The two main forms of calcium supplements are carbonate and citrate. Calcium supplements contain several different kinds of calcium salts. Each salt contains varying amounts of elemental calcium. In addition, some calcium supplements are combined with vitamin D or magnesium.
Product labels should be read carefully and the supplement ingredients checked to see which form and amount of calcium are present in the product. This information is important if a person has any health or dietary concerns. The daily requirement of calcium depends on age and sex. People should not take more than 1, mg of calcium a day in supplement form unless instructed by a doctor or dietitian.
On average, the majority of Americans get between mg and mg of calcium daily through diet alone. It is now known that vitamin D calciferol has a big role in calcium absorption. The requirements increase with age because older skin produces less vitamin D. These recommendations have since increased, as discussed below. Conditions associated with calcium deficiency include hypoparathyroidism, achlorhydria, chronic diarrhea, vitamin D deficiency, steatorrhea, sprue, pregnancy and lactation, menopause, pancreatitis, renal failure, alkalosis, and hyperphosphatemia.
Administration of certain drugs e. People who follow vegan diets, have lactose intolerance and limit dairy products, eat large amounts of protein or sodium, have osteoporosis, have undergone long-term treatment with corticosteroids, or have certain bowel or digestive diseases that decrease their ability to absorb calcium, such as inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease, are also at risk for low calcium intake. In these situations, calcium supplements may help people meet their calcium requirements.
Some other natural sources of calcium are coral calcium and oyster shell calcium. Coral calcium is a form of calcium carbonate that comes from fossilized coral sources. The human body undergoes a natural process known as chelating , in which it combines calcium with another material e. Coral calcium is also used in maxillofacial surgery and bone grafting.
Calcium and Vitamin D: A major role of vitamin D is to help the body absorb calcium and maintain bone density. For this reason, some calcium supplements are combined with vitamin D. This vitamin is available in two forms, vitamin D 2 ergocalciferol and vitamin D 3 cholecalciferol.
The D 2 form of the vitamin has a shorter shelf life compared to the D 3 form. A few foods are known to have small amounts of vitamin D, such as canned salmon with bones and egg yolks.
Vitamin D can also be acquired from fortified foods and produced naturally through sun exposure. Calcitriol Rocaltrol is the biologically active form of vitamin D that is used to treat and prevent low levels of calcium in the blood of patients whose kidneys or parathyroid glands are not functioning normally. This vitamin provides major protection from osteoporosis and pathologic calcification of the arteries and soft tissues—a major known consequence of aging.
Vitamin K 2 is found in animals and bacteria, including beneficial probiotic bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract. Antibiotics interfere with normal growth of healthy bacteria and impact vitamin K 2 production. Although vitamin D 3 has been known as the bone vitamin because it puts the osteocalcin gene into action and acts swiftly on bones, the slower-acting vitamin K 2 has been recognized as being just as important for bone maintenance. The human skeleton is fully replaced every 8 to 10 years with good, dense bone, and these two vitamins play a large role in the process.
The oral osteoporosis treatment dose of vitamin K 2 is 45 mg a day. Elemental Calcium: Elemental calcium is what the body absorbs for bone growth and other health benefits; therefore, the actual amount of calcium in the supplement is very important. The label on calcium supplements is helpful in determining how much calcium is contained in one serving number of tablets. Supplement Choice: Some people cannot tolerate certain calcium supplements owing to side effects such as gas, constipation, and bloating.
One may need to try a few different brands or types of calcium supplement to find the one that he or she can tolerate best. In general, calcium carbonate is the most constipating supplement, but it contains the highest amount of calcium and is the least expensive.
Calcium phosphate does not cause gas or constipation, but it is more expensive than calcium carbonate. Calcium citrate is the most easily absorbed and does not require stomach acid for absorption, but it is expensive and does not contain much elemental calcium. Women should meet their calcium needs through both their diet and supplements. Health news headlines can be deceiving. Why is topical vitamin C important for skin health? Preventing preeclampsia may be as simple as taking an aspirin.
