Numerous factors such as hormonal levels and the presence of vitamin D and vitamin K will all play some role in determining the absorption of calcium from the gut into the bloodstream. However, when a person absorbs calcium, regardless of the amount, there is no guarantee that this same calcium will be deposited into the bones.
Calcium tends to gravitate towards areas of injury in the body. If the lining of the arteries is damaged, calcium deposits there and causes hardening of the arteries. This could make cardiovascular disease worse. If the kidneys are damaged, the result of calcium deposition could be kidney stones. Calcium also tends to deposit in other injured soft tissue areas like tendons and ligaments, causing stiffness or other disability.
Several studies in the past decade have shown that EFAs (essential fatty acids), when combined with calcium, can ensure that calcium deposition will take place in bone and not in the arteries, the kidneys, or other soft tissues. EFAs enhance the effects of vitamin D in the gut and improve calcium absorption from the small intestine, reduce the urinary excretion (loss) of calcium, increase calcium that is deposited in the bone, and improve the strength of bone.
The dosage required for evening primrose to do this in both men and women is 1500-6000 mg daily. Of course, calcium deposition also depends to variable degrees on the frequency of weight-bearing exercises as well as the presence of minerals such as magnesium, zinc, copper, strontium, silicon, manganese, and boron.
If your calcium supplement does not contain evening primrose oil, make sure you take an extra 1500-6000 mg of this omega-6 source of essential fatty acids each day to prevent or reverse osteoporosis with much greater assurance.
Dr. Zoltan Rona
REFERENCES
Horrobin K. "Calcium metabolism, osteoporosis and essential fatty acids: a review" Progress in Lipid Research, 1997; 36(2-3):131-151.
Papendorp D, Coetzer H, Kruger M. "Biochemical profile of osteoporotic patients on essential fatty acid supplementation" Nutrition Research, 1995; 15(3):325-334.
Tulloch I, Smellie W, Buck A. "Evening primrose oil reduces urinary calcium excretion in both normal and hypercalciuric rats" Urological Research, 1994; 22:227-230.
Claasen N, Potgieter M, Seppa M, et al. "Combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil influence bone resorption and bone calcium content" Bone, 1995; 16(Suppl):385S-392S.
