Leg cramps are not usually a serious illness*, but they can be incredibly painful and debilitating until they subside. They may be caused by several things, so I've listed a few treatments to try. What works best for you will depend on the underlying cause, so you may have to experiment to find the most effective treatment and prevention strategy.
What Causes Leg Cramps?
Leg cramps at night are called recumbency cramps, and are caused by spasmlike muscle contractions. You might also experience leg cramps after exercising if you are dehydrated. In both cases leg cramps can be caused by electrolyte or mineral imbalance in the body.
Leg Cramp Treatments
If your leg cramps are brought on by exercise, you may be dehydrated. Try drinking more water, both throughout the day and during exercise. Be sure to warm up and stretch before exercise and warm down and stretch afterwards as well.
Food Therapy Treatments
If you get leg cramps frequently, especially nocturnal leg cramps it could be due to an electrolyte imbalance.
Low potassium levels can cause leg cramps. Apple cider vinegar is high in potassium and this tonic should help quickly if your leg cramps are caused by low potassium: Mix 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey in a glass of warm water and drink.
If the above tonic helps relieve your leg cramps, try to boost your potassium levels by eating more of these potassium-rich foods: apples, bananas, dried fruits, avocado, mushrooms, yogurt, kefir, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked potatoes and cantaloupe. Potassium works with sodium to control the fluid balance in your body, and they have to be in the right proportions to each other in order to work effectively. If you have a high sodium diet try cutting back on the sodium a bit, use only high-quality salt such as Himalayan Sea Salt, and at the same time eat more of the foods that are high in potassium. Also, make sure you are drinking enough water.
Boosting your intake of calcium and magnesium can also help alleviate leg cramps. There is one super-food that's incredibly high in both of these minerals, raw chocolate (also known as raw cacao). Here are some recipes using raw cacao. Eat more vegetables, especially dark leafy greens like broccoli and kale, almonds, and raw chocolate (raw cacao) all of which are high in both calcium and magnesium. One quick and easy way to get a lot of all these ingredients in your diet is to have a green smoothie daily. You can make it with almond milk as the base, add dark leafy greens, and raw cacao powder.
Other calcium-rich food sources include: salmon, sardines (with bones), green beans, turnip greens. Additional magnesium-rich foods include: raw chocolate (raw cacao, the #1 source of magnesium), nuts and pumpkin seeds, molasses, spinach, baked potatoes, bananas, wheat germ and seafood.
An important note about calcium: you want to avoid calcium supplements. David Wolfe has done a lot of research in this area, and calcium supplements are bad news. They are responsible for pretty much all age-related diseases. In a nutshell, they will kill you faster. They are promoted as being necessary to prevent osteoporosis. It's a myth, a marketing ploy. According to David Wolfe, there is absolutely no scientific research to support that. If that's not enough, just look at it logically. The USA consumes more dairy (also promoted as being high in calcium) than just about any other country, people are taking calcium supplements, they are being recommended by doctors, so why does the US still have such a high incidence of osteoporosis?
Physical Therapy Treatments
Acupressure or massage may help to ease the cramping once it's started. Sit and bend the knee of your cramped leg, bringing your leg up toward your chest. There is an acupressure point in your calf muscle on the back of your leg. It's about halfway between the back of your knee and your heel, at the bottom of your calf muscle bulge. Press and hold there for about a minute or until you feel the cramp release – remember to keep breathing while you do. You can also try gently massaging the back of your leg with long strokes upwards, from your heel to the back of your knee using the palm of your hand
*There are rare cases of leg cramps which are symptoms of more serious conditions, so if you have frequent leg cramps be sure to see your doctor about them.
Other Supplements For Muscle Cramps
I've more recently started using magnesium supplements and found it helps with muscle cramps and spasms. I developed plantar fasciitis a couple years ago and was getting terrible, painful cramps and spasms in the arches of my feet. I used a few techniques which helped, and I'll be writing an article about that, but I found magnesium supplements quickly made the spasms stop and helped a lot with the pain and cramping in my feet.
