Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. Calcium is required for the functions of your nerves, heart, bones and muscles. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium may help to lower the risk of colon cancer, lower blood pressure in hypertensive patients and aid weight management. Need for calcium is highest during periods of rapid bone growth because most of your body calcium is stored in the bones. Bone calcium serves as a bank where you can withdraw calcium to compensate for the dietary deficiency and urinary loss of calcium.
Need for Calcium
The Institute of Medicine sets recommended daily intake for calcium at 1,000 mg per day for adults between the ages of 19 and 50. Although pregnant and lactating women need more calcium to support fetal growth, the increased need is offset by greater absorption of dietary calcium that happens during these periods. So unless the expecting or nursing mother is a teenager, 1,000 mg calcium a day is still adequate. Teenagers need more calcium due to the growth spurts that occur after puberty. The IOM recommends 1,300 mg calcium for children aged 9 to 18.
Calcium Supplement Dose
You can find the dosage information of the calcium supplements on the dietary supplement label. Be sure to look at the amount of element calcium, instead of the amount of calcium salts, contained in each pill. For example, a Tums calcium tablet may have 500 mg calcium carbonate, but only contain 200 mg elemental calcium, which is the actual amount of calcium you take in for each tablet. Two major types of calcium supplements exist: calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, the former containing more elemental calcium by weight than the latter.
Adverse Effects
Adverse effects from calcium supplement doses less than 1,000 mg a day are rare. Constipation is a common side effect at higher doses of more than 1,000 mg a day. If you experience constipation from calcium supplements, drink plenty of fluids. You may also try lowering your doses, taking calcium with magnesium, or switching to calcium citrate or chewable calcium, which are less likely to cause constipation. Harvard University Medical School warns that high doses of calcium may increase the risk of kidney stones and heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, especially when taken without vitamin D. Keep your calcium doses less than 1,000 mg per day if these risks are of concern to you. Talk to your health care providers for the appropriate daily calcium dose for you.
Optimizing Calcium Supplementation
Your body can absorb no more than 500 mg calcium at one time. To maximize the absorption, take your calcium supplements in smaller doses throughout the day. According to Washington University, taking your last calcium dose before bedtime may reduce bone loss at night. If you are taking calcium carbonate, take it with foods or a glass of orange juice to enhance the absorption and prevent the occasional gastritis seen with calcium carbonate taken between meals. Calcium may inhibit iron absorption. If you have iron deficiency, space out your calcium supplement and iron supplement and use calcium citrate instead.
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