Calcium supplements are derivatives of natural products, such as oyster shell or bone. Some are marketed primarily as antacids. Calcium carbonate and phosphate preparations have the highest concentration of elemental calcium, about 40 percent. Citrate contains 21 percent elemental calcium, and lactate and gluconate contain 13 and 9 percent, respectively. Absorption of citrate is 25 percent higher than that of carbonate.

If your diet does not include an adequate amount, a high quality calcium supplement could provide you with health benefits. It's the easy way to keep your bones healthy and strong.

Calcium reduces the risk of osteoporosis. which affects middle-aged and older persons. A lifetime of regular exercise and a healthy diet that includes calcium builds and maintain good bone health and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis late in life. Daily intakes above 1,000 mg are not proven to provide any additional benefits to bone health. It is also possible that daily intake through supplementation more than 600 mg a day could increase the risk for heart disease and stroke. Some doctors recommend taking this mineral with magnesium.

buy a calcium 600 mg supplement tablet. If you have an interest in finding out about coral calcium supplements.

Types
Calcium from carbonate and citrate are the most common forms. Carbonate, the most cost-effective form, should be taken with a meal to ensure optimal absorption. Calcium citrate can be taken without food and is the supplement of choice for individuals with low gastric acid levels or who are taking histamine-2 blockers or protein-pump inhibitors. Lactate and gluconate are less concentrated forms and are not practical oral supplements. Calcium d glucarate is used not for osteoporosis but for toxin metabolism.

Colon polyp
Treatment with calcium supplements for 4 years appears to provide protection against recurrent colorectal adenomas -- the type of polyp that leads to cancer -- for up to 5 years after the supplements are stopped. In the Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, daily supplementation was associated with a reduced risk of colorectal adenomas. The mineral may reduce the risk of colorectal adenomas (and colorectal cancer) by forming a complex with bile acids and preventing potential carcinogens from contact with the inner mucosal lining of the colon. It may have a specific effect on blocking formation of colon cells. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2007.

Longevity and reduced mortality
Dr. Joanna Kaluza of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm found that men who consumed the most calcium in food were 25 percent less likely to die over the next decade than their peers who took in the least from food. None of the men took supplements. The findings are in line with previous research linking higher calcium intake with lower mortality in both men and women. This study by Dr. Joanna Kaluza was published by American Journal of Epidemiology, online February 19, 2010.

Menopause
I take a calcium 600 mg tablet daily and drink chamomile herbal tea in the evening. I am now near menopause and considering taking chaste berry herb for help in treating symptoms of menopause and taking tongkat ali herb for sexual improvement. I just wonder if I will be taking too many supplements that may interact with each other.
   The best way to find out is to take each one separately for a week or so and then gradually combine them in low dosages.

Osteoporosis
January 2007 - The Food and Drug Administration is proposing to allow new claims on foods and dietary supplements containing calcium and Vitamin D to show their potential to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and increase bone density. The proposed rule would allow manufacturers to include new information on their food and supplement labeling and to eliminate certain other information, described below. “This is important information for all citizens,” said Robert E. Brackett, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Nutrition. “All persons lose bone with age, and the loss can influence an individual's risk of developing osteoporosis. Maintenance of an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D in all stages of life can help lower one’s risk.” Today’s action is part of FDA’s continued commitment to helping consumers make informed and healthy food choices, and responds to a health claim petition submitted by the Beverage Institute for Health and Wellness, The Coca-Cola Company. The proposed rule would amend one of the first health claims authorized in 1993 through the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 for the relationship between calcium intake and osteoporosis. The proposal would amend this existing health claim by allowing for claims of a reduced risk of osteoporosis with the consumption of both the mineral and the vitamin. “Osteoporosis is a significant public health problem, especially for women,” said Kathleen Uhl, MD, assistant commissioner of FDA’s Office of Women’s Health. “This new labeling should assist consumers to select foods - and women especially since women do the majority of food shopping in the US - that provide adequate intake and hopefully prevent the occurrence of osteoporosis in themselves and their family members.” FDA’s decision to amend the existing health claim is based on the agency’s review of the publicly available scientific evidence, which included the 2004 Surgeon General’s report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis and the 2000 NIH Consensus Statement on Osteoporosis, Prevention, Diagnosis and Therapy.
   In elderly women, adding vitamin D to regular calcium supplements produces long-term improvements in hip bone density.

Weight loss
Contrary to what some studies have suggested, taking calcium supplements does not help overweight adults avoid further weight gain. The study found that capsules or tablets had no effect on overweight and obese adults' weight over two years. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2009.

Food sources
The NIH recommends milk and other dairy products as a primary source. In addition, a variety of other foods are excellent sources as well. Dark green, leafy vegetables and foods with added calcium can be healthy ways to get enough. By eating a wide variety of foods, you can help make sure to get the proper amount you need each day.

Dosage recommendations
A high dietary intake combined with vitamin D can increase bone density and reduce bone fractures in older women and, probably, men. The Institute of Medicine recommends that persons 19 to 50 years of age consume 1,000 mg per day and that persons older than 50 years consume 1,200 mg per day. The average American consumes less than 800 mg of calcium per day. However, there are reports that high intake through supplements could cause an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, so it is best to limit intake through supplements to no more than 600 mg a day, divided into 2 or 3 doses.
   Calcium and magnesium can be taken any time of day. They don't necessarily have to be taken at night.
   Taking calcium with food in dosages of 500 mg or less increases absorption. Preparations must be dissolved before they can be absorbed; the absorption rate is about 20 to 30 percent. The absorption of supplements differs by preparation. Foods such as spinach, rhubarb and wheat bran can decrease absorption. Calcium can interfere with absorption of iron, zinc, bisphosphonates and tetracycline. Absorption also requires adequate doses of vitamin D. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 400 IU for adults younger than 50 years and 600 IU for those older than 70 years. Vitamin D supplementation is especially important in elderly persons because skin synthesis and absorption of vitamin D may be impaired.

Calcium side effects, risk, safety
The most common adverse effects are constipation, intestinal bloating and excess gas. Adverse effects occur most frequently with carbonate. Switching preparations or increasing fluid intake may relieve symptoms. Patients who form calcium-containing stones are generally advised not to take supplements. However, a low intake can aggravate the risk of stone formation by increasing absorption and urinary excretion of oxalate.

I have cervical dystonia / spasmodic torticollis. Recently I've been constipated and bloated. I've had this disease 6 years now. I thought it would help to take vitamin D and calcium and it has. Works on teeth too. I'm 53 yrs old. A friend told me the calcium might be causing constipation. I do not want to take laxatives every day to go. Not at my age anyway. Any treatment advice?
    Prune juice and psyllium fiber are good options for constipation.

Older women who take calcium supplements to maintain bone strength may have an increased risk of heart attack. Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand evaluated 1,400 healthy post-menopausal women for a period of five years. Half were given a daily calcium supplement and half were given a placebo. Participants received either 1 gram daily as the citrate (Citracal) or identical placebo. They were asked to take two tablets (each containing 200 mg) before breakfast and three in the evening. After five years, to their surprise, the researchers found heart attacks were more common in the women taking the supplements.

Use with dietary supplements
I take cat's claw herb for arthritis symptoms and cayenne herb which I think helps with mucus in my lungs by I am not sure. If I take a chitosan tablet, would that interfere with calcium supplement absorption?
    A chitosan supplement is supposed to be a fat inhibitor and we doubt it will interfere with calcium tablet absorption, but just to be on the safe side you can take them at different times of the day.