The most common calcium supplements on the market are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate, according to National Institutes of Health online encyclopedia Medline Plus. Supplemental calcium is used to help boost the amount of calcium inside your body. As you age, your need for calcium increases, so it is important to get enough of it in your diet. In addition, calcium can help with bone health, leg cramps, PMS, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and to prevent certain cancers. Choosing the best calcium supplement for you is essential to maximizing its effects. Before starting any supplement, consult with your physician.
Composition
A calcium supplement is usually offered as a chemical compound of calcium and another substance. Calcium citrate is a combination of calcium and citric acid, which means that the calcium does not need stomach acid to be broken down. Calcium carbonate is calcium paired with carbonic acid.
Absorption
According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, the body responds favorably to both calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. However, those with stomach acid problems may have an easier time breaking down and absorbing calcium citrate. The amount of calcium you can get out of a supplement depends on its amount of elemental calcium. Calcium carbonate contains 40 percent elemental calcium, while calcium citrate contains 21 percent calcium. This means that for every 1,000 mg of calcium you take, you will take in 40 percent calcium from a calcium carbonate supplement or 21 percent calcium from a calcium citrate supplement.
Dosage
The amount of calcium you take in each dosing affects its absorption. The body absorbs calcium more readily when taken in smaller doses. For this reason, divide your calcium supplements into 500 mg doses. If you take calcium carbonate, take it with food. A larger amount of substance inside the stomach increases stomach acidity and better breaks down the supplement. Calcium citrate is best taken on an empty stomach because excess stomach acid is unnecessary for its breakdown.
Considerations
Your age, other vitamin intake and diet can all affect how your body absorbs calcium. As you age, calcium absorption declines. As a child, your body is able to take in 60 percent of the calcium you eat. Into adulthood, this decreases to 15 to 20 percent. Your vitamin D intake can also affect calcium absorption, since vitamin D helps form the enzyme that absorbs calcium in the gut. Foods high in phytic acid and oxalic acid inhibit the absorption of calcium by binding to it. Types of these foods include spinach, sweet potatoes, beans, soy and nuts.
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