Customer Reviews

The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn't Know Could Kill You

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The Calcium Lie
by Robert Thompson, M.D. and Kathleen Barnes
InTruth Press, c. 2008, 142pp.

What? We've been fooled again? Nutritional theories evolve and change over time as science learns more about the human body and its processes. Dr. Robert Thompson offers cutting edge information refuting the commonly held position of the importance of calcium, and lots of it, in our diet. Through his clinical practice, he has determined that an overabundance of calcium creates what he calls "The Calcium Cascade," a domino-effect of inefficient nutritional depletion that results in multiple metabolic malfunctions, including obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, anxiety, migraines, depression and hypertension.
Bones are not only made of calcium. Calcium is ONE of 12 minerals plus traces of many other minerals that are needed to make strong bones. He believes that we have been mislead by doctors, nutritionists, health care professionals and big pharmaceutical companies in the belief that we need more and more calcium. The simple fact is we need more MINERALS to create optimal functioning of our bodies' processes.
As soon as I read Dr. Thompson's book, I began checking the patients in MY clinical practice for the state of calcium and other minerals in their bodies. So far, 100% of them are presenting with mineral depletion and calcium overload! I'm recommending they discontinue any calcium supplements they may be taking and start a regimen of daily mineral tablets to replace these essential minerals in their system. It takes time to replace the minerals, yet simply removing the extra calcium begins to make positive health changes that are quickly noticeable.
I strongly recommend this book to all health care professionals and consumers who care about nutrition and well-being. Inform yourself and get off the calcium bandwagon!

I like to read about nutrition. I have been interested in the results of studies being published in the news about there being no relationship between increased calcium intake and the prevention of osteoporosis. I was looking forward to reading this book to fill in some of the details. I was disappointed.

The forward for this book was written by the CEO of Trace Elements Inc, a company that manufactures costly mineral supplements and costly mineral deficiency tests. The book "The Calcium Lie" is mentioned prominently on that company's web site. The authors of "The Calicum Lie", in turn, highly recommend the products of Trace Elements Inc throughout the book. At one point Dr. Thompson even writes that he would not trust mineral deficiency tests from anyone other than Trace Elements Inc.

Dr. Thompson's basic claims are that people do not need as much calcium as the USRDA recommends and that people actually get too much calcium, causing a number of common, severe, medical problems.

Dr. Thompson claims that this is all due to basic biochemistry which doctors ignore and that can be found in any basic biochemistry book.

Dr. Thompson hasn't made any arguments to prove his claims. Instead he floods the book by mentioning statistics and studies that are not directly related to his claims. This is a common tactic among flim-flam people and a common mistake among people who make weak arguments.

Additionally, the book has no footnotes or endnotes. The back of the book has *some* (very few ) references per chapter, but no way of looking up the precise references Dr. Thompson makes. A number of the references are old and also to other pop nutrition books.

The authors do not give any evidence for it being safe to use less calcium, they do not tell people how much calcium to get nor do they tell the readers how much of each of the 12 minerals that bones are made of to get.

The authors do tell people to use sea salt liberally when the Mayo Clinic is recommending that healthy adults limit themselves to 1500 mg a day. The authors do encourage the liberal use of costly supplements from Trace Minerals Inc.

The prose of the book reads like the marketing copy you can find on the packaging of alternative health products.

"Some" in the title for my review is an important word and is the reason I gave the book a four instead of a five star review. I have long held the author's belief that bones are not just made up of one mineral, but numerous minerals that work in cooporation with each other. They are called synergistic co-factors. Every mineral also needs to be present in its proper ratio to have maximum effectiveness. For example many experts will tell you that you need a two to one ratio of magnessium to calcium. Some experts contend that it should be one to one. I agree with that ratio. I also agree with Dr. Thompson that you need the proper minerals for vitamins to do their job. And last, but definately not least, synthetic supplements are drugs. For example, vitamin C has way more nutrients than you find in a vitamin pill, which is most often ascorbic acid. Our bodies need all the different vitamin C components for it to effectively nourish them. With only one or a few components present, supplements act like a drug. Our marvelous Creator packed natural food with so many needful nutrients that scientists have only discovered a few of them.

