Dr. Carey Reams taught that there are several different groups of calcium types needed for a healthy body. Some of these we tend to get in excess in our diets, and some are less common and therefore harder to obtain in balance. Strangely, the most common calcium forms (oxide, dolomite, and carbonate) in most diets are alkaline-forming, and the next most common calcium types in foods (gypsum and phosphate) are those which push pHs toward the acid side, but it is the neutral calciums that are actually least prominent in food sources, though they are critical for liver health.
These calciums are each found in different groups of foods and each have different roles in the body for metabolic functions, chemistry regulation, and organ support/composition. Calcium gluconate is needed for all soft tissue integrity, but especially for the liver.
Calcium gluconate is a neutral calcium that everyone can use. Unlike calcium carbonate, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate, gypsum, dolomite, and calcium oxide, the gluconate form of calcium will not affect the body pH and can be easily assimilated by children. This makes it ideal for anyone starting on RBTI or simply trying to improve their calcium status in a low-risk way, even before having a set of numbers to work with or a consultant to analyze them.
When the liver does its important work of detoxification, its supply of calcium is used to make the various enzymes which do the work. Calcium gluconate is the prominent form of calcium found in non-fermented dairy (cow, goat, and soy) products, most sprouts, and also in a few fruits and vegetables like pawpaw, melons, and sweet corn. But that’s not a very broad spectrum of sources. It is possible to convert calcium in the body from one form to another, but in the case of making calcium gluconate, it requires both the activation energy (glucose) to do the conversion and also uses sugar in the actual final product because calcium gluconate is the calcium salt of gluconic acid (which itself comes from glucose). This means that calcium gluconate is made my making a “baking soda and vinegar volcano” in which the baking soda is replaced by hydrated lime and gluconic acid takes the place of the vinegar. The salt that results is calcium gluconate.
When recovering from toxic conditions like Lyme, black mold poisoning, heavy metal poisoning, drug and pharmaceutical reactions or overdoses, chronic high sugars, alcoholism, multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), or industrial chemical exposure, calcium gluconate can be like an elixir for the stressed liver. There were times when I was still rather weak, early in my recovery, and had an unintentional chemical exposure that sent me into a terrible state. I became short of breath, weak and shaking all over, having unintentional jerks and twitches, and could barely speak. It was an adrenaline response to the toxic overload my liver was experiencing. I soon discovered, through trial and error, that the fastest way to end this reaction was to swallow 3-4 times my usual dose of calcium gluconate and then open one more capsule and dissolve it under my tongue. (No, not to be construed as medical advice, just an anecdote, and one that worked. That said, I am unaware of any risks I was taking in doing this from time to time.)
If you search the web for calcium gluconate, you will find that it is administered in hospitals intravenously, and there is a slightly disturbing list of side effects and warnings. This is because the solution also contains aluminum and since it is not administered orally, the body has much less control over its absorption and distribution. For oral calcium gluconate, all side effects and warnings are about “very rare” allergies (is this possible?) and preexisting conditions like hypercalcemia and parathyroid conditions. Anyone who has a condition or prescription that could preclude calcium supplementation should, of course, ask their health authority before starting calcium gluconate.
There are two other neutral calciums that are as gentle as calcium gluconate: calcium orotate and calcium aspartate. These are also neutral, also good for children, but less commonly used because they lack the affinity for the liver. Sometimes they are specifically indicated for people whose numbers show that they are very weak and low in reserve energy, but they are not usually suggested for supplementation before even starting RBTI testing.
We offer high-quality calcium gluconate in vegetarian capsules in our store. We find it to be an excellent foundation for health.
Can you tell me if there is a difference between Calcium Gluconate and Calcium Glucarate? Can they be used interchangeably for liver health?