Here is the magnesium supplement I use, it's in powdered form and you mix it with water to make a drink: Natural Vitality Natural Calm Magnesium Supplement. It comes in several nice organic flavors, sweetened with organic stevia. The stevia sweetens it nicely, it's not overpowering. It's non-GMO, gluten free, contains no yeast, dairy, egg, soy, wheat, sugar, fructose, starch, preservatives or artificial color or flavor. I use it with cold water in warm weather, and hot water in cold weather.
Wow Daryl, cool that you are an ultra-marathoner. From everything I have read it looks like leg cramps are due to mineral deficiencies and/or mineral imbalances. So I hope the tonic helps you. I get leg cramps sometimes, usually at night. I know how painful they can be. Post back to let us know if it helps.
On a side note, do you incorporate chia seeds into your diet? They have been used traditionally by indigenous very long distance runners, foot soldiers, and are apparently the most awesome thing for stamina. I love them. I often put them into smoothies, but I have a recipe for a really yummy pudding made from chia seeds. I need to come up with some more chia creations too, I want to try making some crackers with them. Here’s a link to the Chia Puddings, Fruity Chia Pudding and Apple Cinnamon Chia Pudding. Chia is awesome for anyone, but as an ultra-marathoner you should really notice a difference.
Something else you really want to look into, both for the leg cramps but also to significantly reduce your recovery time, and pain and inflammation that goes with your training and racing is Earthing. THE book on the subject is called Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?, by Clint Ober, et al. Imagine a technology that’s free, available to everyone, and provides the most amazing array of health benefits of any technology we have found or created. I think this book is a must-read for everyone. The authors have worked with and have case studies from a lot of athletes, including Tour de France racers.
I’m very intrigued by your mention of the book on Earthing, sounds very interesting, I must get a copy and read it 🙂
Excellent material. I am a yoga instructor and am questioned about leg cramps always. I will share this information with my students as I did on Facebook. Thank you!
Thank you LuLu! I appreciate you sharing it on Facebook and spreadinng the word!
I am reading with great interest about your solutions to leg cramps. i get them at night; now more
I am getting leg cramps more often than in many years, maybe because I just started working-out about a year ago. It’s like I am
a teenager again. They are very painful. I do eat bananas, drink tonic water (on the recomendation of
my physician), eat nuts, tomatoes and many of the foods you recommend, however, I seem to be
getting them more often at night. I am able to ease the pain by massaging the areas where the cramps
occur, but I cannot seem to avoid them at night while asleep. I cannot eat or drink foods with calcium
because I have a tendency to develop kidney stones, and have been advised by my Urologist to stay away
from dairy products and all foods that have calcium. I find it interesting that you claim calcium does more
harm than good! Thank you for your information. I will try harder to follow many of your suggestions that
I don’t now do. By the way, I am 80 years old. Someone told me my problem might be caused by Spinal
Stenosis which I do have.
Love your site! My dehydrator has just arrived and I’m about to load my first batch of (red) kale chips!
With regards to the calcium issue, here is some food for thought. Like most things in life, there isn’t a “one size fits all” remedy, cure or nutritional philosophy that works for everybody, without fail. In much the same way, few nutrients can be hailed as stand-alone miracle cures. There is usually a complex web of co-factors, enzymes, micro-nutrients, etc, that enable the efficacy of any nutrient.
Calcium, on it’s own and in large quantities, may certainly be less than desirable. However, and this is a big ‘however,’ calcium combined WITH magnesium is an entirely different kettle of fish. They should ALWAYS be taken together in the correct ratio of approximately 2 parts calcium: 1 part magnesium. Calcium is responsible for normal muscle contraction, magnesium is responsible for normal muscle relaxation. Heaven alone knows how many heart attacks could be avoided by the simple addition of sufficient magnesium to the calcium-laden American diet.
The combination of calcium and magnesium together is a wonderful, natural panacea for anything from sleeplessness, to sports injuries, to anxiety/nervousness, to PMS symptoms and cramping. I have also had great results with magnesium alone, since our diets tend to be high in calcium anyway.
