Calcium is a mineral that your body needs to maintain the health of your skeletal system and metabolism. You can get calcium from food, especially dairy products, or take it in the form of a supplement. One form of supplemental calcium is calcium phosphate. Always consult your doctor before taking dietary supplements.
Calcium
Your body uses calcium for more than just bone health. You need it to regulate the heartbeat and for muscular contractions, notes Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book "Human Physiology." Still, one of the major reasons to get adequate calcium from your diet is to prevent loss of bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis. MayoClinic.com recommends that you get at least 1,000 mg of calcium a day if you're a man younger than 71 or a woman younger than 51.
Phosphate
Phosphate is one of the components of the salt called hydroxyapatite that gives bones their hardness. It consists of calcium and phosphorus, along with other chemical components. Adequate phosphorus in the body is essential for skeletal health and cellular function, and humans aren't generally phosphorus deficient unless they're near starvation, notes the Linus Pauling Institute.
Bone Health
The reason bone health relies on calcium, especially as you age, is that your skeletal system serves as a repository for calcium that the body's cells use for other purposes. If you begin to run low on blood calcium, the body pulls calcium out of the bones to make up the deficit. It is to your advantage to keep your blood calcium high by taking calcium phosphate or another calcium supplement, so your body adds extra calcium to the bones instead of pulling calcium from them.
Forms of Calcium
Despite the fact that you don't really need the phosphorus in calcium phosphorus supplements, it won't hurt you. Calcium phosphorus supplements are among the supplements on the market you can use to meet your daily calcium needs. Other calcium salts available in supplement form include calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Unless you have special circumstances -- such as taking proton pump inhibitors, for instance -- and can't absorb calcium carbonate, any supplemental calcium salts are safe to take with equal effect.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- MayoClinic.com: Calcium
- Linus Pauling Institute: Phosphate
