How Do Calcium Supplements Work?

How Does Calcium Supplements Work?

Calcium is a very important mineral that the human body needs for building healthy bones and teeth. Calcium is indispensable to the human body for the maintenance of bone density, and there needs to be an adequate amount of calcium ingested on a daily basis. For women who suffer with PMS, the intake of calcium has been proven to lessen the symptoms of PMS.
Low amounts of calcium in the body have been linked to problems with muscle problems such as the inability to expand and contract the muscles properly. Low calcium intake is also linked to high blood pressure and colon cancer.
Calcium is also essential to keeping the heart pumping and the nerves working properly. Calcium also assists to control blood clotting. If the human body does not get the proper amounts of calcium, the human body will begin to extract calcium from the bones. This will cause the bones to weaken and become porous; consequently, leading to osteoporosis, which is a thinning of the bones that can result in broken ribs, hips, a stooped posture and even a fractured pelvis.

Healthy Sources of Calcium

Some healthy sources of calcium are non- and low-fat milk, skim milk, nonfat yogurt, low-fat cheese, sardines (with bones), broccoli, kale, calcium-enriched juices, calcium-enriched breads, baked beans and green-leafy vegetables. Most people and especially postmenopausal American women don't get enough calcium from their diet. Therefore, it is vital that they take a calcium supplement.

What to Look For in a Calcium Supplement

When taking a calcium supplement, it is important to make sure that the calcium supplement can be absorbed properly into the body. Many people take calcium supplements in tablet form. Calcium tablets can be difficult for the human body to absorb resulting in the lack of calcium absorption in the body. Therefore, calcium must be blended with vitamin D and magnesium in order for the body to absorb the calcium properly. Magnesium and vitamin D are necessary for the absorption and use of calcium in the body.
When considering a calcium supplement, choose a supplement that doesn't have harmful additives or a binding agent such as DCP, which is a chemical to hold the tablet together. DCP does not break down in the body. In addition, calcium supplements derived from oyster shell or egg shells make it very hard to absorb. Additives to avoid include sugar, aspartame, food allergens, chlorine, shellac and other potentially dangerous chemicals. It is important to read labels and do research so that you can get the best calcium supplement for yourself.

If there are no binders used in the calcium supplement and it is in tablet form, the body will break down the hard-pressed tablet into a usable form for the body. It is very important that the calcium breaks down well in the body because if it does not, there will be unabsorbed calcium particles in the body which can lead to kidney stones, joint pain and other problems in the body as well as a lack of calcium intake to support proper body function. Therefore, when choosing a calcium supplement, be sure to purchase a good quality supplement void of additives and chemicals.

Resources

• Emperor's Herbologist
• BMJ Best Treatments