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In a review article on the role of micronutrients in the immune system, the authors explain,. The loss is exacerbated during an active infection including vitamins A, C, and E, calcium, zinc, and iron , and plasma levels only return to normal once symptoms improve.
An adequate micronutrient intake is essential to aid recovery from infection, made more difficult by the fact that food intake may decrease during illness, and that antibiotic use can also deplete certain micronutrients.
For example, levels of vitamin C in plasma rapidly fall to half their original concentration during an infection, to levels indicative of a suboptimal status with a risk of deficiency i. Different forms of vitamin C. Most food supplements contain vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid. This is the proper name for vitamin C and the form found naturally in foods. Synthetic ascorbic acid found in supplements has been found to have similar bioavailability to that of naturally occurring ascorbic acid in foods, such as broccoli and citrus fruit it is important to note however that whilst synthetic and food-derived vitamin C are chemically identical, the vitamin C in fruits and vegetables is packaged up with various additional nutrients and phytonutrients which may influence its health benefits and how it is used by the body.
Research to date also seems to suggest that the bioavailability of ascorbic acid appears to be the same whether it is given in powder or tablet form. Some people find however that vitamin C given in the supplemental form of ascorbic acid upsets their stomach, and may better tolerate different forms that are gentler on the gut, 13 or time-release versions which release the vitamin C more slowly and may also reduce the risk of gastrointestinal upset. Bioflavonoids or flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds found in plants, and are especially plentiful in vitamin C-rich plant foods.
There are around 5, different varieties of flavonoids and they are made by plants in response to microbial infection. You will often find vitamin C and bioflavonoids together in a synergistic supplement formula. This is because some research has found that the addition of flavonoids may help to increase the absorption of vitamin C from supplements; other studies however have found there to be no difference.
Aside from the possible benefits of increasing bioavailability of vitamin C however, flavonoids have demonstrated significant health benefits in their own right. In plants, flavonoids help to reduce harmful oxidative stress and regulate growth. And when flavonoids are consumed in the diet they have been shown to have significant antioxidant and free radical scavenging abilities. In addition, they have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity and offer cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroprotective, anti-cancer, hepatoprotective, potential anti-viral benefits and more.
Most common mineral ascorbates include sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, potassium ascorbate and magnesium ascorbate. It is important to note however that both the ascorbic acid and the mineral are typically well absorbed so the dose of the accompanying mineral needs to be taken into account alongside the ascorbic acid, especially when taking a higher dosage.
Time-release vitamin C. Research has found that single doses of vitamin C greater than mg have lower relative bioavailability, indicating that taking several smaller doses through the day may be more effective than a single large dose. Time-release versions aim to solve this problem by releasing the vitamin C more slowly throughout the day. A number of studies have also evaluated the relative bioavailability of vitamin C from different tablet formulations and found that slow-release versions provide improved vitamin bioavailability.
This is a patented form of vitamin C which contains mainly calcium ascorbate buffered vitamin C. Depending on your vitamin C needs you can choose:. At Nutri Advanced we believe that no matter what your choice, a formula should always be:. References: 1. Frei B. Food Sci. Na IS, Nguyen K et al. Now you C me: a case of scurvy presenting as depression and anaemia. BMJ Case Rep. Gombart AF, Pierre A et al. A review of micronutrients and the immune system — Working in harmony to reduce the risk of infection.
Nutrients Jan; 12 1 : 4. Bates CJ. Bioavailability of vitamin C. Mangels AR, Block G, et al. The bioavailability to humans of ascorbic acid from oranges, orange juice and cooked broccoli is similar to that of synthetic ascorbic acid. J Nutr ; 6. Gregory JF 3rd. Ascorbic acid bioavailability in foods and supplements. Nutr Rev ; Yung, S.
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