Natural Health: Sleep

Q. My friend recently gave me Pearlcium, a calcium product.

Is it possible to take too much calcium and is there a test to identify if you have too much in your system.

A. Yes, you can have too much calcium in your system. You can have a blood test to check for excess calcium in the bloodstream, although you will generally have symptoms indicating excess calcium, such as calculi, bone spurs, or other related conditions.

It is rare to end up with too much calcium through diet. However, supplements which are the synthesised or inorganic form of calcium are generally not as well tolerated or absorbed as natural organic calcium — you can end up with calcium issues as a result of supplementation, including low calcium levels. Bone spurs and kidney stones are common results of inorganic calcium build-up, since the body has to find some place to store calcium that cannot be assimilated.

Osteoporosis can even be a result of taking too much calcium, since the body requires magnesium and silica as well to absorb calcium.

Calcium is required for not only bone health, but also for teeth, veins and arteries, nerve sheaths and so on.

I am unfamiliar with the Pearlcium supplement you mention so cannot comment on it. However, the most effective way I have found to get enough usable calcium is through herbs such as horsetail, oat straw, comfrey leaves, and nettle — all easily assimilated and abundant in calcium and the crucial supporting minerals. There has been some controversy over the use of comfrey internally, however, this is usually concerning the roots –— the leaves are a rich source of important minerals.

You should be able to find the recommended herbs at your local health store, or you could get a herbalist to put together a combination for you. Many people have comfrey and nettle in their gardens, which you can add to a green smoothie (sparingly).

Q.I have trouble sleeping. I get to sleep easily, but then I seem to wake at around 2am and again two or three times before I get up in the morning. I always feel so exhausted, and cannot sleep during the daytime. Is there something that can help me to stay asleep at night?

A. Quality sleep is so important to almost every body function. This is the time when our body ‘keeps house’ — repairing, regenerating, and undergoing important hormonal processes. When you are unable to sleep effectively, it impacts upon every organ, which is another reason as to why you feel so tired.

Once again, this is a condition where herbs can come to the rescue. My favourite combination — it works like a charm — is Dr Christopher’s aptly named, Relax-Eze. It contains the herbs black cohosh, cayenne, hops flowers, lobelia, skullcap, valerian, wood betony, and mistletoe.

Though only available to purchase via the web, the good news is that Dr Christopher’s recipes are freely available.

You can either purchase Relax-eze from the US (www.lifebalm.com or www.vitalerbs.com) where 100 capsules cost €9, or you can have a herbalist make it up for you. Each of the herbs is added in equal parts by bulk rather than weight (e.g. 1 tablespoon of each herb, rather than 15g of each herb).

You need to be well hydrated during the day in order to sleep well at night. Aside from the obvious other pointers, such as taking measures to reduce stress levels, drinking enough water is key to a restful sleep.