First of all, how important calcium is?
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, accounting for about 1% to 2% of body weight. Do you know what are the benefits of calcium?
About 99% of calcium exists in bones and teeth, and 1% is distributed in the blood, intracellular fluid, muscles, and tissues, which helps blood coagulate, assist muscle contraction, coordinate the conduction of the nervous system, etc.
Calcium is absorbed in the small intestine after digestion, and the body’s absorption rate of calcium decrease with age.
Calcium in the body is divided into three categories:
1. Skeletal calcium
Calcium is an essential component of bones and cell walls.
Insufficiency will lead to osteoporosis and easy fracture.
Bone calcium is also very important for blood calcium concentration. It is like a “treasury of human calcium”.
When the blood calcium concentration decreases, the bone calcium will be quickly replenished. This process is called “bone decomposition”.
On the contrary, the blood calcium concentration is sufficient or When it is too high, bone calcium is temporarily stored in the bone, or excess calcium is excreted through the kidneys through urine.
2. Tooth calcium
The composition of teeth is mostly the same as bones. The surface of teeth is known as “enamel”, which is the hardest part of the human body.
3. Blood calcium
The calcium in the blood is only 1% of the calcium content in the body, but it must be kept constant, which is the key 1% that affects the safety of life.
The concentration of blood calcium is about 10~11mg in 100ml regardless of men, women, and children.
If the blood calcium concentration is too low, it will affect the nerves and cause excessive excitement, which will cause hand and foot pumping. Conversely, when the blood calcium concentration is too high, it may cause uremia, frequent urination, kidney stones, low growth, and even kidney failure.
What are the benefits of calcium?
When it comes to calcium’s efficacy, many people’s first reactions may be related to the growth and prevention of osteoporosis.
In addition to these commonly known effects, calcium is actually very good. Below I will help you sort it out~
- Helps “maintain normal development and health of bones and teeth”
- Maintain “normal coagulation function”
- Helps “normal contraction of muscles and heart” and “neurosensitivity”
- Helps “stabilize the nerves and help fall asleep” and improve sleep quality
- “Slow down bone loss”, reduce the incidence of fractures
- Regulate “cell permeability” and adjust body constitution
- Helps “reduce the incidence of cancer”
- Helps regulate “dyslipidemia”
- Reduce “Cardiovascular Disease Risk”
- Helps “weight management”
- Relieve “premenstrual discomfort symptoms”
- Prevent “cramps, muscle strains”
- Reduce “diabetes incidence”
- Effectively prevent “high blood pressure” and prevent arteriosclerosis
Who should supplement calcium/calcium tablets? What should I eat?
Most people think that calcium supplementation and eating calcium tablets are the only things older elders need to do.
This concept is wrong! “Everyone” needs to add the standard and appropriate amounts of calcium!
According to scientific research in the United States, it is confirmed that the average adult male is 30 years old and the female is 28 years old.
The calcium in the body is lost at a rate of 0.3 to 0.5% per year. By the age of 60, more than 50% of the calcium has been lost.
According to the report on the changes in the nutritional and health status of Taiwan’s nationals, more than 90% of the people in the country suffer from insufficient calcium intake.
The Department of Health recommends that adults should consume 1,000 mg a day. How much calcium is there in 1000 mg?
1000 mg of calcium = 3 cups of whole milk (250 cc ).
There are many foods rich in calcium. The top three are black sesame, beans, and seaweed. It is of course a good way to take a balanced intake in the daily diet.
However, with the changes in the living habits of Chinese people, there are more busy foreign food families, or the need for calcium supplementation for developing adolescents, pregnant women, and the elderly are even more urgent.
Considering the absorption rate and convenience, supplementing calcium from healthy foods, not Waihu is a convenient and efficient way.
If calcium is supplemented by healthy food, when is the best time to eat it? The answer is “best to eat before going to bed”
Calcium supplementation before bedtime is recommended because it can reduce the interaction of eating, and at the same time improve the absorption rate and bioavailability.