My 70 year-old mother has always taken calcium/magnesium supplements in this ratio, and a recent bone-density test showed she has the bone-density of a 37 year-old woman!
I’m no doctor, but I have studied nutrition for almost 35 years and using calcium and magnesium together, neither I, nor anyone I have suggested this to, has ever had a problem. Just my two-cents worth!
how do you measure your “parts”? How much Ca or Mag is contained in one “part'”? I’d like to try your suggestion. Thank you!
Hi Sigrid. ‘Parts’ are relative measurements, so for instance if you have something with 1 part to 2 parts ratio and you are using cups that will be 1 cup to 2 cups. If you’re using tablespoons it will be 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons. You can use something like the website http://nutritiondata.self.com/ to find nutrition data on just about anything. I hope that helps.
Parts refers to the ratio of Ca to Mag in a given supplement, for example 1,000mg Ca to 500mg Mag, which is ideal.
All very interesting for me as I have extremely severe leg cramps and it is now painful to walk as my ankles and calves are stiff.
I go eat most of the recommeded dietry suggestions but this alone does not seem to make a lot of difference,I will now do the calcium magnesium thing. I have been told that my calcium levels are ok…. and I am an octogarian…. Any other suggestions would be very appreciated
What I do for Cramps is when I start to get one. I put 1 or 2 tsp of mustard in the palm of my hand and lick the mustard out of my hand. Works for me
I’ve never heard of that remedy. Do you use dry mustard powder, or the wet mustard condiment like you would put on a sandwich?
Wet mustard that you put on a hotdog.
I would say it’s the vinegar in the mustard that does the trick .
Re-calcium: Do you think David Wolf likes selling books?
I think he likes making money selling anything! I think he has some good free information if you can get hold of some of his interviews. But I don’t have as much respect for him as I did in the beginning.
i want herbal remedies for night leg cramps . I would like to subscribe .
Hi Nazeer, to subscribe just fill in the form and click the submit button.
I Use Bragg VinegarBut Do I Agitate The Mother Or Leave Undisturbed?
Into Solution First, Or LeanneLeanne
Hi Mary, I don’t think it matters which you do.
Want more vinegar? Just add more organic apple cider to your Bragg vinegar bottle and keep it in a warm place for 4-5 days. Remember to loosen the cap so the CO2 from fermentation can escape. The yeast “mother” in organic vinegar contains healthy salts and other fermentation breakdown products.
The old Vermont Folk Medicine remedy of natural apple cider vinegar and honey really IS a good thing to do every day, especially a couple of hour before bedtime.
To say calcium supplements are the cause of most age related diseases is a ridiculous statement. Also, the reason why people who drink milk still have osteoporosis is because the proteins that are in the milk leach out calcium from the bones. Colas do that, too.
I heard the way it works is this: Because milk and dairy products are acidic, the body may become too acidic, and then it pulls the (alkaline) calcium out of the bones to maintain the proper pH level.
I suffer with leg cramps & have tried everything,,,, now thinking of going for blood test, what next??
I’ve heard consuming dates help a lot!
From Drugstore.com:
Tips to help prevent and treat leg cramps
Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Doctors recommend six to eight glasses every day. Massage your muscles before going to bed. Stretch daily, before and after exercise. Maintain a well-balanced diet and eat foods high in calcium (such as milk and cheese), potassium (bananas and dates), and vitamin E (spinach and sweet potatoes). If you have a leg cramp, gently stretch and massage the muscle. You can apply a warm heating pad to the area to help calm the cramping muscle and reduce discomfort. Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol®) and ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®) can help reduce the pain of leg cramps. Some people try natural remedies such as vitamin E, vitamin B6, magnesium, butcher’s broom, and MSM to prevent leg cramps.
Oh, yes Cid that would work. I found recently that dates are very high in potassium. Thank you all good advice!
