Taking Calcium Supplements

Calcium is only one of the many components that are required for maintaining healthy bones. Vitamins C, D, and K, as well as boron, potassium, and magnesium are also required. Additionally, it is important to ensure that you are getting a sufficient amount of protein.  Finally, getting some resistance-based exercise is also important for long-term bone health.

However, many people may need to add supplementation to their diet to ensure they are getting sufficient quantities of calcium for maintaining good bone health and for preventing osteoporosis. Taking a calcium supplement might help someone reach their daily recommended requirement for this important mineral, but healthy food sources of calcium supply many of the other nutrients which are required for healthy bones and for blood pressure regulation — two of the primary functions of calcium.

Calcium supplements usually contain calcium as a component of a compound - calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the two most common varieties. Oyster shell is a type of calcium carbonate that has been found to occasionally contain small measures of lead, which is a known toxin. Taking calcium supplements from sources other than oyster shell, dolomite, and bone meal are generally considered safer.

The type of calcium someone takes will often depend on their particular requirements. As long as one intakes enough elemental calcium to meet their daily requirements, the particular type generally isn't that important. Read the label of any calcium supplement to find out how much elemental calcium is contained in each tablet. If the packaging doesn't list the amount of elemental calcium, you can generally assume it to be 40% for calcium carbonate, 21% for calcium citrate, 13% for calcium lactate, and 9%for calcium gluconate.

For example, if you take 1,000 mg of calcium carbonate, you are getting 40% of that as elemental calcium, or 400 mg. Many antacids tablets are simply calcium carbonate. Taking these provides an easy and cheap way for someone to meet their daily calcium requirements.

Calcium, of all types, is more easily absorbed when ingested in smaller doses.  Generally, take no more than 500 mg of elemental calcium from a supplement at once. If you think that you need to take more calcium, split the amount into 2 or 3 equally-sized portions, and take them about 4-5 hours apart through the day.

Calcium carbonate should always be taken with food, because the acidity of the stomach is higher when digestion is occurring. The increase in levels of acidity allows for better absorption of the mineral. Calcium citrate, on the other hand, is absorbed more easily than calcium carbonate on an empty stomach, so it should be taken between meals.

One type of calcium will not help prevent osteoporosis better than another.  Essentially, it's simply necessary to ensure that one gets a sufficient amount through their lifetime, in combination with the other required nutrients mentioned earlier. The most crucial time to prevent the development of osteoporosis is during periods of bone formation, throughout childhood and the teenage years. After this period, maintaining the bone mass that has already been built is the key. Because our bones are continuously absorbing and releasing calcium, you should protect yourself by preventing overall losses that result in softened bones. This can be achieved by ingesting adequate amounts of calcium, engaging in regular resistance training, and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid ingesting too much sodium, protein, smoking, and caffeine.  Too much of these can rob bones of calcium.