It can also help stabilize emotions and improve and help sleep quality. This is the same as drinking milk before bed to help sleep~
What are the types of calcium/calcium tablets? Which one should I choose?
There are hundreds of calcium health foods on the market, how to choose in this case? Is the absorption rate poor?
When you visit a drug store, you can see: algae calcium, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, amino acid chelated calcium, calcium lactate, etc., and then filled with question marks, how to choose?!
There are so many kinds of calcium/calcium tablets: algae calcium, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, oyster calcium, pearl calcium, calcium citrate, calcium lactate, milk calcium, or amino acid chelated calcium… etc., and in the end absorption rate, calcium Who is better?
If you choose the type of calcium/calcium tablets, algae calcium and amino acid chelated calcium will be the better choice under the evaluation of the absorption rate and the total calcium content, and both algae calcium and amino acid chelated calcium is suitable for vegans. And pregnant mommy ~
However, although the absorption rate of amino acid chelated calcium is high because it is chemical synthesis, it is left to everyone to consider for themselves.
I prefer to eat natural and try to eat less chemical synthesis as much as possible. Calcium source, because algae calcium is a natural source of calcium.
How much is the “intake” of calcium/calcium tablets?
According to the recommendations of the Department of Health: The ideal calcium content for an adult should be 1000 mg per day, but this does not mean supplementing 1000 mg of calcium through calcium tablets, but the sum of “dietary intake + calcium nutrient intake”.
E.g. calcium seaweed, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, chelated calcium, calcium lactate, etc. related calcium tablets/calcium capsule products
Intimate post-it notes for parents
- 4~6 years old: 600 mg
- 7~9 years old: 800 mg
- 10-12 years old: 1000 mg
- 13~18 years old: 1200 mg (can be increased in the growth stage)
- 19 years old and above: 1000 mg (equivalent to general adult)
Intimate sticky notes for elders (If osteoporosis is recommended, follow the doctor’s instructions)
- 51~70 years old (male): 1000 mg
- 51~70 years old (female): 1200 mg
- 70 years old and above: 1200 mg (regardless of gender)
Intimate post-it notes for pregnant moms (second and third trimesters are the key supplement phases)
- First pregnancy: 800~1000 mg
- Second trimester: 1000 mg
- Third trimester: 1200 mg
- Lactation stage: 1000~1200 mg
Chinese people are generally deficient in calcium, but is it true that the more calcium you eat, the better it will have no side effects? !
For most healthy adults, infrequent large-scale calcium intake has no effect.
But it may cause some people to experience side effects of “constipation”, it will also increase the burden on the kidneys, increase the incidence of kidney stones… and other side effects.
In addition, too much calcium will also affect the absorption of other minerals, easily causing side effects of hypercalcemia, so everyone should remember a very important concept, what is the best amount!
What are the possible side effects of eating too much calcium?
- Constipation (recommended daily drinking water up to 2000CC)
- Increase the incidence of stones (preferably choose a calcium source to absorb e.g. algae calcium)
- Affect the absorption rate of other minerals
- Hypercalcemia
- Feeling sick and vomiting
- Feeling the loss of appetite
- Increase liver metabolic burden
- Feel frequent urination, polyuria
- Feel bloating and abdominal pain
Share 7 principles to choose high-quality calcium/calcium tablets
1. Choose natural calcium source or chemical synthesis?
As an old saying goes, if you can eat natural foods, you should eat less chemical synthetics if you don’t have special needs. In addition, the source of natural extraction also has a better absorption rate for the human body, which is a better choice in comparison.
Among the naturally extracted calcium, I recommend seaweed calcium relatively. In addition to the fact that seaweed calcium is a natural source, the calcium content and absorption rate of seaweed calcium are also very good.
Algae calcium is also a vegetarian source. For vegetarians, algae calcium is also a great boon for calcium supplementation.
2. Understand that “calcium content” and “absorption rate” don’t be blamed
When choosing health food supplemented with calcium, don’t fall into the trap of manufacturers. High calcium content is not the only indicator.
