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Matter Overview
Your physique wants vitamin D to soak up calcium. Calcium retains your bones and muscle groups—together with your coronary heart—wholesome and robust.
Individuals who don’t get sufficient calcium and vitamin D all through life have an elevated probability of getting skinny and brittle bones (osteoporosis) of their later years. Skinny and brittle bones break simply and may result in critical accidents. That is why it’s important so that you can get sufficient calcium and vitamin D as a baby and as an grownup. It helps preserve your bones robust as you become older and protects in opposition to potential breaks.
Your physique additionally makes use of vitamin D to assist your muscle groups soak up calcium and work effectively. In case your muscle groups do not get sufficient calcium, then they will cramp, damage, or really feel weak. You might have long-term (continual) muscle aches and pains. Getting sufficient vitamin D helps forestall these issues.
Kids who do not get sufficient vitamin D could not develop as a lot as others their age. Additionally they have an opportunity of getting a uncommon illness known as rickets, which causes weak bones.
What’s the beneficial each day quantity of calcium and vitamin D?
Calcium ought to at all times be taken together with vitamin D, as a result of the physique wants vitamin D as a way to soak up calcium.
Girls who’re pregnant or breastfeeding want the identical quantity of calcium and vitamin D as different ladies their age.
Who could not get sufficient calcium and vitamin D?
Most individuals get sufficient calcium, however some individuals could not get sufficient vitamin D. Many meals are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and your physique makes use of sunshine to make its personal vitamin D. From age 9 via 18, ladies want extra calcium from meals to fulfill the each day beneficial consumption. If they can’t get sufficient calcium from meals, a calcium complement could also be wanted.
Blood assessments for vitamin D can test your vitamin D degree. However there isn’t any normal regular vary utilized by all laboratories. You are doubtless getting sufficient vitamin D in case your ranges are within the vary of 20 to 50 ng/mL.
Issues that cut back how a lot vitamin D your physique makes embrace:
How are you going to get extra calcium and vitamin D?
Calcium is in meals resembling milk, cheese, and yogurt. Greens like broccoli, kale, and Chinese language cabbage have calcium. You will get calcium for those who eat the smooth edible bones in canned sardines and canned salmon. Meals with added (fortified) calcium embrace some cereals, juices, soy drinks, and tofu. The meals label will present how a lot calcium was added.
Vitamin D is in meals resembling salmon, tuna, and mackerel. These are among the greatest meals to eat when you’re attempting to get extra vitamin D. Different meals which have vitamin D, however in small quantities, embrace cheese, egg yolks, and beef liver. You can even get vitamin D from fortified meals resembling milk and a few cereals, orange juices, yogurts, margarines, and soy drinks.
Some individuals who don’t get sufficient calcium and vitamin D might have dietary supplements. Calcium dietary supplements can be found as citrate or carbonate. Calcium carbonate is greatest absorbed when it’s taken with meals. Calcium citrate will be absorbed effectively with or with out meals. Spreading calcium out over the course of the day can cut back abdomen upset and helps your physique soak up the calcium higher. Attempt to not take greater than 500 milligrams (mg) of calcium complement at a time.
Vitamin D dietary supplements can be found as ergocalciferol (D2) and cholecalciferol (D3).
Are there any dangers from taking calcium and vitamin D?
It’s potential to get an excessive amount of calcium and vitamin D. Older ladies who take calcium dietary supplements have to be cautious that they don’t take an excessive amount of.
The quantity of calcium and vitamin D you get day by day from all sources—together with meals, sunshine, and dietary supplements—shouldn’t be greater than the quantity proven by age within the desk beneath for “upper level intake.” Higher degree consumption doesn’t imply that most individuals want this quantity or ought to attempt to get it. It means that is the utmost quantity of calcium or vitamin D that’s protected to take.
Should you get an excessive amount of calcium, you could get kidney stones, and for those who get an excessive amount of vitamin D, your kidneys and tissues could also be broken.footnote 3 An excessive amount of calcium could cause constipation. An excessive amount of vitamin D could cause nausea and vomiting, constipation, and weak spot.
Getting an excessive amount of vitamin D will increase the quantity of calcium in your blood. If this occurs, you possibly can turn out to be confused and have an irregular coronary heart rhythm.
Calcium and vitamin D could work together with different medicines. A drug interplay occurs when a medication you are taking modifications how one other drugs works. One drugs could make one other one much less efficient, or the mixture of the medicines could trigger a facet impact you do not count on. Some drug interactions are harmful.
Earlier than you begin taking calcium and/or vitamin D, inform your physician about the entire medicines you are taking, together with over-the-counter medication, herbs, and capsules. Additionally inform your physician about all your present medical issues.