Multimineral Supplements Vs. Calcium Supplements

Minerals, including calcium, are essential nutrients you need to consume daily for health and prevention of disease. The best way to obtain minerals is through plant-based foods, yet you may need to take supplements if your diet is deficient in any specific nutrients. You can get calcium from a multimineral, yet there are advantages to taking a calcium supplement alone. Consult your doctor about taking a multimineral versus a calcium supplement.

Minerals

Minerals are inorganic elements that plants absorb from the earth's soil and water. Minerals have different functions in your body. Calcium, phosphorous and magnesium are essential for building and maintaining strong and healthy bones and teeth. Calcium and magnesium also help your heart and muscles to function properly. Potassium and sodium regulate your water balance and blood pressure. Iron is vital for the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen to your cells. Chromium helps you metabolize sugar. Zinc, manganese and copper assist various enzymes in immune stimulation, wound healing and energy metabolism.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral you may need in higher amounts than most other minerals, particularly to reduce the risk of bone related diseases such as osteomalacia and osteoporosis. Calcium may also reduce the risk of premenstrual syndrome and some types of cancer. The recommended dietary allowance for calcium per day for women is 1,000 mg between 19 and 50 years of age and 1,200 mg per day between 51 years and older. For men it is 1,000 mg between 19 and 70 years of age and 1,200 mg for ages 71 and older.

Multimineral Supplement

Multimineral supplements provide a broad spectrum of nutrients. An advantage of taking a multimineral supplement is to enhance your dietary intake of minerals and reduce the risk of nutritional deficiencies. A disadvantage of taking a multimineral, especially when you need a high amount of calcium relevant to other minerals, is increased size of the pill or the number of pills you need to consume. Research by scientists at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans and published in the Fall issue of "Ochsner Journal" in 2007 reports the case of an elderly woman who got a multimineral containing calcium stuck in her upper esophagus, even though she broke the pill in half.

Calcium Supplement

One advantage of taking a calcium supplement alone or in addition to a multimineral is to obtain a high dosage. Physicians often prescribe calcium supplements at 500 mg to over 1 g per day, particularly for postmenopausal women at high risk for osteoporosis. A second advantage is that physicians may also prescribe vitamin D, a nutrient that enhances intestinal absorption of calcium and is not present in a multimineral supplement, unless it is a multivitamin mineral. A third advantage is that the type of calcium used in the formulation can affect absorption. It is easier to formulate a calcium supplement optimized for absorption than it is when combining calcium with other nutrients.