In 2008, the authors published the first edition, The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know Could Kill You. Then in 2013, they updated the information in The Calcium Lie: What Your Doctor Still Doesn’t Know. In this review, we will look at the revised edition.
Dr. Robert Thompson, MD, who maintains a medical practice in Alaska, did not at one time know what he is discussing in this book. He, like most well-meaning healthcare professionals, treated patients according to what he had learned in medical school over many years. Kathleen Barnes, a health journalist and author, lives in North Carolina. Dr. Thompson says Kathleen helps him communicate in terms that his readers understand.
This reviewer has administered numerous homeschooling assessments over the years in which the Overview section of the tool he uses includes a question: “Which mineral is most needed to harden bones?” Many have answered correctly, according to what they have learned and according to the assessment tool, “Calcium.”
Our authors want us to remember that the test that determines whether a patient has osteoporosis or its precursor, osteopenia, is the dexa MINERAL bone scan test. This name should help us remember that bones are made up of many minerals, one of which is calcium. By supplementing calcium alone, we actually make our bones tougher – calcification can occur in the arteries, kidneys, and other places in our bodies. Dr. Thompson reminds us throughout the book that “Calcium makes concrete hard!”
Having entered medicine with “altruistic” ideas, Dr. Thompson had become disenchanted with his profession, ready to resign. He reconsidered when in 1996 a peer-reviewed directory named him one of the “Best Doctors in America.” Encouraged, he decided to continue making a difference.
Minerally Bankrupt (Chapter 1): This fundamental chapter states that bones consist of at least 12 minerals. “Excess calcium can cause:
• Kidneys and gallstones
• Arterial plaque (and heart disease)
• Bone spurs (joints / osteoarthritis)
• Calcium deposits in tissues other than bone
• Dysfunction of brain cells, brain shrinkage and dementia. “(P. 9)
• Waterfalls
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Hypertension (p. 29)
• Obesity (p. 39)
• Migraines (p. 43)
“Too much calcium causes the adrenal glands to be suppressed so the kidneys retain the necessary magnesium in an attempt to keep these two minerals in balance.” (p. 19)
Before the invention of refrigeration, our ancestors used sea or rock salt to preserve food. Our natural balance of minerals left with this change. “Because a mineral ‘fingerprint’ is passed from mother to child, each generation has become progressively more deficient in these essential minerals.” (p. 12)
To add more damage to our systems, when the use of iodine in making bread and canned goods was traded in for cheaper bromine, we began to see an increase in “thyroid diseases and cancer, breast cysts, fibrous changes, sensitivity cyclical and cancer, prostate inflammation and cancer, and hormonal dysfunction of the ovary, ovarian cysts, endometriosis and ovarian cancer “. (p. 13)
Table salt destroys health, and the best mineral supplement is unrefined sea or rock salt. Dr. Thompson explains that the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HMTA) provides the best possible analysis of mineral levels and guides the practitioner to properly supplement. It only recommends Trace Minerals, Inc. for testing.
Throughout the book, Dr. Thompson gives mini-lessons on biochemistry that all doctors study in medical school. Surprisingly, most physicians have forgotten their biochemistry and continue to follow the “Calcium Lie,” “The Calcium Myth” (Chapter 2), and “The Vitamin Lie” (Chapter 7).
Our authors dedicate chapters to the following health conditions and how they relate to calcium:
• Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis, and Calcium (Chapter 3)
• Digestive dilemmas: protein poor digestion, sodium deficiency, and cell membrane dysfunction (Chapter 4)
• Metabolic failure How excess calcium causes weight gain, thyroid and adrenal dysfunction, and five types of hypothyroidism (Chapter 5)
• Women’s problems: pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause (Chapter 6)
Stress plays a key role in our health. Thompson and Barnes address this topic and its relationship to calcium (Chapter 8). They emphasize that “stress management should be a regular part of a healthy lifestyle.” (p. 176)
In Chapter 9, The Road Back to Health, they give their readers the following steps:
1. Drink plain water.
2. Take supplements derived from ionic sea salt.
3. Whole food vitamins.
4. Essential fatty acids
5. Eat raw nuts and / or seeds every day.
6. Eat high-quality protein.
7. Get essential monosaccharides. (p. 184-195)
The Calcium Lie II closes with chapter 10, “From doctor to doctor: A passionate plea.” Encourage your readers to copy this chapter and take it to their doctors or, better yet, to buy a copy of the book for their doctors.
Dr. Thompson and Kathleen Barnes present the facts behind their claims. Reading and following your guide will improve our health.