You say “gently stretch out and massage the muscle”. That is a ridiculous thing to say. My calf cramps come on suddenly without any warning, when I am lying in bed or sitting in a chair and the pain is so great (beyond explanation) that I have to straighten out my leg as as shriek with pain. I can massage the leg a few minutes after I straighten it out, but not like you put it.
Hello,
I sometimes experience cramps if I sit on a certain position for a long time even at night I do have it on my legs,hands even on my man hood I mean my penis.
Secondly I usually feel weak from inside,which comes with dizziness if am walking on a high way,but I feels tired easily too.
Lastly for sometime now my manhood shrink to the smallest size and I hadly sustain erection not more than a few seconds even if I have not climaxed what can I do?
Go see your doctor or other health care professional!
What’s your blood pressure? This sounds like low blood pressure, which is VERY serious! See a doctor!
I have severe leg cramps and would like to try the tonic. Although I don’t see anywhere, where it says how much water to use!!! Please help me, I’m at my whits end!! Thank you…
Hi Jessica, thanks that’s a good question. I should have said in a glass of water. I’ve updated the post to be more clear about the amount of water now. It doesn’t have to be an exact measurement.
There’s something else I’ve been using that has helped me a lot. I’ve updated the article with this information too, but it’s a really good magnesium supplement powder that you mix with water to make a drink with. I was having really painful muscle cramps and spasms in the arches of my feet and they stopped when I started drinking this. In the summer I drink it cold, in the winter I mix it with warm water and drink it like tea to warm me up. It comes in several organic flavors and is sweetened only with organic stevia… and they’ve done it just right, the stevia taste isn’t overpowering. It’s called Natural Vitality Natural Calm.
I enjoyed your article. I’ve been reading up on Sciatica and leg cramps. I know I have inflammation, other than that I am very healthy. I have been taking bragg’s organic raw apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons in a glass of water sometimes with honey. I do this in the morning just after getting up and 1 – 2 more times during the day, I feel energized after I take it and have lost several pounds with no change in diet. I am about to begin my third bottle. I believe this tonic will be a life style. I highly recommend it. I have bookmarked your site and will be reading your other articles. I look forward to it. Have a good one.
Thanks Tony. It’s interesting to hear that you are also losing weight on this regime of ACV. Weight loss is one of the benefits of apple cider vinegar, but then so many other things claim to help you lose weight too, it’s hard to separate what’s true from the scams. So it’s great to have actual feedback to that effect.
I can actually say I am feeling better taking the tonic. The weight lose is gradual. I believe it has curbed my late evening eating, hence the weight lose. I want to take a colon cleanse as well, which I know has helped me in the past. I have exercised the majority of my life (walking, stretching, push ups, knee bends and resistance band). I’m a sound 61 year old who turns 62 the middle of this year. I believe more and more in what nature has for us and am opting more for natural, be it for medicine, health or quality of life.
Late evening snacking is what gets me too! Thanks for your comments Tony, it inspires me to start up on taking the ACV tonic more regularly. I’ve found an interesting thing for colon cleansing, it’s not herb based like most of them. Along with enemas, it’s like being scrubbed clean, and it gets up into your small intestine. It’s called Colonsan, you can find out more about it here, there’s lots of information on that page.
I have been having the worst night time leg cramps for the past 3-4 months; so bad that I was afraid to go to sleep fearing the inevitable. I would drink 3 liters of water, I would chug tablespoons of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar I would drink Gatorade, all to no help.
Finally, after reading your sight about potassium (my levels according to recent blood tests are just fine), I purchased potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and Trace Minerals Research Electrolyte Stamina Power Pak. I have slept for the past three nights with no cramping. I plan to take less of each until I feel that the minimum dose is still effective.
Thank you so much for sharing your information. I hope I can do the same.
That’s great to know Peter. I’m glad you have found something that works. I’ve been experimenting with Natural Vitality Natural Calm Magnesium supplement and Magnesium Oil, for muscle cramps and plantar fasciitis and it’s been working. I just started using the magnesium oil and have had great results so far. The role that magnesium plays in our body is just amazing, and so essential that we have enough of it. It’s the #1 mineral deficiency according to some health experts. I have written an article about it here if you want to take a look: Magnesium: Are You Low In This Miracle Mineral? If you decide to try it, let me know what you think.
