Limestone(Chuna) is healthy or not?

Wondering, Limestone(Chuna) is healthy or not?”. We recently saw a post getting viral and Different people are posting that we should eat chuna and we will get rid of 70+ Diseases. In this article, we will talk about “Limestone”, which is also known as “Chuna“. A prominent YouTuber has said that you should mix one pinch of chuna in curd and your calcium deficiency will get rid of. Is this true? Is it healthy or is it a dangerous thing that is spreading on social media?

Let’s discuss it. What is Chuna? What is its use? And what are the remedies for home use? When it is used, is it healthy or not?

First of all let’s understand what is chuna exactly.

What is the Limestone(Chuna)?

Chuna or limestone or slag lime are sedimentary rocks. Limestone is typically formed from the accumulation of the remains of marine organisms such as coral and shells. Over time, these materials solidify to form limestone, predominantly found in coastal areas near the seashore. Generally, They are made in building materials or to make glass or tiles, it is used for teeth treatment.

It primarily consists of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), typically found in the structure of two main minerals:

1. Calcite
2. Aragonite

It may contain considerable amounts of magnesium carbonate (dolomite) as well Minor constituents as commonly present including clay, iron carbonate, feldspar. pyrite, and Quartz.

Apart from this, these days our water bodies in the sea are so toxic that there are chances of them being toxic. It may consist toxins. Generally, if we talk about the benefits of limestone, then it is high in calcium, no doubt. Apart from this, it reduces pollution because it helps in removing the sulfur oxide. It is good for water bodies because it provides nutrition to our water bodies. It improves the growth of fish and it also remains alkaline. It is used for water treatment. It helps in removing iron from water and reduces the pH level of water.

General benefits and effects of limestone:

• High in calcium: As waterbodies such as Shell are rich in calcium, hence limestone are rich in calcium
• Curbs pollution: Removes sulfur dioxide
• Good for ponds: Increases nutrient availability, fish growth, and alkalinity.
• Water treatment: Helps to remove excessive iron from water, and reduce water pH.
• Building materials: This is an essential component in concrete.
• Floor embellishment: Travertine tile constitutes a type of veined limestone.

How the food industry use it?

Let’s talk about how the food industry uses it. The first thing is that it is mostly used in calcium supplements. It is also used in dental products like toothpaste and mouth fresheners. In the food industry, it is used as an additive in drinks. Many things are fortified and it is added in calcium-rich and added calcium products. We use baking soda. It is also an anti-caking agent. It can be added to salt as well. It is also used as an additive to prevent it from sticking to each other. It is a mix of ready-to-eat cake in the market.

Calcium carbonate is not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it is commonly added to a variety of products such as waffles, bars, and powders and does not occur naturally in food even though it is formulated as a natural food additive around. Many calcium-rich products, including vegan dairy alternatives such as almond, soy, and oat milk, may have added calcium carbonate. Also known as lime, this substance has cooling properties and is used in antacids to neutralize acidity. In addition, it acts as a food stabilizer or stabilizer.

Calcium Carbonate in Food:

The various possible applications of calcium carbonate in the food industry encompass:

1. Nutritional bars
2. Baked foods
3. Breakfast cereals
4. Fortified beverages
5. Cookies and crackers
6. Soups and sauces
7. Chewing gums

Benefits of Limestone for Human Being:

Now, We will see the benefits of calcium carbonate and how it is beneficial for humans:

Benefits for Human beings:

1. Limestone for strong bones
2. Limestone for teeth
3. Limestone for inflammation of joints
4. Limestone for pregnancy: high calcium
5. Limestone for memory enhancement
6. Limestone for promoting digestion reduces acidity, gas, heartburn
7. Limestone for skin: treat acne, delay aging
8. Limestone for wound healing

Now, yes, it is beneficial. But when it is used for industrial purposes, it is purified. It goes through a process. But what we bring inside the house, it is impure and may have toxins in it.

Where this talk of using limestone was circulated in the house?

Limestone or limestone is mentioned in Ayurvedic scripture. Maharshi Bhagwata is mentioned in the scripture of Ashtanga Haridhyam that there are many human Diseasees that can be cured. It is also mentioned in the scripture that there are 70 Diseases that can be cured. They are also mentioned in different ways. But that was ages ago. The scriptures are mentioned many years ago when our water bodies were not polluted at all. They were free of toxins.

Limestone(Chuna) is healthy or not?

However, in the current situation, things have changed. Also, when we were talking about Ayurveda, the quantity was very precise like “You can take this much for this Disease, You can take this much for another disease”. If we see about dietary use, if we take more than 1 to 2 grams daily, it will not be healthy for us. There are different ways mentioned in that we can dilute it with pomegranate juice, we can take it with curd, with lentils, with lassi, with honey, with jaggery, with bitter gourd juice. However according to doctors and dieticians,” it is not safe to consume it like this”.

Calcium is critical for our bodies, however ingesting it immediately can be harmful, main to deadly sicknesses. When pomegranate juice is used for medicinal purposes, it is best to devour it in its herbal state. Trying to smooth the water with lime and other substances can put off some contaminants but now not enough to dispose of harmful chemicals and pollutants.

Reasons to avoid consuming :

Now I will discuss some more reasons which will make us more clear why it is not beneficial to use it at home.

1. The calcium that we take should be completely clean, pure, and free of toxicity.
2. It should only be consumed in the right quantities, not more than 1000-2000 mg(1-2g).  Calcium carbonate supplements typically provide a tablet dosage ranging from 500 to 600 milligrams.
3. Calcium consumed in excess could be harmful. It has the potential to result in the formation of kidney stones, kidney failure, and in some cases, mortality.
4. Excessive use can lead to health issues such as: Loss of appetite. Vomiting, Nausea, Headache, Pain in muscles and bones, Increased thirst and urination,
5. Experience of weakness and fatigue has been observed among people consuming limestone.
6. It can cause allergic reactions in some people like swelling, dizziness, itching, rashes.
7. Today a lot of “chuna” that is marketed is also made synthetically.

So without any medical advice if we take it inside the house then that is not safe. So if we listen to doctor’s advice, They highly suggest that we should naturally try to include calcium in our diet.

I believe that as far as consuming adequate calcium is concerned, there are many food items with calcium such as:

1. Sesame
2. Whole grains like amaranth, Ragi
3. parsley
4. Homemade curd
5. Various legumes, beans & lentils
6. Almonds
7. Bananas
8. Leafy greens
9. Figs and
10. Milk

So I hope the doubts related to chuna will be cleared. Thanks for reading.

Stay healthy. Stay fit. Stay active. Until next time, you take care.