 |
Newsletter Sign Up Weekly health news, sale announcements and coupons!
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
You never outgrow your need for calcium
Babies and children need it. Teenagers need it. Adult men and women and senior citizens all need it. To keep your bones and teeth strong -- for life -- you need calcium.
You need it primarily to build bone density, which protects against broken bones, bone loss, and osteoporosis. But calcium does a lot for the rest of your body as well. It helps regulate your heartbeat, control your blood pressure, contract your muscles, and send messages along your nerves.
The best way to get calcium? Mom was right, of course: from fat-free and low-fat milk and dairy products. Eight ounces of milk provide about 300 mg. Yogurt contains even more calcium than milk.
Quick Facts About Calcium
- RDA is 1,200 mg per day for adults.
- Foods rich in calcium include dairy products, salmon and sardines (with bones), dark green leafy vegetables (including broccoli, kale, and spinach), beans, nuts, and tofu (when processed with calcium).
- Signs of calcium deficiency include muscle cramps or spasms, convulsions, and brittle bones.
|
|
|
|
|
You May Need More Calcium if You Have (or Have Had)
- History of alcohol or drug abuse
- Chronic malnutrition
- Portion of your gastrointestinal tract removed
- Recent surgery
Or if You're
- Not using milk products
- Allergic to milk and milk products
- Lactose-intolerant
- A woman of any age, especially if you're pregnant, nursing, or postmenopausal
- Over age 55
- Under excessive stress
- A smoker
- Taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs, especially steroids, thyroid supplements, drugs for high cholesterol, or antacids that contain aluminum
What Works Best -- and Worst -- with Calcium
- Vitamin D, vitamin K, and magnesium help your body use calcium. Calcium and vitamin D work together to keep your blood level of calcium normal.
- Magnesium helps you absorb calcium and use vitamin D properly.
- You should get half as much magnesium as calcium, so if you're getting 1,000 mg of calcium per day, balance it with 500 mg of magnesium.
- Calcium absorption is blocked by alcohol, tobacco, high-fiber foods, foods high in oxalic acid, cortisone-like drugs, tetracycline, thyroid drugs, aluminum antacids, and some drugs for high cholesterol. Ask your doctor about taking calcium supplements.
Forms Available
Several tablet forms of calcium supplements are available in varying potencies:- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium phosphate (tribasic calcium phosphate)
- Calcium citrate
- Calcium lactate
- Calcium gluconate
- Calcium glubionate (a syrup)
- Chewable antacids are not a good way to get calcium -- they don't release most of the calcium into your system and will not be absorbed.
|
|
|
|
|
Forms of Calcium
- Bone meal
- Calcium aspartate
- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium citrate
- Calcium glubionate
- Calcium glutonate
- Calcium lactate
- Calcium phosphate
- Dolomite
- Oyster-shell calcium
Comments on Calcium
When buying mineral supplements like calcium, consider how much calcium you get per pill and how well you can absorb it.
The FDA has noted detectable levels of lead in dolomite, oyster shell, and bone meal. However, the FDA does not consider this dangerous because calcium inhibits lead absorption.
- Calcium carbonate contains roughly 40% calcium, the most of all the supplements, and is the least expensive. However, it is not absorbed as well as other forms of calcium.
- Calcium citrate is a good choice among the organic salts, especially for older people. While the salts are not as high in elemental calcium compared to other supplements, calcium citrate contains roughly 21% calcium and is easily absorbed. It's also less likely to cause constipation.
- Dolomite contains both calcium and magnesium in one supplement, but is hard to absorb.
- Bone meal is made of ground-up bone, but also contains high levels of phosphorus.
- Oyster-shell calcium is made from ground-up oyster shell. This is mainly calcium carbonate and can be hard to absorb.
- Calcium phospate seems like a good way to get your calcium and phosphorus in one pill. However, calcium phosphate contains more phosphorus than we need. You can get calcium elsewhere without the excess phosphorus.
- Calcium gluconate contains only 9% calcium, the least among the calcium supplements. You will need to take a lot of calcium gluconate to get the same amount of calicum as you could get in other supplements.
Some studies suggest that the body can utilize the calcium from calcium citrate better than calcium carbonate. Some show that 500 mg of calcium citrate yielded more absorbable calcium than 2,000 mg of calcium carbonate. However, other studies suggest that both forms of calcium are equally bioavailable, with approximately 40% calcium absorption from calcium carbonate and 30% from calcium citrate. The verdict is still out.
|
|
|
|
|
Warnings
Consult a physician before use or do not use calcium if:- You are about to start a high-dose supplement program.
- You have kidney stones.
- You have irregular heartbeat.
Calcium May Have Interactions with
- Alcohol: decreases absorption.
- Aluminum antacids: can combine with phosphate and deplete calcium stores.
- Atenolol: calcium decreases the level of atenolol.
- Beta-blockers: calcium can reduce blood levels by 3% to 50%.
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs, especially bile acid sequestering agents: can lower levels of vitamin D, thereby reducing absorption of calcium.
- Digitalis: can cause heartbeat irregularities.
- Estrogens: may increase absorption of calcium.
- Etidronate: may prevent the proper absorption of iron, calcium, and magnesium.
- Iron: calcium decreases iron absorption, unless you take vitamin C at the same time.
- Norfloxin: decreases absorption of norfloxin.
- Oral contraceptives containing estrogen: may increase absorption of calcium.
- Oxalates, such as beets, spinach, and rhubarb, inhibit calcium absorption.