Loved your acticle! Just restarted exercising and will try these remedies. I also have the same troubld with my feet. Thank you so much-life saver!!
I’m sharing this, I’m sure many go though this..
Leg cramps are the most troubling thing for me. They awaken me in the middle if the night causing excruciation pain. Sometimes they are so severe I end up with damaged muscles that cause me to limp for a day ir two. This may sound bizarre, but I have found several things consistently cause me to have cramps: (1) too many high potassium foods such as oranges or apples (2) oral magnesium supplements and (3) too much chocolate, (4) too many sweets. I have found one thing to consistently stop and/or prevent leg cramps, SALT! I know this is contrary to conventional wisdom, but I guess my body has a mind if its own. 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of unrefined sea salt washed down w/ about 6 onces if water every morming and at bedtime usually prevents it. If I forget, I can usually stop a cramp w/i minute with salt & water. Some may say the water alone is what works, but this is not the case for me. Plain water does
I would like to note the note (about calcium supplements): it says there is no evidence to support the use of calcium supplements: ok, that may well be true (I haven’t the time to check), but there is also no evidence given or referred to for the drastic claim that they are the cause of “pretty much all age related diseases” (except a nebulous reference to David Wolfe, without any other specifics). The reference to logic: the US has an above average consumption of milk products (this does not also mean that there are not large sectors of the population who consume little or no milk products); its population uses calcium supplements and still there is a high rate of osteoporosis in the US? Is it not possible that osteoporosis is only very prevalent amongst those US citizens who do NOT take calcium supplements? Just because these two variables are high (if they are: again, it gives no evidence for this claim, i.e. percentage of US population who say they take supplements), it does not mean they are associated and even were there evidence for association between use of calcium supplements and osteoporosis, this would not necessarily mean that the one causes the other – some other factor may be involved, i.e. those with a high family incidence of osteoporosis also tend to take calcium supplements, for example.
Also, I find it curious that on the one hand, calcium supplements are condemned as more or less fatal, whereas magnesium supplements are recommended? Any particular reason why calcium supplements cause age-related diseases, but magnesium supplements are beneficial, apart from personal experience?
As far as I know, all dietary supplements should be viewed with caution, not treated as a substitute for a balanced diet, and over-consumption of some can actually be dangerous…
Good Morning Donna,
I had the worse leg cramps this weekend and both my legs still hurts today. We went hiking and i didnt have any issues going down the trail and on our way back to the car my left leg starting cramping up so my friend gave me some gatorade and some trail mix and i continued to drink water from my camelpacked but as it progress my cramp transfered on my right leg and and as we continue to go up and down the mountain trail the cramp continues to become worse until i finally couldnt walk so I sat down and my cramps on both my legs worsen so bad that i had to take my shoe off and my other half poured some cold spring water and while i was trying to stretch and move my legs. The pain finally subside alittle that i was able to get up and continue to walk but it was still painful because i still had to continue to go up and down the trail so i had to stop and go in pain. Eventually my friend said that i must be low in potassium so our friend just keep trying to make me drink water and gatorade and continue to eat some trail mix . It has been the most unbearable so now that im back home . I started to eat some bananas , tuna and continue to drink more water. i will try all the suggestions here. I seriously didnt have this much pain when i was still active in the military. Thanks for sharing the article.
Leg cramps caused by walking can be a sign of peripheral artery disease. You should report this symptom to your doctor so your circulaion can be checked by doppler or other testing.
I suffer from severe leg cramps, unfortunately this seems to be hereditary. Both parents had this problem. Tonite I took a chance and googled dark chocolate & muscle cramps. The reason…I was having those really painful inner thigh cramps. I had a dark chocolate bar w/almonds… So I ate a few pieces and within a minute the cramps subsided. THAT never happens!
One other thing that works like a charm… Dill pickle juice. Cramp is gone in under 20 seconds. Old, well known sports remedy.
