my muscle aches.
Thanks again...
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 18, 2004, at 10:16:18
In reply to Calcium Supplimentation question, posted by Glydin on December 16, 2004, at 8:00:04
> I have read a number of folks here find their depression worsens with calcium supplimentation.
>
> Does anyone has a good rationale for why this occurs?
>
> Is it certain forms of calcium that are more problematic?
>
> Does this seem to happen when one increases the amount of dairy or calcium fortified foods consumed?
>
> I'm quite curious and would appreciate any input on this.Calcium and magnesium are both pumped from the gut by the same uptake pumps, but the regulation of the rate of pumping is determined by blood calcium concentration alone. If your calcium intake is out of balance with magnesium, your parathyroid might shut down uptake, which locks in the magnesium imbalance.
That's one possible mechanism, anyway.
Another involves a mechanism that arises in chronic fatigue states, where feedback regulation of adrenal function is all messed up.
In both cases, I think that magnesium supps are indicated.
Lar
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