- Phytates, such as bran and whole grain cereals, inhibit calcium absorption.
- Quinolones: includes Cipro, Floxin, Maxaquin, Noroxin, and Penetrex. These are not absorbed well in the presence of calcium, iron, or zinc.
- Tea and coffee: decrease absorption of calcium.
- Tetracyclines: calcium can hinder the absorption of some tetracyclines.
- Thiazide diuretics: increase calcium levels.
- Tobacco: decreases absorption.
- Verapamil: decreases the effects of verapamil.
Side Effects of Calcium
Most people only experience calcium's side effects when consuming levels well above the RDA. Consult your physician before starting a high-dose regimen of any vitamins. Signs of Overdose
Taking more than 3,000 mg of calcium per day may lead to hypercalcemia, resulting in:
- Fatigue
- Depression
- Confusion
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Kidney impairment
- Irregular heartbeat
- Kidney stones
What to Do in Case of Overdose
Stop use and contact your physician immediately.
|
|
|
|
|
Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Bendich, A and Deckelbaum, RJ.Preventive Nutrition: The Comprehensive Guide for Health Professionals. Humana Press. Totowa, NJ 1997.
2. Dell, BL and Sunde, RA.Handbook of Nutritionally Essential Mineral Elements. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY 1997.
3. Fauci et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Fourteenth Ed. McGraw-Hill Co., Inc. 1998.
4. Groff, JL, Gropper, SS, Hunt, SM.Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Second Ed. West Pub. Co. St. Paul, MN 1995.
5. Kastrup EK et al. Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts and Comparisons
6. Meletis, CD and Jacobs, T.The Practitioner's Guide to Drug-Nutrient and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions. 1996.
7. Werbach, MR.Nutritional Influences on Illness, Second Ed. Third Line Press. Tarzana, CA 1996..
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
Articles
- 1. Chen M.The Alzheimer's plaques, tangles and memory deficits may have a common origin; part I; a calcium deficit hypothesis. Front Biosci, 3():a27-31 1998 May 11.
- 2. Cumming RG; Nevitt MC.Calcium for prevention of osteoporotic fractures in postmenopausal women. J Bone Miner Res, 12(9):1321-9 1997 Sep.
- 3. Curhan GC.Dietary calcium, dietary protein, and kidney stone formation. Miner Electrolyte Metab, 23(3-6):261-4 1997.
- 4. Donangelo CM.Calcium and osteoporosis. Arch Latinoam Nutr, 47(2 Suppl 1):13-6 1997 Jun.
- 5. Garland C; Shekelle RB; Barrett-Connor E; Criqui MH; Rossof AH; Paul O.Dietary vitamin D and calcium and risk of colorectal cancer: a 19-year prospective study in men. Lancet 1985 Feb 9;1(8424):307-9.
- 6. Giovannucci E; Rimm EB; Wolk A; Ascherio A; Stampfer MJ; Colditz GA; Willett WC.Calcium and fructose intake in relation to risk of prostate cancer. Cancer Res, 58(3):442-7 1998 Feb 1.
- 7. Heilbrun LK; Hankin JH; Nomura AM; Stemmermann GN.Colon cancer and dietary fat, phosphorus, and calcium in Hawaiian- Japanese men. Am J Clin Nutr 1986 Feb;43(2):306-9.
- 8. Hyman J; Baron JA; Dain BJ; Sandler RS; Haile RW; Mandel JS; Mott LA; Greenberg ER.Dietary and supplemental calcium and the recurrence of colorectal adenomas. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 7(4):291-5 1998 Apr.
- 9. Newmark HL; Lipkin M.Calcium, vitamin D, and colon cancer. Cancer Res, 52(7 Suppl):2067s-2070s 1992 Apr 1.
- 10. Nieves JW; Komar L; Cosman F; Lindsay R.Calcium potentiates the effect of estrogen and calcitonin on bone mass: review and analysis. Am J Clin Nutr, 67(1):18-24 1998 Jan.
- 11. Praet JP; Peretz A; Mets T; Rozenberg S.Comparative study of the intestinal absorption of three salts of calcium in young and elderly women. J Endocrinol Invest, 21(4):263-7 1998 Apr.
- 12. Riggs BL; O'Fallon WM; Muhs J; O'Connor MK; Kumar R; Melton LJ 3rd.Long-term effects of calcium supplementation on serum parathyroid hormone level, bone turnover, and bone loss in elderly women. J Bone Miner Res, 13(2):168-74 1998 Feb.
- 13. Sacks FM; Brown LE; Appel L; Borhani NO; Evans D; Whelton P.Combinations of potassium, calcium, and magnesium supplements in hypertension. Hypertension, 26(6 Pt 1):950-6 1995 Dec.
- 14. Sacks FM; Willett WC; Smith A; Brown LE; Rosner B; Moore TJ.Effect on blood pressure of potassium, calcium, and magnesium in women with low habitual intake. Hypertension, 31(1):131-8 1998 Jan.
- 15. Scopacasa F; Horowitz M; Wishart JM; Need AG; Morris HA; Wittert G; Nordin BE.Calcium supplementation suppresses bone resorption in early postmenopausal women. Calcif Tissue Int, 62(1):8-12 1998 Jan.
- 16. Zheng W; Anderson KE; Kushi LH; Sellers TA; Greenstein J; Hong CP; Cerhan JR; Bostick RM; Folsom AR.A prospective cohort study of intake of calcium, vitamin D, and other micronutrients in relation to incidence of rectal cancer among postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 7(3):221-5 1998 Mar.
>
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
/td> | |
