What Is Calcium Orotate?

Orotic acid is a biochemical substance made naturally by the human body; orotates are mineral salts created by binding a mineral to orotic acid. The controversial German physician Hans Nieper used them as transporters to deliver higher amounts of active minerals directly into inner cell membranes. Nieper believed that calcium orotate could deliver calcium to the body where it was most needed and without the toxicity or side effects that came with other treatments. In Nieper's medical clinic in Germany, he successfully treated hundreds of patients with ailments such as osteoporosis, cancer, high blood pressure, arthritis, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and liver conditions such as chronic hepatitis.

Osteoporosis

• Dr. Nieper used calcium orotate as a mineral transporter in recalcification therapy. He found it to be useful in treating juvenile decalcification as well as adult bone loss and senior osteoporosis. It was used not only to treat osteoporosis, but also to prevent its occurrence. The nature of calcium orotate allows it to penetrate deep into tissue, bone and cartilage in order to promote bone health and strength. At the cancer congress in Houston in 1970, Dr. Nieper concluded that calcium orotate "is a very satisfactory agent in the recalcification of metastatic defects in the skeletal system."

Inflammatory Diseases

• Calcium orotate has been found to have a marked effect on inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and lupus; while having an anti-inflammatory effect on cardiovascular diseases such as multiple sclerosis, phlebitis, retinitis, encephalitis and colitis. The mechanics behind its anti-inflammatory effects lie in the availability of calcium ions at the mitochondrial membrane. Dr. Nieper called this a "classic anti-inflammatory principle." In 1975, he started treating lupus patients with steady doses of calcium orotate for the period of 1 year, and found their symptoms to be tremendously reduced, even in advanced cases.

Athletic Performance

• Dr. Nieper used orotates to treat a host of diseases and ailments, but his work was controversial because much of his success was seen in his clinic and not thoroughly documented or scientifically tested. Recently, however, studies have been done regarding athletic performance and endurance. A study published in the Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy Journal, Volume 12, April 1998, found that supplementation with magnesium orotate significantly increased endurance, or exercise tolerance, in patients. As such, magnesium orotate and calcium orotate are regularly combined in performance supplements for athletes.

Liver Conditions

• In Dr. Nieper's clinic, he observed many patients with liver conditions such as hepatitis or cholangitis, which is inflammation of the bile duct, show improvement with calcium orotate supplementation. Their overall state of health improved, along with the general progression of the disease. This is in line with present findings, obtained from liver biopsies of patients who have received the same treatment, although combined with lithium orotate. Researchers have discovered that the combination of lithium and calcium orotates provides healing effects that not only halt the progression of disease, but reverse it. Dr Nieper concluded in later research that chronic hepatitis could be completely cured by giving patients calcium orotate, 3 g per day, for a period of 2 years; he detailed the treatment and subsequent remission of 14 of his own patients.

Side Effects

• In his many treatments, Dr. Nieper was constantly surprised at the low incidence of side effects for calcium orotate. This low occurrence of side effects is largely due to the effectiveness of the therapy, thereby reducing the necessary dosage. Other forms of calcium are poorly absorbed; thus, higher amounts are necessary in order to achieve the desired results. In fact, the only side effects reported with calcium orotate are constipation or upset stomach, though these are generally mild and disappear when the dose is adjusted.