I have also had a hair mineral analysis done and very highly recommend it. I was tired and not feeling the best and went to the doctor. She preformed a CBC (Complete Blood Count), along with a vitamin D check and a couple of other tests. They showed nothing amiss, except for slightly elevated cholesterol levels, which my chiropractor said were well within the normal range. I then went to my chiropractor and had a hair mineral analysis done. I was suffering from adrenal fatigue. The hair mineral analysis got me to the root of my long standing ailments and provided the necessary tools to reverse them. My chiropractor told me that a CBC will show something amiss only when you are almost dead. I paid $1030.00 for the doctor's tests and $54.00 for the hair mineral analysis. I have since had a follow-up hair mineral analysis and while still recovering am doing better.

Now onto vitamin D. I disagree with the authors that certain people should not supplement with this key nutrient. The best way to get your vitamin D is through the sun, but if you live in the middle or northern parts of the United States this is impossible to do year round. In northern Wisconsin where I live, it's hard enough to do it in the summer.The next best source of vitamin D is a high quality cod liver oil, such as Carlson's. Not all cod liver oil is high grade or fresh. If it tastes rancid that is because it is rancid. Also, as it is highly processed with many harmful ingredients, never buy emulsified cod liver oil. Another good brand of cod liver oil comes from Nordic Naturals. Both Carlsons and Nordic Naturals process their oils in Norway right after the fish are cuaght, which ensures maxium freshness. Also, I strongly believe in letting my food be my medicine bottle and cod liver oil is food, which vitamin supplements definately aren't.

I also have a problem with the small amount of minerals found in the rcommended ionic mineral supplements. Having osteoporoisis, I have been adviced to take at least 1,000 mg of calcium, which I firmly believed was way to much and so have refused to take anywhere near that amount. I would very much appreciate an accurate figure, not an RDA, as we are commonly given for how much of different minerals and vitamins we actually need each day. For example, the RDA for vitamin D, is 400 IU, which is an outdated figure. It is the amount needed to prevent rickets in children, not the amount needed to keep them optimally healthy. Also, bigger adults obviously need more of various nutrients than do children. For all of the useful information the book contains, I would reccomend it.

Having had a chance to read an advance copy of "The Calcium Lie," I can say that the ideas contained in this book truly changed the way that I look at a number of important aspects of my health -- nutrition, vitamins, and the way I listen to the well-intentioned advice of "the medical establishment."

After reading "The Calcium Lie" it is very clear to me that when it comes to the amount of calcium in my body, "too much of a good thing" is NOT -- to paraphrase Mae West -- "wonderful." Dr. Robert Thompson and his co-author health writer Kathleen Barnes tell readers that calcium hardens concrete -- and that fact alone is enough to make me rethink my nutritional habits. This book has inspired me to ask my doctor some challenging questions the next time I see him -- and has also motivated me to add sea salt and more organic vegetables to my daily diet.

To anyone concerned about heart disease, obesity, and especially diabetes, I strongly urge you to read "The Calcium Lie."

I ordered this book to share with friends. I closely guard my personal copy, purchased by my oldest son for me, and autographed by Dr. Thompson.
You see, this rare and priceless doctor has completely changed my son's life. He came to him over weight,with high cholestrol, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes at age 43. It is now two years later and he has reversed all these problems by taking Dr. Thompson's suppliments and advice. I am studying and learning so much from this book and working to improve myself. I am amazed at the information.I only pray that so many of my dear friends who suffer from too much calcium and lack of minerals within their bodies, will heed this knowledge. Georgia Carole Douglas

I wish that I could give a copy of this to everyone I know. We are told every day by TV, radio and our Doctors that we should take calcium. Well, guess what? Our bones are made up of many different minerals, not just calcium. By taking in excessive amounts of "synthetically" made calcium supplements, we are throwing our bodies into a terrible imbalance, causing multiple disease such as hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism and many more. I wish I had read this book many years ago. By taking a simple liquid, natural mineral supplement that this Doctor recommends, I was feeling more energy in a few days, after searching for answers to my health issues for many years. I have Addison's disease and his charts explain the cascade of the breakdown of the endocrine system by taking excess calcium without the other necessary minerals with it, which is an exact explanation of how I got this disease. The book is a very easy read and has much detailed, simple to understand information. Please get this book and read it, you may save a life, even yours!

