Calcium supplements

yuliya · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject: Calcium supplements

What are the advantages (if any) and risks (if any) of taking calcium supplements? What would be a sensible daily dosage for most people? Who needs to take them? Our company doesn't offer one, but should I use them anyway?
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jana · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 666 Location: London/Moscow

It really depends what you eat. Apart from (obviously) dairy products, foods with reasonable quantities of calcium include broccoli, bok choy (Chinese cabbage), figs, turnips, mustard, salmon, and sardines with bones. For people not avoiding dairy products, this really isn't much of an issue, overall ... Confused

The great advantage of calcium supplementation is that it's a way of reducing the risk-factors for osteoporosis, of which the incidence is increasing annually with the average age of the population ("aging baby-boomers"). Osteoporosis seems to be both more common and more significant in older women, because of the post-menopausal propensity for fractures, especially among those who haven't used hormone replacement therapy.

The widely accepted figures seem to be that people should have around 1,000 to 1,200mg of dietary calcium per day (and arguably 1,500mg for pregnant and lactating women aged under 20). The body typically absorbs only about 25%/30% of its dietary Calcium, and these figures allow for that. Its absorption is significantly increased by dietary acidity (this is well observed and proven, though far from straightforward to understand), and for this reason calcium deficiency and its risks are far more common among people trying to eat "alkaline diets". As I remember, caffeine can also reduce calcium absorption a little bit, and this can be an issue in patients - especially post-menopausal women - with enormous daily caffeine intake.

A "new" form of dietary calcium, calcium citrate malate, combines high aqueous solubility with high bioavailability (in English: you can get it into foods easily and absorb it easily too) - at least a third greater than the normal calcium carbonate (this citrate malate is the form of Calcium that's in Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice, if anyone's interested).

In the UK, pharmacists are officially advised to advise customers to take a maximum of 500mg of calcium at a time to maximize absorption and to avoid complictions and problems.

Calcium absorption is significantly increased in an acidic environment, so tablets should be taken with meals.

The risks of taking too much Calcium (2,000mg is "too much") include ...

- increased risk of developing kidney stones (unsurprisingly)

- increased risk of developing "milk alkali syndrome" (I think this is probably only ever an issue for people whose total daily dietary intake is around 2,000mg or more)

- interference with iron absorption (and therefore anemia)

- constipation

- lead toxicity (because some sources of calcium have lead contamination - this can apply to almost any calcium, but seems to be a particular problem of so-called "natural calcium" much of which is derived from oyster-shells. In America, the FDA has issued warnings about calcium supplements being taken by children for this reason).

In summary, nobody eating reasonably healthily should ever need more than 500mg per day as a supplement, I think, and might well not need any at all. As with many other nutrients, it's very easy to take far too much by taking several different mineral/vitamin supplements all of which may, without you realising it, contain calcium ... Twisted Evil

In my opinion, calcium supplementation is not necessary for the great majority of the population, and "coral calcium", in particular, should be treated with a very great deal of skepticism ... Evil or Very Mad

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Jamie · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:25 pm Post subject:

I couldn't be more confused if I tried.... is milk not enough anymore??

LOL..

Thanks

Jamie
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Loren Woirhaye · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject:

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timothy · Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:07 pm Post subject:

jana · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 666 Location: London/Moscow

wolfeagle · Joined: 25 Apr 2008 Posts: 5 Location: United States

Hello Yuliya,

In a perfect world we would ideally receive our nutritents from fresh, healthy foods. However in the city suburbs of america in our chemically polluted and stress filled lives, nutritional requirements have been increasing.
Furthermore buying a natural vitamin in a store front does not guarantee that the vitamin was extracted or derived from food sources.

With Calcium if you read the supplemental ingredients at a store front the first ingredient is sugar and some do not even have the correct synergy to utilize the calcium.

The amino acid lysine is needed for calcium absorption and if calcium is taken with iron they cancel each other out by interfering with absorption.

The best suggestion for taking calcium is in small doses through out the day and no more than 500 mg is recommended at one time for the average adult.

There are so many benefits to supplementing calcium. Such as sounder sleep, lowering blood pressure and healthy skin, hair, bones, teeth,nails,exzema, cramps, insominia, and mental cognitive abilities.

Calcium and magnesium are the correct synergy.
1500 to 2000 mg of calcium daily is suggested for the healthy
adult. Again not all at once but in smailler doses throughout the day.
I believe the max is 2500 mg per day but this could be out dated.

Salt, soft drinks, junk foods leads to an increased excretion of calcium.

Foods w calcium other than dairy are seafood, dark green leafy veggies, prunes, blackstrap molasses which is also high in iron so they sorta do not work synergy wise. sesame seeds, almonds, tofu, soy, and also herbs too. yarrow, lemongrass, fenugreek, flaxseed, hops, horsetail, cayenne, chamomile, alfalfa, just a few I am aware of.

Therefore a scrambled egg which has the amino acid lysine and a glass of milk is a good source of food for calcium.

Isagenix has a water soluable calcium powder called
Isa Cal and taste like strawberrys and cream.
It is wonderful and taste great mixed with water, juice,
or even in a protein shake.
The formula allows for easy absorption and
higher bioavailabilty.
Furthermore, it has bamboo, horsetail etc,.
allowing the body to create its own silica.

The risk with calcium is if you have kidney disease and you eat
to many almonds, soy beans, spinach etc, or if you are on prescribed medications that are a calcium channel blocker. I am sure there
are many factors to consider and always consult your doctor if in doubt.

Hope this helps,
Warmly
Christina

yuliya · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 11:05 am Post subject:

Thanks very much for all your replies. I got a lot more information here than out of my brother who is a surgeon! I think I won't take it, then, actually. I drink milk and eat broccoli, and cheese. (And of course I sell both Acidophilus and Bifidus and recommend to customers to take Acidophilus in the morning and Bifidus in the evening, as all our distributors do!).
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racquetball4ever · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 369 Location: Indiana

I was under the impression that coral calcium was a good thing to take daily. I will have to look into that further.

We actually sell it at our pro shop.

Manny
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jana · Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 666 Location: London/Moscow

The problem with coral calcium, I think (as with some other supplements) is that if you discount "incentivized information" provided by people selling/promoting it, it becomes very difficult to do your own research ... Confused

That said, there's certainly plenty of factual and indisputable information here: http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/coral.html

Michael Murray, a great proponent of natural medicine and natural supplements, gives his views on Coral Calcium here: http://www.doctormurray.com/articles/CoralCalcium.htm

There's an article from Time magazine here: http://www.time.com/time/columnist/jaroff/article/0,9565,433084,00.html

There are some details of an FTC ruling here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/01/barefoot.shtm

Natural health writer Rusty Ford gives his view here: http://health.learninginfo.org/coral-calcium.htm

The HealthSavers.info site (often a good resource for information) has some explanatory stuff here: http://www.healthsavers.info/CoralCal.htm

Many people believe that excessive calcium, far from preventing osteoporosis, can actually cause it - some views here: http://www.4.waisays.com/ExcessiveCalcium.htm

There's also quite a lot of information about coral calcium being the form of calcium likely to contain the highest proportion of lead contamination (cannot immediately produce a reference for this, but will dig something out at some point!).
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