It’s probably the vinegar in the pickles.
I really think it is a combination of… because vinegar alone does not react like the pickle juice.
Do you mean that vinegar alone does not alleviate the cramps? There is something else in the pickle juice other than vinegar that helps?
It is likely the vinegar. There is a great study by BYU that you could google that explains the science behind it, but essentially the vinegar has a topical effect on the nerves in your mouth and throat which in turn signal your central motor neuron, which then stops the misfiring of signals to your muscles which are what ultimately are causing your cramp. A product called ACV Cramp Cure just hit the market and not only works great, but also tastes pretty good too, at least in my opinion compared to pickle juice or just vinegar.
I’m going to be trying these remedies! I been in such pain, had an ultrasound thinking it was a clot. So been out of my mind wondering what’s this pain all about. I run every morning and this pain is slowing me down! Thank you everyone for all your information looking forward to pain free workout!
I have bone density tests that prove an increase in my bone density after a year on a calcium supplement with added strontium. And I am not the only one to prove the effectiveness of supplementation. As for side-effects, I won’t be the old lady who breaks her hip and then falls which is the order in which the sad event occurs. That is a quote from my dad who took care of the old ladies with broken hips. He was also a preventive medicine physician. Sadly, a Masters in Nutrition (David Wolfe) doesn’t mean he is accurate about all things.
Hello. I’m 30 years old now and I’ve been having leg pain (on and off) ever since having my first child 8 years ago. I notice spider viens developing as well which may play a part of the pain. Can you prescribe a remedy or a over the counter pill that would help relieve the pain which starts from above the knee(especially behind the knee) down to my ankles? Massages decently help but seem to be temporary before pain occurs again.thank you.
Leg cramps. I need somthing simple.
I totally agree with Sarah Clark. While magnesium is very important, and magnesium defiencies are very common, there’s also too much of a good thing.
Calcium is an essential nutrient that must be in perfect balance with magnesium— and TOO MUCH magnesium can throw this delicate balance off.
I also agree that the statement that calcium supplements
“are responsible for pretty much all age-related diseases” is going WAY too far. Donna, you should know before publishing incorrect wide-sweeping statements like that one that David Wolfe (whom I’ve met personally and have many friends who know him very well) is DEFINITELY NOT correct about everything, and can not be used as a reference source for such.
I read years ago to put a plain ( no smells or fany stuff) bar of soap between your mattress pad and fitted sheet near your leg muscles that have cramps. I use Dove and have not had problems with night leg cramps since I started this five years ago..
Does the soap hurt you?
I agree about calcium supplements being extremely bad for the health – I was given them to guard against osteoperosis after my hysterectomy , they gave me vertigo and prinzmental angina (heart pain when at rest, pain tends to come on in the evenings and mornings ) I had to stop taking calcium and use magnesium salt baths to stop the neck cramps and vertigo and vitamin D supplements to affix the calcium to my bones instead.
Absolutely shocking that I had to suffer whilst I researched my own symptoms and treatment, end up doing the doctors jobs for them! Doctor had simply palmed me off with tablets for menieres disease without actually performing tests to determine the cause of the vertigo! (needless to say I didn’t take them!) I was even given propanalol for the heart pain (once again with no tests performed to ascertain what was wrong) and it turns out propanalol is contraindicative in prinzmetal angina – seems the average GP doesn’t know the difference between angina and prinzmetal angina (angina pain occurs during excercise, prinzmetal at rest and when lying down – and is caused by muscle contraction – which are caused by CALCIUM. . .)
HOW CAN I PIN THIS ARTICLE TO PINTEREST? I HAVE A SEPARATE PIN SET UP FOR MUSCLE CRAMPS.
TODAY WHILE CROCHETING, I GOT A CRAMP IN THE MIDDLE FINGER OF LEFT HAND THAT CAUSED MY FINGER TO BECOME STIFF AND CROSS BEHIND MY INDEX FINGER. FIRST TIME IT EVER HAPPENED. I LOVE TO CROCHET AND DON’T NEED THIS.
