4 Steps to Choosing the Right Calcium Supplements For You

Calcium can help build strong bones and help the heart, muscles, and nerves to function properly. This mineral is one of the important elements in the human body.

In the human body, 99 percent of calcium  exists in bones and teeth in the form of bone salt (called bone calcium), and 1 percent exists in blood, extracellular fluid, muscle, and other tissues in the form of bound or free ions. Bone calcium and blood calcium maintain a dynamic balance.

Calcium preparations are not only an important nutritional and health care product, but also used for rickets in children and osteoporosis in the elderly.

Clinically, it also has the functions of hemostasis, desensitization, sedation, anticonvulsant, balancing electrolytes, neutralizing gastric acid, and others. When the dietary intake of calcium cannot reach the recommended level, we need additional calcium supplements.

The general recommendation is that the average adult needs 1000 mg of calcium per day, but the need can go as high as 2,500 mg as the upper limit, and women over 50 and men over 70 may be advised to get 1200 mg or even 2000 mg per day depending on their personal conditions.

Calcium agents are a large family with many kinds.

So how do we choose the right supplements for us?

The calcium supplements you’ll find on the market fall into three categories: inorganic calcium, organic calcium, and biological calcium, each with different levels of calcium, different absorption rates, and so on.

First, Calculate the Actual Amount of Calcium

Different types of calcium have different proportions of calcium ions.

For example, the calcium ion content of seaweed calcium is about 32 percent. If the product indicates that the capsule contains 1200 mg seaweed calcium, the actual content of calcium ion is 384 mg, so when purchasing calcium supplements. Be aware of the calcium ion content.

Second, Consider the Absorption Rate

The absorption rate of calcium is affected by many factors. The form of preparation is one of them.

Take for example the two most common forms of calcium supplements: calcium carbonate, and calcium citrate.

The absorption of calcium carbonate is first affected by gastric acid, and then absorbed by the intestinal tract. If your digestive health is in a good state, and have normal gastric acid and good gastric peristalsis, calcium carbonate absorption is fast. You can take these supplements with meals for better absorption.

However, if you take calcium citrate, then the calcium absorption is not dependent on whether you have a good gastric acid. But, you’ll need more supplementation to get the desired dose, since the calcium content of these supplements is not as high.

To reach an optimal absorption, no matter what kind of calcium supplement you take, the amount should not exceed 500 mg per dose. When higher than 500 mg per day is needed, it should be divided into multiple doses at different times.

Generally, when your body is in need of calcium, but has sufficient vitamin D, has a good gut environment, and you take supplements with food, or the amount you take at one time is not too much, the calcium absorption is faster.

Third, Pay Attention to the Characteristics of Calcium

Some people feel bloated or burp a lot after taking calcium supplements with their meals.

Because calcium carbonate contains co32-, it is easy for it to produce CO2 in an acidic environment.

Generally, it’s recommended to take the supplements with food, but if this gassy after-effect occurs, it’s better to take the supplements between one to two hours after meals instead.

Calcium carbonate also needs the help of gastric acid to decompose calcium ions. For those who have poor gastric acid secretion or those who are using gastric acid inhibitors, it is less suitable for consumption.

In this case, it’s better to choose natural sources of non-co32- calcium preparations, such as seaweed calcium.

Fourth, Look at Other Nutrients

In addition to choosing calcium preparations suitable for you, you can also check whether there are nutrients that help bone and tooth health, such as magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin K, casein phosphopeptides (CPP), and so on, that should complement your calcium supplementation.

When taking calcium, you should also pay attention to the following matters:

1. Regular monitoring of serum calcium and urinary calcium to prevent excessive calcium supplementation to guide medication

2. Patients with hypercalcemia are prohibited from taking any calcium, and diabetic patients are prohibited from taking calcium containing sugar;

3. If there is stomach discomfort, try to choose a preparation that is less irritating to the stomach

4. Calcium tablets should be chewed. The surface area of the tablets will increase after being chewing, which is conducive to better absorption of calcium.

For those who need long-term calcium supplementation, intermittent calcium supplementation is preferred. Stop taking it for one month every two months, and repeat the cycle.

Calcium and other minerals should be supplemented separately (for example, the divalent metal ion, zinc, and iron) for better absorption.

As mentioned in the beginning, the calcium supplements you’ll find on the market fall into three categories: inorganic calcium, organic calcium, and biological calcium.

1. Inorganic Calcium

Inorganic calcium agents mainly include calcium carbonate, calcium chloride, calcium phosphate. The most commonly used is calcium carbonate.

Calcium carbonate has a high calcium content of 40 percent, but has low water solubility, and must be dissociated into calcium ions under the action of gastric acid before it can be absorbed by the human body. Therefore, it is advisable to take it after meals when you have enough stomach acid.

Because calcium carbonate consumes some water in the gastrointestinal tract during metabolism, its side effects include stomach discomfort, constipation, and other such adverse reactions, and it is not suitable for the elderly who have insufficient gastric acid secretion and poor gastrointestinal tolerance.

Calcium phosphate contains high calcium content, but the tablets don’t disintegrate or absorb easily. Due to the high phosphorus content, it is not suitable for patients with chronic renal insufficiency.

2. Organic Calcium

The common forms of organic calcium are: calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium amino acid chelate, calcium acetate, calcium citrate, calcium hydroxide.

The calcium content of organic calcium is relatively low, but it has good water solubility and is less irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, and does not require the participation of gastric acid. This makes it more suitable for the elderly.

• Calcium Gluconate

The calcium content is low, at 9 percent, but the taste is good. Most of them are liquid preparations, suitable for infants and young children. Because its metabolites contain glucose, it should be used with caution in patients with diabetes.

• Calcium Lactate

The calcium content is 13 percent. Both calcium lactate and calcium gluconate are less concentrated forms of calcium and more tablets are needed for desirable doses. That being said, calcium lactate is usually used as a food additive to enhance the texture, flavor, or increase the calcium content.

• Calcium Acetate

The calcium content is 25 percent. It is a phosphorus binding agent, which can reduce the absorption of phosphorus and is suitable for patients with chronic kidney disease hyperphosphatemia.

• Calcium Citrate

The calcium content of calcium citrate is about 21 percent. There are various dosage forms such as ordinary tablets and effervescent tablets, which absorb well and have little gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as abdominal distension and constipation. They are especially suitable for children and the elderly.

• Calcium Amino Acid Chelate

It is a chelate of amino acids and calcium, with a calcium content of about 20 percent. It is characterized by high solubility and good absorption. Its pH is neutral and has no stimulation to the intestinea. It is more suitable for the elderly.

3. Biological Calcium

It is generally made from animal bones rich in calcium, fish bones, shells, etc. The calcium has a high degree of ionization and is easily absorbed and utilized by the body. However, due to the heavy metals enrichment effect of organisms, long-term use of biological calcium may lead to the risk of heavy metal poisoning.