Most Calcium / Magnesium supplements are supplied in a ratio of 2:1.

Recommendations vary from a 4:1 to a 1:1 calcium to magnesium ratio. Some vendors and practitioners claim that calcium and magnesium oppose each other at the intracellular level, and therefore low magnesium intake causes high calcium storage, or calcification.Others maintain that magnesium is needed for proper calcium absorption, and that low magnesium intake can be responsible for low calcium levels.

Is there a Correct Answer – is there an “optimal” Calcium / Magnesium Ratio?

What’s the problem? Unless the cellular status of calcium, magnesium or other essential trace elements is actually measured, it’s almost impossible to predict what true effect supplementation will have on your mineral levels and ratios. One-sided diets, one-sided supplementation, organ damage, infections, drug use, renal, intestinal and hormonal factors – they all have an impact on someone’s calcium and magnesium ratio and mineral status, so there just can’t be a uniform mineral ratio best for everyone. There are just too many variables.

What type of calcium and magnesium user are you?

Some people -especially Australians and Americans – retain far too much calcium and constantly struggle to gain magnesium requirements. Others suffer from magnesium overload and need to supplement larger amounts of calcium to overcome calcium deficiencies. Mineral ratios can also be affected by neurological disturbances such as following spinal alignment problems.

Even in a healthy body – without any of the above conditions – the effect of magnesium on calcium (and that of calcium on magnesium) is affected by the type of minerals used (carbonate, gluconate,

citrate, etc.), and their effect on stomach acid levels, which also impact absorption and ratios.

Effect of Other Minerals

If zinc is on the high side, and potassium low, then taking extra magnesium will usually lower calcium. Magnesium supports zinc, but lowers potassium, which is a calcium synergist.

Alternatively, if potassium is higher, and zinc lower, we may find that taking magnesium will push calcium higher as well.

Vitamin D increases calcium, phosphorus, and – to a lesser degree – magnesium absorption.

‘Over’ and ‘Unders’

If calcium is above-normal, but magnesium is even higher than calcium, there’s a good chance that you may eventually experience symptoms of a calcium deficiency.

Higher potassium and higher copper levels will synergistically support an increase in intracellular calcium, with Vitamin D affecting mostly serum calcium levels through hormonal action and increased intestinal absorption.

Boron affects calcium and magnesium uptake as well, but it generally doesn’t come into play with the average individual unless supplemented.
Low levels of manganese, phosphorus, zinc, nickel and Vitamin C can encourage an increase in intracellular calcium ratio, and may eventually create a risk for calcification.

It’s not unusual to have symptoms of calcium deficiency. Calcium becomes bio-unavailable at higher levels, resulting in calcium loss from our bones.

By increasing manganese, phosphorus, zinc, Vitamin C, or stomach acid to correct levels, calcium uptake can be optimized to normal levels as well, with usually no calcification taking place. But.. increasing these same co-factors to abnormal levels will increase the risk for calcium loss, with all its undesirable consequences. We could add protein as well, but it’s phosphorus, the resulting end product, which will determine at what point excessive protein will start to interfere with normal calcium metabolism.

alkaline water

Generally speaking, alkaline water sold over the counter is simply water in a bottle with added calcium carbonate, often at similar levels to Calcium in your home water. Calcium in water is certainly assimilated better than through food, but only an analysis of the Calcium levels to learn just how much water equals a recommended daily allowance will tell you whether the Calcium is having any effect. Most water supplies and many alkaline water bottling companies brands have such a low concentration of calcium that you’d need to drink many gallons of water to get your RDA.

Electronic Water Ionizers

…have been wrongly depicted as separating the alkaline and acid ions in their electrolysis process, but test results show this to be wrong. Electrolysis creates hydrogen rich water, and this has been interpreted as alkaline water. It is not. It is high hydrogen water that a pH Meter will react to. Less experienced users of the pH meter make the wrong assumption that this means the water is alkaline.A natural non electric water ionizer may or may not have both magnesium and calcium in their media. Of the number on the market, all will ‘read alkaline’ in pH, but very few actually produce molecular hydrogen. These units are giving a high pH reading because they are adding alkaline minerals to the output water. Always ask for test results, preferably over the life of the filter.What we are finding is that there is a significant difference in how people understand alkaline water. Many water ionizer vendors don’t even know that their water isn’t high alkaline but is high in beneficial molecular hydrogen. Always ask to see the test results.

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What’s your Calcium-Magnesium Ratio?

Most Calcium / Magnesium supplements are supplied in a ratio of 2:1.

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