The conditions which produce calcium deficiency may also lead to a shift of
calcium from bone to soft tissue. This may promote not only osteoporosis but
also arteriosclerosis and high blood pressure, due to increased levels of
calcium in the blood vessel walls. Motor neurone disease and senile dementia
could result from the calcium being deposited in the central nervous system. Fujita
T: Aging and calcium as an environmental factor. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol
31(Suppl):S15-19, 1985.
Chronic deficiencies of calcium and magnesium stimulate the chronic release
of excess parathyroid hormone. This can result in the increased intestinal
absorption of toxic metals, the mobilization of calcium and magnesium from
bone, and the deposition of these elements in nervous tissue. Yase Y:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - causative role of trace elements. Nippon
Rinsho 54(1):123-8, 1996.
Food, water and soil were assessed for mineral content in Hohara, Japan, a
location with a high incidence of motor neurone disease. Compared with control
areas, Hohara inhabitants had a significantly higher manganese intake and
significantly lower magnesium intake. Iwami O et al: Motor neuron disease on
the Kii Peninsula of Japan: excess manganese intake from food coupled with low
magnesium in drinking water as a risk factor. Sci Total Environ
149(1-2):121-35, 1994.
Neurological dysfunction is a known complication of coeliac disease (gluten
sensitivity). 30 of 53 patients with neurological disease (ataxia, peripheral
neuropathy, nononeuritis multiplex, myopathy, motor neuropathy) of unknown
cause were found to have antibodies to the substance gliaden found in gluten.
This suggests that gluten sensitivity may be a significant causative factor in
neurological diseases of unknown cause. Hadjivassiliou M et al: Does cryptic
gluten sensitivity play a part in neurological illness? Lancet
347(8998):369-71, 1996.