After reading this book I am aware of a possible background to a mild form of Hypothyroidism Type 2, I have found that I suffer from. I now know a lot more about what has caused imbalances in my body and problems I have had during many years. Those are investigated by doctors, but they have not found any reasons and treatments for me.
From what the authors tell in this book, I have found that I can do very much myself to improve my health and get rid of some problems. And now also have found that I can better treatment when I can inform my doctor about what it all is about. Because he/she doesn't know! The authors say that this ignorance can kill me/you!

Even if I don't have English as my mother tongue my impression is that the text is quite easy to understand. The medical terms are explained.
The authors take up the health issues in a way that gave me the chance to really understand the connection between different parts of my body and how imbalances cause poor function and sickness. They explain the connection between proper food, minerals and vitamins. There are many tips about how to get proper nutrition related to different problems.
The information in the book is revealing as to 1) many general misunderstandings as to what is good nutrition and food, 2) misinformation from health authorities and doctors, 3) that doctors are not always right, when they only trust blood tests and don't use other methods for the possibility to be holistic in their diagnosis. You also get information about how to be aware of your calcium level from others than doctors and hospitals.
The book has a layout that makes it easy to use it as a "health dictionary", when I want to remind myself about certain items later on.
I can recommend this book even if you are not sick, but just want to stay healthy. /Sigrid Lindh, 71.

I've been struggling with TMJ issues for many years now and even spent 3 years in braces which only temporarily fixed the problem. I've been recently seeking consultations with many different dentists, orthodontists, etc in order to fix the returning symptoms and new ones which are now showing up. Everyone wanted to put me back into braces except for one Orthodontist, who told me I should read this book among others, as he thinks I have Hypothyroidism Type II. Basal Temperature tracking shows that I have a lower than normal Basal Temperature, and shows that his hypothesis is most likely spot on.

The main point of The Calcium Lie is that your body/bones needs many minerals. With extra calcium being added to all kinds of products, this creates an imbalance in your mineral ratios, resulting in calcium levels being too high and other minerals being much too low. The best laboratory method of determining what your mineral levels are is done by Trace Elements. You send them a hair sample from your scalp and you receive a very nice report indicating mineral levels (my calcium was high), mineral ratios, recommended dietary changes, and recommended supplements to get you back in balance. The HTMA (Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis) is one of the thing that The Calcium Lie talks about over and over again.

I did the HTMA and am taking the suggested supplements and following the dietary recommendations. After about 1 month, I can say that I'm beginning to feel a lot better! Of course, I need more time to tell for sure. In a couple months, I will do another HTMA to see where my mineral levels now rest. There isn't much in this book about Hypothyroidism Type II, (Dr. Mark Starr wrote an excellent book on that subject, Hypothyroidism Type II The Epidemic Hypothyroidism Type 2: The Epidemic) but from my research, I believe (and my Orthodontist believes) that this should increase my metabolism over time without the need for taking thyroid hormone.

I say this book is poorly written, because it reads like a self-help book. There are very few references to clinical research, and honestly that makes it difficult to take to your doctor and to expect a good response from. The authors indicate that what they speak about is basic BioChemistry, and I agree, but adding footnotes, a bibliography, etc, would really go a long way in making this more of a significant impact.

I do suggest you read this book and even do the HTMA. After all, these are only mineral supplements and this will hopefully fix the root cause, instead of precription drugs which treat only the symptoms.

This book answers so many questions regarding obscure health issues

Great book for the layman - easy to understand and put into practice.

This is a revolutionary book that asks all of us - doctors and patients alike - to re-think our assumptions about health and nutrition. It should dispel for once and for all the myth that calcium supplements will give us strong bones. It's a real eye opener!