I AM NEW TO ALL THIS SO CONFUSE EASILY. WHEN TRIED TO PIN, THEY SAID I DID ONT HAVE A VALID PICTURE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW DO I CORRECT IT?
It sates in the “Food Therapy Treatments” section: “Potassium works with sodium to control the fluid balance in your body, and they have to be in the right proportions to each other in order to work effectively.”. Can anyone tell me the right proportions and how to calculate them? -Thank you
The reason dairy products don’t help calcium levels, as I understand it, is that they are acidic and can create an acidic environment, which the body relieves by then pulling calcium out of the bones, in order to reach the optimum pH level. . . . Also, dairy products (ignoring all the hype with which they are marketed) contain both the cow’s hormones and sometimes the chemical known as “bovine growth hormone”, neither of which are good for humans. Cow’s milk is made for calves; it contains specific nutrients and hormones made for calves to gain 250 pounds in their first year! Hopefully that’s not most people’s goal. . . . Homogenization and pasteurization add nothing to the benefits of milk / dairy products; rather they kill all the beneficial parts. People apparently thrive much better on raw milk, even though many farmers are persecuted for this. I was raised in the 1950s on a farm with raw milk (too young to get a vote on it); the three male children all grew to be over 6 feet tall, six inches above our parents.
I think it’s awful that you are saying Calcium is bad for people and that it causes diseases. I am all for healthy living. I eat very well, am vegetarian and exercise regularly. I am also education, and am a pharmacist. If you look at the evidence, Calcium does work in preventing osteoporosis when used properly. When used improperly of course it can cause issues. However it does not cause diseases. You need to look at the facts. You probably also think that vaccines cause autism — and you would be mistaken.
Sarah, if “calcium does work on osteoporosis” then why does the US have one of the highest rates of dairy consumption and supplementation in the world, yet still have one of the highest incidences of osteoporosis? Building bones requires minerals, not just calcium. Most of the US population has an excess of calcium, which exacerbates the deficiency of magnesium. Almost all calcium supplements, including what is put into food is a form of calcium which the body cannot assimilate well and will cause damage, thus stressing the body even more to excrete the calcium supplements. You might want to read the book, The Calcium Lie II, by Dr Robert Thompson or at least read some of the information on his website Calcium Lie and watch the video. The following is quoted from his website:
The Calcium Lie is the erroneous admonition from your doctor or other healthcare professional that you must take supplemental calcium in order to have strong, healthy bones. Nothing could be farther from the truth!
Facts About Health Risks Associated With Calcium Supplements
In fact, recent studies and the basic biochemistry that every doctor studies in depth in medical school show calcium supplements taken alone can cause:
* Increased arterial plaque (which causes heart attacks)
* Brain cell dysfunction, brain shrinkage and dementia
* Kidney and gallstones
* Bone spurs
* Calcium deposits in tissues other than bones
I was given calcium supplements after my hysterectomy, the supplements caused severe bouts of vertigo and prinzmetal angina (chest/heart pain whilst resting, especially painful in the evenings and upon waking; the). Prinzmetal pain is caused by smooth muscle contractions in the heart which, caused and/or exacerbated by calcium. Magnesium counter-acts/balances this muscle contraction, hence the use of magnesium bath salts as a relaxant post exercise)
My doctor prescribed propanalol, which is actually contra-indicated for prinzmetal angina! I eventually resolved the symptoms myself by ceasing the calcium supplements and drinking nettle tea instead, which has a near perfect ratio of magnesium to calcium and the calcium is in a superior plant-based form.
I often wonder how some of these GPs managed to pass their examinations. I have become rather cynical lately about just how much of their education is influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, who can only benefit from adverse reactions that require medicating with more of their drugs. As a side note – I was also diagnosed as hypothyroid and spent 7 years struggling on Levothyroxine before weaning off and supplementing with an organic vitamin supplement. I’ve been off the stuff for almost 3 years now and never felt better. On Levothyroxine I was starting to show symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome, can’t remember the last time I was ill now (other than the calcium induced vertigo).