You must know how to add the absorption rate for a comprehensive evaluation. Otherwise, if there is too much calcium, what is the use of the human body can not be absorbed ~
Taking the graph of the fourth point just mentioned above, take a simple conversion of calcium carbonate and seaweed calcium that are the first and second calcium content:
Calcium carbonate (calcium content 40%, absorption rate 25%) vs. seaweed calcium (calcium content 32%, absorption rate 40%)
Converted in units of 500 milligrams:
- Per 500 mg calcium carbonate * 40% calcium content * 25% absorption rate = average actual absorption of calcium ions about 50 mg
- Per 500 mg of algae calcium * 32% calcium content * 40% absorption rate = average actual absorption of calcium ions about 64 mg
In this way, you should be able to understand clearly and quickly why “calcium content” and “absorption rate” are important factors that need to be considered together, rather than just looking at a single indicator to determine the reason.
3. Calcium’s best friend “Vitamin D”
Vitamin D can promote calcium absorption in the small intestine, increase calcium absorption rate, and maintain an appropriate blood calcium concentration.
Many studies have confirmed that when supplementing calcium, vitamin D must be supplemented to complement each other and achieve a good absorption rate.
Otherwise, the calcium you eat is like pouring it into a leaking cup, and it will never reach the full level.
4. Multiply with the beneficial compound effect
Calcium is easier to interact with other substances, so the compound must be carefully selected to exert the effect of 1+1 >2
More recommended and scientifically studied compounds, such as magnesium and vitamin K2.
Magnesium has the function of stabilizing nerves and can store excess calcium ions in the cells back to the bone, which is helpful for increasing bone density.
Vitamin K2 is a fat-soluble vitamin that activates human protein osteocalcin, promotes bone synthesis, and effectively slows bone loss.
5. Should I choose “lozenges” or “capsules”?
Tablets, in fact, need to add more compounds in the production, and it is also the most cost-effective dosage form for many health foods. Of course, it has become the most economical choice for many manufacturers.
General calcium tablets = calcium raw materials + excipients + adhesives + chemical compounds + flavoring agents
If possible, I suggest choosing “vegetable capsules” instead of calcium tablets in the past, our body really does not need so many additional chemical additives.
Considering that it is not convenient for children and the elderly to swallow, it is better to dispense capsules of edible powder~
6. Small package to avoid moisture
Because Taiwan’s climate is extremely humid, with an average monthly humidity of 75-80 degrees, health foods are often switched on and off, and it is easy to get wet and deteriorate, especially calcium is very hygroscopic and strong.
Therefore, it is recommended to choose small packages for freshness and peace of mind.
Where can I buy the best calcium supplements?
In recent years, food safety problems in various countries have exploded, and it is not healthy but black-hearted products that everyone spends on. Therefore, European and American products with relatively strict quality control have become popular products.
And iHerb.com is a large-scale medical cosmetics e-commerce company in the United States. It has a high satisfaction rate of 97% in the evaluation of Google customers. It provides global home delivery so that you can buy it without risking buying fakes through purchasing high-quality health products.
Conclusion
After reading the entire article, I believe you have a deeper understanding of calcium/calcium tablets,
Based on the above points, a good “calcium/calcium tablet” should meet the following conditions:
- Choose a naturally extracted calcium source (e.g. algae calcium)
- The highest absorption rate & calcium content is preferred
- Calcium and vitamin D are the combination of golden brothers
- Combined with magnesium, vitamin K2 and other compound effects
- Vegetable capsules are superior to traditional lozenges (calcium tablets)
- Small packaging can avoid eating fresh damp
- Only patented raw materials are guaranteed for consumption
- Only the original authorized trademark is required for the outer packaging (e.g. Algae Calcium: Aquamin-F)
- Reassuring with SGS inspection (Western medicine, heavy metals)
I hope everyone can supplement calcium correctly and protect their bones! Avoid excessive intake and produce unnecessary side effects, which is not the original intention of supplementing health food~