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Calcium citrate & elemental calcium
Hi, I was newly diagnosed with osteoporosis. My doctor told me to start taking 1200 mg of calcium. I started with calcium citrate 600 mg, w/ 2 pills, so that I could divide the pills throughout the day for better absorption. I am also taking vitamin D and vitamin K2. I take both of those separately. It is very difficult to find calcium carbonate without vitamin D already in it. I am taking 1000 vitamin D and 100 of vit K2. This is my dilemma and I have spent countless hours and up way too late at night doing research on nutrition, vitamins, minerals, absorption, interactions, etc!!!! Back to the point, I was under the misconception that I was getting 600 mg of calcium citrate out of my two pills. However my new understanding after speaking with two pharmacist and reading a lot of articles states that I’m actually only getting 21% of that 600 mg which means out of two pills I’m only getting 126 mg of calcium. So how can I reach 1200 mg or even 900 mg without taking 16 pills or more???!!! Am I way off? I thought the supplemental label fact sheet stated the actual amount of elemental calcium in the pill. But the pharmacist told me that is not correct. Calcium citrate is 21% elemental calcium which means the rest of it is just filler. Can anyone give me insight into this?
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VALUABLE LINK.
Please everybody do read it. Very valuable information in a nutshell.
It's worth seeing a nutritionist, or naturopath at least once to get a plan sorted to conquer low bone density.
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2 ReactionsThe daily recommendation of 1200 mg calcium takes into account the total amount absorbed. I wouldn't worry about it if you are getting that amount of calcium (most through food) along with the supportive nutrients.
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2 Reactions@jmacdmac01 I think it depends on what your label reads. Mine says Calcium Elemental (from Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite) 333mg 3x day and it’s the elemental they’re measuring
Consider taking Tum’s (Calcium carbonate) which is 40% elemental calcium by weight, meaning that 100 mg of calcium carbonate will contain 40 mg of elemental calcium.
Also, the body can only absorb a limited amount of calcium at one time, typically around 500 milligrams.
My doc recommended calcium citrate for me and gave me a brief explanation about why this form of calcium is better for me and I wanted some further information.
Reasons, from a quick search and in no particular order, for calcium carbonate vs calcium citrate vs Tums . . .
1. Calcium carbonate requires stomach acid for absorption and should be taken with food. Many of us over the age of 50 have reduced stomach acid.
2. Calcium citrate can be taken on an empty stomach and is more easily absorbed by the body, however, as mentioned in a previous post, calcium citrate is only 21% calcium.
3. Tums is calcium carbonate, which may contain other ingredients and can prevent the body from absorbing calcium.
The science of taking supplements is very confusing to me - take this, don’t take that, take one in the morning and one at night, but not before this or after that . . . help! Do any members consult with a nutritionist or other health professional for the answers? Not sure where to start . . .
Does anybody really know what time it is? Have a great week all, whilst we ponder this conundrum! Cheers!
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1 ReactionIf you have kidney disease as I do, the parathyroid is not sending calcium to your bones. So calcium supplements and oral calcium are not recommended because they are not impacting your bones. Need to check bloodwork on kidneys!
This appears at first glance to be extremely helpful, however its source is a company that produces AlgaeCal. I’d like to see what an independent source finds about each of these vitamins and minerals.
I take New Chapter Bone Strength, which is a cheaper alternative to AlgaeCal. New Chapter is also sourced from algae (red marine algae). Each serving contains 905 mg Calcium, D3, K1, K2, Magnesium, Vanadium and 5.5mg of strontium, as it's naturally included in the algae. (AlgaeCal also contains a trace amount of strontium.) New Chapter daily dose is 3 slim tablets. It's sold on Amazon for $33 for a 4 month supply.
Maybe this will help you:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8746734/
We all need to remember that we get calcium in our daily diet, and need not try to get all of it from supplements. And in fact, other than when/how to take the various kinds of calcium, and making sure to take it with Vitamin D, I don't believe research studies have shown that the body differentiates.
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