Just goes to show – body can fix itself given the right materials. I’ve personally seen someone cured of schizophrenia through diet. I read somewhere that there are 3 biotypes of schizophrenia, all curable with orthomolecular medicine. You’d think that after John Nash was cured of Schizophrenia when he refused medication because of the side effects – that people would have sat up and taken notice . . . if only to note that the medical profession seemed oddly devoid of interest by his non-medicated recovery. . .
Milk is good for you if it comes from cows that are grass fed only. The problem comes when farmers feed their cattle corn (GMO) and other grains. If the milk comes from cattle not fed hormones or corn, just grass it is good. We are our worst enemy
I’ve noted many complaining of leg cramps. Two suggestions: 1- 2-4oz of diet tonic water contains small amt of quinine. 2- 1 oz of apple cider vinegar H.S. in a glass of water.
I have taken to drinking ZICO coconut water mixed with spring water and an herbal iced tea to flavor. I drink about 3 qts daily and as long as I do, I don’t get the leg cramps.
the reason I chose ZICO brand is because a study was conducted on coconut waters… and this brand is the only one that actually contained the minerals it claimed on their label… so…
That’s interesting. Thanks for adding that Cynthia, I think it’s important information. There is so much food fraud, and of course it’s the health food industry that gets hit particularly hard, because so many people are finally catching on that quality of food = quality of health = quality of life, and so it’s a booming market. And people who don’t care what they eat don’t need to be lied to, they are looking for other qualities, like cheap, easily available, a certain taste.
Coconut water is a perfect hydration drink! That’s a good idea that you mix it with herbal iced tea. I hadn’t thought of that, I’m going to try it. Thanks for posting this Cynthia!
When there is a suggestion of cramp (not fully blown cramp, like when you have to stand up suddenly or jump out of bed screaming, because of the terrible pain, which I have experienced for many years) I add two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to a mug (240 ml) of room temperature water, and this last for two or three days or even two or three weeks or more. Also, take plenty of salt (iodized) throughout the day.
i too face this problem of night cramps from a very long time…..the cause in my case is both dehydration and potassium deficiency as well. I wish to take apple cider vinegar treatment that you told but my question is that is there any specific time of taking it…i mean is it to be taken early morning or empty stomach or it can be taken at any hour of the day. please inform.
also tell if it can be taken during periods?
I occasionally got leg cramps for no obvious reason. Turned out it was due to Vitamin D deficiency. I live in a sunny climate but prefer being indoors so wasn’t getting enough sun. Going outside for a few minutes a day with bare arms and/or legs, no sunscreen, fixed it quickly. (And I am now careful not to be outside too long and burn!)
You say a few minutes. How many? I get terrible internal body heat.
For me most effective way to get rid of very painful leg & hand cramps is to drink a glass of salted water while you are experiencing the cramp. The cramp will disappear within five minutes.
I started having nighttime cramps about three years ago. Bad.
There is an Apple Cider Vinegar based product called “Stops Leg and Foot Cramps in about one minute” – and it does, at least for me and for friends who use it. From Caleb Treeze Organic Farm. In addition to drinking a capful in distilled water either as a preventative or curative, it should also be used from a spray bottle. I use a travel size spray bottle and keep it with me when I am out and about. Spray it on the cramped area and walk around for a minute – or less. Available on Amazon $10 or so.
Hey Daryl,
Pickle juice also works really well, but can taste pretty nasty (some people love it though). ACV is a great solution as Donna says, but it can also be pretty hard to swallow. Try doing a mix of 50% water 50% ACV and then some kind of sweetener. Honey is a good one as Donna says. ACVcrampcure is a new product that is packaged well and tastes great also and uses ACV as main ingredient to stop cramps.
Goodluck with getting rid of your cramps!
Hi . thanks for all the info. I can’t seem to find the recipe for the tonic, other than apple cider vinegar. Is that ?
Do you have a FB page? I want to share with others.
Yes, https://www.facebook.com/thehealthyeatingsite/