Calcium is a vital mineral that does more than just strengthen your bones and teeth. It helps with the control of blood clotting, regulating your heartbeat, and conducting nerve impulses. Calcium supplements are recommended by experts for those who cannot easily meet the required daily intake (RDI), which is 1,000 mg daily for adults, 1,200 mg for women who are older than 50, and men over 70 years old.
About Calcium Supplements
Calcium supplements are ingested, so, you want to make sure that it is high-quality to for optimum results. The best calcium supplements have gone through third-party testing to make sure that they are top-notch, pure carefully manufactured, and safe for consumption. If you have allergies, check for gluten-free options. If you are vegan, you are more likely to suffer from calcium deficiency diseases because you may be unable to get enough calcium from your diet. But worry not. There are plenty of vegan options to choose from so you can keep your micronutrients in balance.
Choosing the Right Calcium Supplement
The most effective calcium supplements will have extra ingredients like vitamin D, vitamin K, and magnesium to boost the absorption of calcium supplements in your blood. Another important feature of a good calcium supplement is purity. Calcium supplements with the USP symbol mean that the supplement has been approved for its purity. Unlike some, which have impurities like lead or other toxic metals, those that have USP, CL, or NSF have all met the standards for purity, quality, and potency.
Finally, look out for the dosage of calcium within each serving. Different ages, genders and lifestyles may require different dosages. The daily calcium requirement ranges from 1,000 to 1,200 mg.
Types of Calcium Supplements:
- Calcium carbonate
- Calcium gluconate
- Calcium citrate
- Calcium lactate
Apart from its chemical composition, calcium comes in different physical forms such as liquid, tablets, capsules, and even chewable ones, in case you have difficulty swallowing tablets.
Some of these calcium supplements will be taken with food, but others, such as calcium citrate can be taken with or without food.
