This is an `It doesn't hurt to try' article about a most
common but undiagnosed condition that expresses itself in
various ways. Yated does not take any responsibility
for this article but certainly urges you to read it and see
if the simple advice offered at the end can't help whatever
may ail you.
As we said: It doesn't hurt to try.
Mrs. Samuel has helped countless people in the past and gets
many referrals. Here are some of the ailments she heard from
recent phone calls. All of them are related to one single
condition, she claims! She does not discount conventional
medicine, for sure, but feels the public should be aware of
what she has discovered.
I feel a strong pressure in my chest. I have difficulty
breathing.
My baby received a blow and suddenly, he went into
convulsions and stopped breathing.
What can I do about a child who complains of growing
pains?
My daughter has stomach pains but the doctors can't find
anything wrong with her.
I get easily upset over small things. I can't seem to find
the strength to keep on going. I am tense all the time.
My child suffers from nervous tics. He squints and makes
grimaces without realizing it.
My wife is not functioning. She is suffering from post partum
depression.
Are these truly related? A theory based on research by a
French doctor, Dr. Klotz, suggests that the single root to
the above is a diagnosis of Spasmophilia. This is an acute
sensitivity of the nervous system and is a very common
phenomenon.
People suffering from spasmophilia use up their energy
reserves much quicker than other people, says Dr. Klotz. This
depletion can be due to poor nutrition, greater demands on
their reserves of energy, and heightened pressure.
Q. Does this mean that when I feel pressured and lacking the
strength to cope, that I am physically weak?
A. Certainly.
Q. Then a strong person is a relaxed person?
A. It sounds paradoxical, but yes. When a person is in good
physical tone, his nervous system is capable of handling
stress. If a person's central control systems is weak, he
regards every disturbance as a major hurdle. If a child makes
noise, your heart begins to beat faster and you feel
nervous.
Q. How do you explain convulsions according to your
theory?
A. It is initially caused by some distress, like pain or
anger. Since the child is spasmophilic, he cannot handle the
difficulty and loses complete control.
All the above examples can be explained by the three causes:
1) poor nutrition, 2) greater ongoing demands on our energy,
which explains post partum depression, growing pains, and 3)
sudden pressure. These cause the nervous system to break down
for lack of the energy it needs and the supply of which has
been depleted. The body and the emotions are interdependent,
so that it is vital to have a healthy body for a healthy
mind.
Q. What can a spasmophile do to build up his reserves of
energy?
A. Plenty. And our advice is simple and most surprising.
A few decades back, notes Mrs. Samuel, my aunt suffered a
nervous breakdown. She was after several births but no
specific cause could be traced for her weakness until she
began taking MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS, calcium and magnesium in
particular, under a doctor's supervision. The pregnancies and
births had depleted her stores of these important minerals.
She was soon back to herself.
If good nutrition is important for all people, it is all the
more so for spasmophiles, who tend to use up their reserves
much more quickly.
Q. What is the connection between calcium and the nervous
system?
A. It was Dr. Klotz's major discovery, that this system is
maintained primarily through calcium and magnesium.
In a new pamphlet published by the Health Ministry, it is
written: "People of all ages need calcium to maintain healthy
teeth and bones. In addition, calcium performs the following
functions:
* Regulates the contraction of muscles
* Transmits signals throughout the nervous system
* Helps blood to clot
* Assists in the secretion of hormones, digestive enzymes
etc."
We now see how the above symptoms are due to lack of calcium
which, in turn, causes the nervous system to falter. Chest
pains result from emergency messages to the brain of being
unable to cope. Stomach pains are a result of malfunctioning
of the digestive juices which cause abdominal gas and food to
ferment. Tics are a typical sign of a lack of calcium, which
regulates muscular contraction, as are muscular cramps in the
foot or neck, as well as the exhibition of allergic
symptoms.
Q. Do you treat all complaints with calcium supplements?
A. Many complaints -- far more than you might imagine -- are
related to the nervous system and due to calcium deficiency.
If a woman after birth experiences emotional fatigue,
depression or stress, this is a very possible diagnosis since
during pregnancy and lactation, her calcium reserves are
being depleted and the cumulative effect can be swift and
sudden.
Q. I had a calcium test made and the results were
satisfactory but I suffer from symptoms you described. How is
this?
A. According to the Health Ministry pamphlet, a calcium
deficiency does not always show in a blood test because it is
mainly felt in the bones. And it is the bones, not the blood,
which are adversely affected by a calcium deficiency.
Q. How, then, will I know if I lack calcium?
A. From the symptoms. And even if you take calcium
supplements without really needing them, no harm can come, so
long as the source is natural.
A daily requirement of 1200 mg. can be provided
from:
Foods rich in calcium: cheese, tehina, dates, beets, spinach,
broccoli etc. Milk products are not well absorbed by all
people, however.
Natural calcium supplements, such as "Coral Calcium," which
is highly recommended since it contains many other vital
minerals in natural form, like magnesium, zinc. Also, its
effect is rapid.
A cheap and accessible source, recommended by Rebbetzin
Kanievsky: Put a whole egg (uncooked) in its shell in a glass
of lemon juice for 24 hours. Remove the egg and drink the
liquid. The amount of calcium ingested is equal to a calcium
injection.
For further information, call M. Samuel at 03-618-2688.
[The information in the original Hebrew article was reviewed
and approved by Dr. J. Hert, M.D.]
