Calcium, the mineral most needed for muscle contraction, healthy bone formation, blood vessel expansion and contraction, secretion of hormones and transmission of impulses from one nerve to another, is the most abundant mineral in the body. According to the Dietary Fact Sheet published online by the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, many Americans are not ingesting the recommended amounts of calcium from their food. Short-term calcium inadequacy does cause obvious signs and symptoms. However, chronic calcium inadequacy may cause bone loss.
Daily Percent Values
Daily percent values appear on the nutrition facts labels on food products. MayoClinic.com reports that the label serves as a guide to the amount of nutrients seen in one food serving, based on a 2,000-calorie healthy adult diet. If a food label indicates the food contains 10 percent of calcium, it means that each serving of the particular food will contain 10 percent of the recommended daily calcium intake. According to MayoClinic.com, the daily recommended calcium intake is 1,000 mg.
Calcium-rich Foods
Dairy products rank as the top source of dietary calcium in the usual American diet. Among dairy products, an 8 oz. serving of plain nonfat yogurt, which has 452 mg of calcium, contains the highest amount of dietary calcium. However, calcium can also be found in nondairy products, including fortified ready-to-eat cereals, soy and soy products, sardines, pink salmon, turnips, oatmeal, cowpeas and white beans. Fortified ready-to-eat cereals are the nondairy products considered to have the greatest amount of dietary calcium, ranging from 236 to 1043 mg of calcium per 1 oz serving.
Dietary Supplements
There are two main forms of dietary calcium supplement on the market today: calcium carbonate and the calcium citrate. However, it can also be in the form of calcium gluconate, calcium lactate and calcium phosphate. Calcium carbonate is the most inexpensive form of calcium and is also the most efficiently absorbed form of calcium in the body, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. The amount of calcium from supplements may depend on the total amount of elemental calcium consumed at one time. The March of Dimes reports that only 600 mg of calcium can be absorbed by the body at one time. Thus, it is highly recommended to take smaller amounts of your calcium supplement several times a day to have better total calcium absorption. The most common adverse effects associated with the intake of dietary calcium supplements are bloating, constipation and excessive intestinal gas formation.
Over-the-counter Antacids
Since calcium gluconate has the ability to neutralize excess amounts of stomach acid, some over-the-counter antacid preparations contain this form of calcium. The amount of calcium in these preparations may vary from 200 mg to 400 mg of calcium per tablet. Calcium carbonate can be an acceptable calcium source only in patients with normal levels of acid in the stomach, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
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