Calcium lactate is a dietary calcium supplement. According to the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary, "lactate" means a "salt or ester of lactic acid." If you follow a vegan diet, are lactose intolerant or avoid dairy due to cultural reasons, you will want to learn more about the ingredients in your calcium supplements.
Significance
According to Standard Process, calcium lactate was initially introduced in 1947 as a dietary supplement. Calcium lactate is a highly soluble mineral salt, which makes it an excellent ingredient for use in supplements. The bio-availibility -- or your body's ability to use the calcium in your vitamin -- is important. Some calcium supplements can't be digested, which results in little of the nutrient being absorbed by your body. Calcium is not only important for bone and dental health, it's also essential for muscle contraction, which affects your heart, the health and normal functioning of your blood vessels and energy metabolism.
Expert Insight
An article published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reported a study that revealed good news: calcium from dairy-rich meals reduced the amount of lipids or fats found in the blood of the individuals in the study. The researchers believed this was due to reduced fat absorption in the gut after a meal rich in dairy calcium. This change was not evident in the participants taking calcium supplements only, such as calcium lactate. The study also hoped to determine if a diet high in dairy-based calcium resulted in increased energy and appetite suppression. No significant effect on either was found.
Considerations
Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian writing for the Mayo Clinic, says the best calcium supplements are those containing the most amount of elemental calcium. The amount of elemental calcium in the product is listed in milligrams, or mg, on the supplement label, based on the serving size. Another important thing to take into account is whether the product carries the USP or CL designation on the label. If it does, both represent a supplement that was voluntarily tested for quality, purity and dissolution, or the ability of the tablet to dissolve in your digestive system.
Calcium Lactate
If you are interested in avoiding dairy, the experts at Go Dairy Free suggest taking calcium lactate without fear. As a mineral salt, it neutralizes lactic acid, which is the by-product of fermentation of sugars. The product used in calcium lactate is fermented from plant sugars such as beets, potatoes, cornstarch, molasses and sugar cane. Most products that contain ingredients beginning with "lac" come from the fermentation process of plant-based sugars. In addition to calcium lactate, calcium phosphate and sulfate are also dairy free.
Dairy-Based Lactate
Lactic acid can be created through the fermentation process of the dairy sugar lactose. The food industry generally uses this type of lactate only in dairy products such as sour cream, ice cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese and creme fraishe. According to the Vegan Resource Group, two additional dairy-based products are calcium caseinate and calcium sterate.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition": Effect of Dairy Calcium or Supplementary Calcium Intake
- Go Dairy Free: Dairy Ingredient List
- The Vegan Resource Group: Questions About Food Ingredients
- Medline Plus Medical Dictionary: Lactate
- Standard Process: Calcium Lactate
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