--- I recently had a bone scan done, which revealed osteopenia >from all the years of malabsorption -- which is why I wanted to increase >calcium in any way I could. >Two questions: > >1) What would be optimal for me to do in order to maximally "up" my calcium >intake (no nuts). the problems of loss of bone density might have a very indirect relationship with your calcium intake . First look at all the things that make you waste your calcium ( there is an article on the paleoweb site) salt have been considered as an agent of calcium wasting ( to keep the acid alcaline balance) thru the urine but the studies might have been done only with refined salt, it might not even be true with unrefined sea salt....( anyone who know more about that ?) If you have a sens that you need to get more calcium anyway eat wild and domesticated greens and sea weeds. > >2) I was told to stop using my sea salt because it is not "iodized" -- that >the iodine evaporates during the harvesting process of sea salt, and that >if I didn't use an iodized salt I wouldn't be providing my thyroid with >what it needs to produce adequate hormones. (By the way, I have had >hypothyroid condition in the past). the label "sea salt" doesn't mean that much since all salt deposits are suspected to be old marine deposit) refined sea salt is a challenge on the mineral balance of the body because deprived of other minerals necessary to the cells.( magnesium and many others...) as much you can get your minerals ( sodium included) in an organic form animals or plants) as little the need for supplementing your food with salt will be . If you want to eat sea salt makes sure that it is an unrefined " dehydrated sea water" so with all the minerals necessary to life present in sea water. jean-claude .