Some supplements not really needed?

I have found that using an app is helpful in determining whether I am consuming all of the necessary nutrients in a day. I use cronometer.com and think it's terrific (easier to use on the computer vs the phone app). It's really eye-opening. I've been inputting my daily nutrition for years but when I miss a day or two, I still have a feel for what I need based on past input. You'd be surprised at what nutrients keep coming up short. I use the daily information to supplement accordingly, taking a multi and calcium, etc only when I've fallen short.

There are nutrients that compete for absorption like calcium and magnesium and calcium and iron but I have to think that when we consume foods in their natural state, they contain a multitude of nutrients that "compete" and that our bodies likely know how to absorb and utilize those nutrients provided our digestion is good. That's just conjecture as there isn't really good data on this and nutrition information keeps evolving and changing. As an example, we had tofu for dinner last night and my husband said "Wasn't tofu good and then bad? Is it good again?". As far as competing nutrients or constituents, there are some extreme examples like spinach which is high in iron and calcium (competing nutrients) and also high in oxalates which inhibit the absorption of calcium so best not to rely on spinach as a good calcium source but rather an occasional food. (by the way, that cottony feel in your mouth when you eat spinach is the oxalates)

Calcium is utilized in the body throughout the day and there's a blood/bone exchange that happens regularly. Your body will always seek to balance your blood levels and so if necessary, will pull calcium from your bones. That is why when you have your blood calcium level checked, it is generally in the normal range. If it's not, it's definitely something to explore further. Calcium is best absorbed in smaller doses throughout the day. They say at a maximum of 500 mg at a time but I think lower doses, around 200-350 mg at a time are best particularly since it is believed that excess supplemented calcium can potentially lead to calcifications of the arteries. And yes, citrate is much better absorbed than carbonate and can be consumed without food unlike carbonate which requires food intake.

I do something similar on the sardines. I smother them in a lot of mustard and then...wait for it...I cover that in lots of currants. I know it sounds disgusting but it provides a sweet and savory taste that mostly disguises the sardines. It's the only way I can get them down.

Another option is the Season brand of Mackerel which has about 15% of the daily value of calcium. I find them much more palatable than sardines. Eating them over a large dark green salad can give you 25% of your daily value.

I bought a Krups coffee grinder that I only use for herbs and eggshells. It grinds them as fine as you would like. Bake the eggshells at a low/medium temp until they look "done" then store them in the freezer till you use. Alternatively, you can boil them. You can add them into any baked goods. I don't worry too much about the initial baking part as they are baked again into crackers/muffins. You can also sprinkle them onto foods though they are gritty. Supposedly 1/4 tsp contains about 200-250 mg of calcium so you don't need much. According to the American Egg Board, the shell of the egg is composed of calcium carbonate (about 94%) with small amounts of magnesium carbonate, calcium phosphate and other organic matter, including protein.

Another thing I put into the grinder is milk thistle seeds. They are very protective of the liver but there is research suggesting they may help strengthen bones. They are a very safe herb that can be used regularly (though check with your doc) so I bake them into my high potency crackers. They are bitter (one of the reasons they are a liver stimulant) so I add some maple syrup to balance the bitterness which also has a little calcium though "little" is the operative word.

Another great source that @mayblin suggested is Hodo Tofu. Very high in protein and calcium. Three ounces has about 260 mg.

I read that beans also affect the absorption of calcium. I rarely eat meat so I was getting my protein from beans. But then I read they inhibit calcium absorption! My nutritionist suggests not to overdo eating beans - even though I ate them everyday - and to limit eating them when I'm not taking a calcium supplement which is at breakfast and dinner (AM: calcium is in my multi and PM: I take 400 mg). According to information on the websites of both Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Gregor, I shouldn't be worrying about this but then again, they don't have osteoporosis. I just want to make sure I'm not inhibiting any calcium absorption because of the beans in my diet. For now, I curtailed eating them and have resorted to eating a bit more meat to get more protein. [sigh] You just never know what the right thing to do.

The question is do we really need 1000 or 1200 mg if we are getting it all from food? When they came up with those figures were they assuming that people ate poorly, the typical American diet, and should take supplements? I eat very well and only get about 600 - 750 mg of calcium from food in a day. Maybe that's enough. It appears to be for me on Tymlos.

I've been told repeatedly by a variety of professionals (nutritionist, cardiologist, internist) that people with osteoporosis need to get 1,200 mg of calcium a day, preferably from food (which is difficult), supplementing if not. I have heart disease, and due to concerns about calcifications in the arteries, I try to do without supplements, as they can be problematic.

doreenc -- I will check out ConsumerLabs. If I find it wanting, I will let you know why I think so. If I don't contact you again, a feather in your cap for finding it!

yes, professionals all say that as they are pulling from the same toolbox without much thought. I'm not saying that it's unnecessary, I just question why our RDA for calcium is the highest in the world and yet we have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis. One of my doctors who is a very experienced endocrinologist was the first to tell me that my numbers were good and I could likely consume 800-900 mg a day and be just fine. He also said that he believes that the RDA will eventually be revised downward. He's a rare thinker in the field though. I'm not suggesting that anyone disregard the current guidelines or recommendations of their providers because unfortunately, we really don't know for sure. Ultimately if research confirms that revisions to the RDA are necessary, it generally takes about 17 years for research findings to make it's way into general practice. Until then, we should all try to get most from food and achieve a level that we are comfortable with. For me, some days I can get to 1100-1200 and others I just can't without eating an enormous amount of food or supplementing. I try to keep my supplementation to a sparse minimum as I can.