The majority of women do not get enough calcium in their normal diet, making calcium supplements vital to ensure proper bone health and the prevention of bone loss. Calcium supplements are widely available, easy to take and highly effective in adding much-needed calcium to an adult's usual diet. There are several factors to consider when choosing the right calcium supplements for different individuals.
Types
Over 85 percent of calcium supplements available come in the form of , the calcium salt created by the combination of calcium with carbon and oxygen. These types of calcium supplements are available in chewable forms like antacids and standard swallowable tablets.
While much less common than calcium carbonate, calcium citrate is another form of available calcium supplements. These are primarily found in swallowable tablet form.
Features
Adults should be getting 1,000 to 1,300 milligrams of calcium daily from diet or supplements. Pregnant and breastfeeding women often need more calcium and should take a calcium supplement in addition to a prenatal vitamin to get sufficient calcium if they are not consuming enough in their diet. Dosing instructions on the back of the bottle of every calcium supplement will indicate how many tablets or chewables to take each day.
Both calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are absorbed equally well by the body, making them both good choices for calcium supplementation. However, calcium carbonate is made of more concentrated calcium than calcium citrate, meaning that more or larger calcium citrate tablets must be taken than calcium carbonate tablets to receive the same amount of calcium. Calcium citrate supplements are also more expensive than calcium carbonate supplements.
Considerations
Higher levels of vitamin D increase calcium absorption, making calcium supplements with vitamin D a better choice than a supplement that only includes calcium.
When choosing calcium supplement, it is important to read the label for the USP abbreviation. USP stands for U.S. Pharmacopeia, and its presence on the label indicates that that particular calcium supplement meets the USP minimum standards for disintegration and quality.
Always check the serving size on calcium supplements because while two different calcium supplements might be priced similarly, it might take several tablets of one brand to get the same amount of calcium in one tablet of another brand.
Misconceptions
Many people believe that they get enough calcium either from their diet or from their multivitamin to offset the need for additional , but this is usually untrue. An average serving of dairy, like milk or cheese, has about 300 milligrams of calcium, and most multivitamins have no more than 250 milligrams of calcium, falling far short of the daily requirements. While it is possible to consume enough calcium daily, few people do. For many adults, especially women, calcium supplements are recommended by health professionals.
Prevention/Solution
Women who are at a greater advantage of developing osteoporosis, particularly Asian and Caucasian women and those with female blood relatives who have developed the disease, are recommended to take a calcium supplement from an early age. When the body has a low level of calcium in the blood, the calcium needed to carry out the functions of the body is taken from bones. The resulting decrease in bone calcium levels can lead to osteoporosis, a debilitating disease that weakens the bones and increases the likelihood of fractures. Sufficient intake of calcium and vitamin D, usually with the aid of calcium supplements, can help prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis later in life.
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