| ALPHA Medical Supplies |
|
Some calcium supplements make more sense than others.Calcium in foods and calcium supplements occurs in compounds, or substances that contain more than one ingredient. Available calcium supplements include: calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium phosphate, calcium lactate, and calcium gluconate. The calcium in these compounds is called elemental calcium. When reading labels on calcium supplements, be sure to check the amount of elemental calcium, rather than the amount of the entire compound.Not all the calcium in the calcium supplements you take is absorbed by your body. How much your body absorbs depends on several factors, including the type of calcium compound present in the calcium supplements. Calcium carbonate requires an acidic environment in order to be absorbed. Stomach acid increases in the presence of food, so calcium carbonate should be taken with a meal. Calcium citrate does not require extra stomach acid to be dissolved, and should be taken on an empty stomach. Your body absorbs calcium less efficiently as your intake increases, therefore it is best to take calcium supplements in small doses throughout the day. Taking more than 500 milligrams at one time is not recommended. The best calcium supplements are calcium citrate and calcium carbonate, because they are easily available, contain large amounts of elemental calcium, and dissolve well in the body. Calcium phosphate, calcium lactate, and calcium gluconate are not as good because they have small percentages of elemental calcium in each tablet, so you have to take many tablets to get enough calcium. Taking more than 2,500 milligrams of elemental calcium in your calcium supplements per day is not recommended. |
|
