Calcium as a beneficial health supplement is now available in a variety of different forms, chewable flavored tablets, easily swallowable capsule form, calcium infused in malted milk bars, and even in tasty chocolate caramels. Sure, for health sake, eating candy is easy, but are you really maximizing your daily required intake of calcium.
There are also issues regarding whether you’re able to take the daily recommended dosage in just one sitting or not. Some say yes, and if so, how much does your body actually need to absorb it properly. As there are now millions of aging individuals who are suffering from various degrees of osteoporosis, you may as well get the best beneficial advantages when taking these supplements.
Experts are recommending anywhere up to 1000mg of calcium on a daily basis for adults, and up to 1200mg for those who are 50 years and older. They also however recommend taking the calcium in small doses throughout the day, such as half of the recommended amount in the morning, and the other half later at night.
The reason for this is because the body is not able to fully absorb all the benefits supplied by the calcium. The body is only able to effectively absorb around 500 mg or so of calcium at one time. You can compare this to how a sponge is able to soak up limited amounts of water, it can only hold so much.
All of the calcium that’s not absorbed is then completely wasted through the body’s system. But if taking calcium two times a day isn’t convenient for you, there’s really no harm that’s caused in taking the full dosage at one time. Also if you regularly forget, you can then just take both of the 500ml tablets at the same time, this according to health practitioners.
There are also different ways on how you can maximize the calcium intake. The most important and valuable is simply eating the proper foods as well as taking vitamin D. Listed are some strategies that you can try out.
Eating Calcium Rich Foods
It’s recommended that you should load up on dairy products such as yogurt and milk, as well as dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli.
The health and strength of the bones depends on a complete host of different nutrients, since the composition of bones aren’t just constructed totally of calcium, according to calcium nutritional experts and bone biology specialists. In order to strengthen or replace the bone loss or weakness, you also need adequate amounts of protein in your diet as well.
Taking Calcium With Your Food
What the natural acids in your stomach does is it aids in the absorption of calcium. But this also depends on what form or type of calcium that your supplement contains. So make sure that you check the label. If it lists calcium carbonate for instance, make sure you take it with a meal. If it’s calcium citrate, then food intake isn’t necessary.
Getting Your Vitamin D’s
Vitamin D as you may be aware is essential for the absorption of calcium. Getting your vitamin D naturally through outdoor sunlight, which just requires a minimum of 10 minutes outside in the sun, up to three days a week, is plenty for most.
Experts are recommending anywhere from 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D on a daily basis. This daily dosage is usually often included in the calcium supplements already. They also usually come in two different forms: D2 and D3. D3 is a more effective form when wanting to raise the vitamin D levels in the body.
Adding Minerals
The various calcium supplements will often include other minerals as well to keep the bones strong and healthy. Magnesium is an important mineral for maintaining the strength while also improving density. Phosphorus is another essential mineral for building stronger bones, so much so that 85% percent of the phosphorus in the body is found in the bones and the teeth.
There are also food based products such as orange juice which is calcium-fortified, or milk which contains vitamin D, that helps in getting your daily requirements of calcium.
Also, healthy foods such as those which are loaded with vital proteins and nutrients all help in the proper absorption of calcium a lot more efficiently. The proper maintenance of bone health isn’t a mono-nutrient issue, but rather needs the overall amounts of vitamins and minerals to remain healthy.