CALCIFICATION

Calcification is a build-up of insoluble calcium salts in different parts of the body where they interfere with normal functioning.

These deposits are most noticeable in and around the joints, but are also found in the arteries, kidneys, heart valves, nerve sheaths, gall bladder (as stones), glands, the middle ear, and even the brain.

These salts can be deposited anywhere in the body, but are most likely to be noticed where they cause trouble or are observed on X-rays.

ARTHRITIS: the most common illness caused by CALCIFICATION:

It results from calcium deposits settling in and around the joints. Calcium salts sticking to the synovial membranes or moving surfaces of a joint rougher than these highly sensitive surfaces cause the joint to become inflamed and make movements very painful. As the build-up progresses, mobility of the joint decreases until finally the deposits on the two joint surfaces come together to fuse the joint. This process of fusion is called ankylosis. At this stage, there will no longer be pain since there is no more movement in the joint.

KIDNEY STONES:

For calcium build-up to take place in the arteries, the inner arterial surfaces are first roughened by uric acid crystals sticking to them. The uric acid comes from meat-eating, since animal cells contain a high concentration of nucleic acid (DSA and RNA) which break down first into purines and then into uric acid. The next step, which is the breakdown of uric acid into allantsin, which can pass through the kidneys, requires the enzyme uricase. Humans do not have uricase; only carnivorous animals, such as cats, dogs, and omnivorous animals, such as hogs and rats (the scavenger animals) have it. Uric acid passes through the kidneys at a very slow rate, causing it to build up in the blood stream and stick in crystal form to the arteries and veins, and also form stones in the kidneys.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE:

Once the uric acid crystals provide a roughened surface, a combination of calcium salts and cholesterol will stick to it, forming the artherosclerotic plaque that clogs the artery like boiler scale in a water pipe. In advanced cases, the arterial wall weakens and deteriorates, and calcium deposits reinforce it but make the artery stiff and brittle. Before this stage is reached, narrowing of arterial opening causes high blood pressure as the heart pumps more strongly to move blood through the system.

VARICOUSE VEINS & PHLEBITIS:

Calcium deposits also occur in the veins, mainly in the valves of the veins that prevent backflow of blood to the feet when the person is in a standing position. This shows up as varicose veins and swelling in the legs, and is also part of the pathology of phlebitis.

PERIPHERAL ARTERIAL DISEASE:

Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) affects more than eight million Americans, with significant risks of limb loss, disability and death. Treatment of lower extremity PAD focuses on restoring normal blood supply to the affected limb. Traditionaltreatment, such as surgical bypass, is effective but invasive. In recent years, many patients have been treated with newer endovascular interventions, using catheter-based devices to reopen peripheral arteries in a less-invasive fashion. According to past research, it is unclear if these newer treatments are as effective as conventional surgical bypass in preventing amputation.

PROSTATE PROBLEMS, HEARING LOSS & SENILITY:

Calcification can also occur in the glands. The gland most apt to be noticeably effected by calcification is the prostate in middle-aged and older men. Calcium can accumulate in the middle ear, interfering with the movements of the three small bones that transmit sound impulses from the ear drum to the sound receptors in the inner ear, causing hearing loss. Calcification, or sclerosis of nerve sheaths results in neurological disorders; senile dementia is related to calcification in the brain.

CALCIFICATION FROM INJURY:

Normally, in the event of injury to a bone or joint, the body will reinforce the injured part with calcium deposits which redisolve when the joint heals. But these calcium deposits can persist as chronic arthritis.

ACID BLOOD:

The connection is based on the acidity, or pH, of the blood, and the action of specialized cells called chemo-recptors in the major arteries. The pH of the blood has to be kept constant within very narrow limits in order for the body to function. Therefore, these cells are sensitive to any increase in acidity, and when activated will send nerve impulses to the parathyroid gland, which secretes parathyroid hormone into the blood stream. Parathyroid hormone acts to dissolve calcium and other alkaline minerals out of the bone into the blood stream to neutralize the excess acid. The alkaline minerals combine with the acids to form salts, which are then deposited in all parts of the body where they settle and build up, such as joints, blood vessels, or any other place. The acids enter the blood stream as end-products of the digestive process.

WHAT KINDS OF FOODS ARE ACID-FORMING?

The most strongly acid-forming foods are meat products of all kinds, including chicken and fish. Carnivorous animals hunt, pounce on and devour their prey, including the bones and blood which contains the alkaline minerals. There is no cooking, fragmenting or processing involved. These animals have the enzyme uricase to break down the uric acid. They also have the anatomical structure for this kind of seating, with short digestive tracts to reduce putrefaction, very large livers and kidneys to detoxify and eliminate waste products, high concentration of hydrochloric acid and protein digesting enzymes to dissolve bones and animal muscle fibers and high levels of mucus secretion in the stomach to protect the stomach lining against the acid and enzymes.

FOODS FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION:

The human digestive system on the other hand, is adapted for foods from plant sources. Meat products are deficient in alkaline minerals to start with, since the bones and blood are not included. The longer intestinal tract of the human system provides for a long, slow passage, without the necessary levels of hydrochloric acid and protein-splitting enzymes for digestion, resulting in a high level of putrefaction, or rotting, of the material passing through. This produces a large amount of acidity, along with toxic and irritating waste products.

WHAT KIND OF DIET IS RECOMMENDED?

The foods that provide alkaline minerals are raw fruits and vegetables. Sprouts should be added as a winter vegetable when fresh produce is less likely to be available. Sweet fruits, such as unsulphured raisins and dates are especially good when combined with green, leafy vegetables. Steamed vegetables can be added to the diet, if desired, with a raw vegetable salad. Fats, oils, salt, sharp spices and condiments, vinegar and alcohol are to be avoided since they are irritants and interfere with the digestive process.

ACUPUNCTURE and CALCIFICATION

Acupuncture, when used in conjunction with changes in health habits, may provide beneficial pain relief for those with calcified joints. Acupuncture reduces the pain and tenderness at or near a joint and the swelling around the calcified area.

Acupuncture induces muscle and tendon relaxation around the elbow joint and improves energy while enhancing the body’s natural healing abilities. Selected acupoints stimulate production of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.

These conditions, when treated with acupuncture, often show significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life compared to those who receive routine pharmaceutical care alone. Acupuncture therapy often results in reducing dependence on drugs and improves functional ability.