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What you need to learn about taking calcium to spice up your vitamins – “tums with calcium”
Consultants agree that the perfect technique to get the vitamins it’s worthwhile to keep wholesome is from meals. However in relation to taking calcium, some individuals could not discover it sensible or potential to satisfy the really useful day by day consumption (RDI) from weight loss program alone. For adults, the RDI is 1,000 milligrams (mg) day by day, which rises to 1,200 mg per day for girls over age 50 and males over age 70.
In case your physician advises you to take a calcium complement, how do you select among the many dizzying array of obtainable selections, which embrace tablets, chewable tablets, flavored chews, and liquids? The next data could show you how to resolve.
What type of calcium?
The calcium in dietary supplements is discovered together with one other substance, usually carbonate or citrate. Every has advantages and disadvantages. Calcium carbonate dietary supplements tends to be one of the best worth, as a result of they comprise the very best quantity of elemental calcium (about 40% by weight). As a result of calcium carbonate requires abdomen acid for absorption, it is best to take this product with meals. Most individuals tolerate calcium carbonate properly, however some individuals complain of gentle constipation or feeling bloated. Some well-known calcium carbonate merchandise embrace Caltrate, Viactiv Calcium Chews, Os-Cal, and Tums.
Calcium citrate dietary supplements are absorbed extra simply than calcium carbonate. They are often taken on an empty abdomen and are extra readily absorbed by individuals who take acid-reducing heartburn drugs. However as a result of calcium citrate is just 21% calcium, you might have to take extra tablets to get your day by day requirement. Calcium citrate merchandise embrace Citracal and GNC Calcimate Plus 800.
How a lot calcium per serving?
Studying the labels with a watch towards price and comfort could show you how to sift by way of your choices. Examine the serving measurement and the “% Daily Value” for calcium and multiply the share by 10 to learn how a lot elemental calcium the product incorporates. For instance, if the label says a serving of the product incorporates 40% of the Day by day Worth, it has 400 mg of elemental calcium.
Whereas merchandise that yield a excessive quantity of calcium could appear to be one of the best guess at first blush, they could not serve you finest. As a result of your physique has problem absorbing greater than 500 mg of calcium at a time, extra of the mineral could go to waste. So, whilst you might imagine that you’ve got met your day by day necessities by taking that 1,000-mg calcium capsule, you may very well be solely midway to your goal. Calculate your price per serving based mostly on what number of tablets or chews the bundle incorporates, and take into account whether or not you may discover it inconvenient to take a number of tablets a day.
Listed below are some last ideas for selecting and taking calcium dietary supplements as discovered within the Harvard Particular Well being Report Osteoporosis: A information to prevention and remedy:
– By Julie CorlissExecutive Editor, Harvard Coronary heart Letter
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Well being Publishing offers entry to our library of archived content material. Please observe the date of final evaluation or replace on all articles. No content material on this web site, no matter date, ought to ever be used as an alternative to direct medical recommendation out of your physician or different certified clinician.