Wellness

[HappyDaze]

I am thinking one that contains calcium citrate would be best. I used to take one a long time ago but stopped so haven't been up to date lately with calcium information. I really think I should be taking one again, especially since I don't eat or drink alot of dairy products and I pretty much know I am not getting enough in my diet, especially because of how much I exercise.

Any good recs?

[Kachina624]

I've heard calcium citrate is the most readily absorbed.  I get Walmart's version of Citrical.  There is a lot of conflicting information on calcium, some of it saying supplements are not necessary.  My doctor had me cut mine back to half the dose I was taking.

[HappyDaze]

---

@Kachina624 wrote:

I've heard calcium citrate is the most readily absorbed.  I get Walmart's version of Citrical.  There is a lot of conflicting information on calcium, some of it saying supplements are not necessary.  My doctor had me cut mine back to half the dose I was taking.

---

@Kachina624 thanks! I would think calcium supplementation wouldn't be necessary if you take in enough through your regular diet (milk, dark greens, cheese, yogurt, etc). I think maybe I will try to journal my food to see how much I am getting in my diet. I do eat alot of almonds and quite a bit of  dark greens.

[bebe777]

---

@HappyDaze wrote:

---

@Kachina624 wrote:

I've heard calcium citrate is the most readily absorbed.  I get Walmart's version of Citrical.  There is a lot of conflicting information on calcium, some of it saying supplements are not necessary.  My doctor had me cut mine back to half the dose I was taking.

---

@Kachina624 thanks! I would think calcium supplementation wouldn't be necessary if you take in enough through your regular diet (milk, dark greens, cheese, yogurt, etc). I think maybe I will try to journal my food to see how much I am getting in my diet. I do eat alot of almonds and quite a bit of  dark greens.

---

HI @HappyDaze, I take Andrew Lessman's Calcium-Magnesium supplements mainly because I know that the quality of Andrew's ingredients are always the best.

I think I've also heard that calcium citrate is the most easily absorbed. Andrew uses four different types of calcium in his supplements though he's never explained exactly why he chooses to do this. Since I know how much Andrew chooses to focus on ingredients which are the most bioavailable, I choose to go with Andrew's brand.

One of the things I really respect about Andrew is that he doesn't want folks to take more of his supplements than is necessary or responsible.

I've gotten a world of an education about how to take calcium with Andrew. -- Some basic rules: 

1) Andrew suggests that you may just want to supplement with around 500mg of calcium daily and get the rest from food. -- Since I don't eat much processed food, I supplement with around 900 mg of calcium daily and I get the rest from food hopefully. *s*

Of course that depends what your foods are. -- I think he says this because so may processed foods have hidden (and, from my perspective, unwanted) calcium in them. On top of this you never know how bioavailable this cheap supplemented calcium is. I steer clear of all foods with added calcium.

Leafy greens do have calcium in them, but the calcium isn't that bioavailable (unless you Vitamix it probably).

I've never been able to get a good handle on how much calcium is in unfortified cheese. -- Fortified cheese, milk, yogurt and cottage cheese can have a boat load of calcium in it.

2) Unless you take Vitamin D with your calcium, your body will only absorb about 10% of the calcium you take in. -- Vitamin D is fat soluble, so you also need to include a small amount of fat with that meal.

3) Taking Vitamin K2/MK7 with your calcium helps to make sure the calcium goes to your bones and not set up shop in your veins and arteries (Andrew has a great Vitamin K2/MK7 supplement)

5) Don't take more tha a total of 500mg of calcium (supplement plus food) in a particular meal. -- Taking more than 500 mg means that your body will actually absorb less than 500 mg of calcium. Calcium is a covalent ion and if you take too much of a covalent ion at one time it fights itself for absorption (iron is also a covalent ion).

Andrew is at HSB this weekend and next weekend, so all of his products have free S&H during this period.

Also, his Essential-1 w/ 1500 IU Vitamin D multi-vitamin is today's TSV. -- I'm passing on this TSV because, even at full price, his Essential 1 with 3000 IU Vitamin D is a better value for my parents. -- If you are not overweight, Andrew says your that your daily Vitamin D dosage should be between 2000 IU and 4000 IU.

HD, feel free to give me a call if you want more info... lol, or just to chat.

-- bebe

[bebe777]

---

@HappyDaze wrote:

---

@Kachina624 wrote:

I've heard calcium citrate is the most readily absorbed.  I get Walmart's version of Citrical.  There is a lot of conflicting information on calcium, some of it saying supplements are not necessary.  My doctor had me cut mine back to half the dose I was taking.

---

@Kachina624 thanks! I would think calcium supplementation wouldn't be necessary if you take in enough through your regular diet (milk, dark greens, cheese, yogurt, etc). I think maybe I will try to journal my food to see how much I am getting in my diet. I do eat alot of almonds and quite a bit of  dark greens.

---

HI @HappyDaze, I take Andrew Lessman's Calcium-Magnesium supplements mainly because I know that the quality of Andrew's ingredients are always the best.

I think I've also heard that calcium citrate is the most easily absorbed. Andrew uses four different types of calcium in his supplements though he's never explained exactly why he chooses to do this. Since I know how much Andrew chooses to focus on ingredients which are the most bioavailable, I choose to go with Andrew's brand.

One of the things I really respect about Andrew is that he doesn't want folks to take more of his supplements than is necessary or responsible.

I've gotten a world of an education about how to take calcium with Andrew. -- Some basic rules: 

1) Andrew suggests that you may just want to supplement with around 500mg of calcium daily and get the rest from food. -- Since I don't eat much processed food, I supplement with around 900 mg of calcium daily and I get the rest from food hopefully. *s*

Of course that depends what your foods are. -- I think he says this because so may processed foods have hidden (and, from my perspective, unwanted) calcium in them. On top of this you never know how bioavailable this cheap supplemented calcium is. I steer clear of all foods with added calcium.

Leafy greens do have calcium in them, but the calcium isn't that bioavailable (unless you Vitamix it probably).

I've never been able to get a good handle on how much calcium is in unfortified cheese. -- Fortified cheese, milk, yogurt and cottage cheese can have a boat load of calcium in it.

2) Unless you take Vitamin D with your calcium, your body will only absorb about 10% of the calcium you take in. -- Vitamin D is fat soluble, so you also need to include a small amount of fat with that meal.

3) Taking Vitamin K2/MK7 with your calcium helps to make sure the calcium goes to your bones and not set up shop in your veins and arteries (Andrew has a great Vitamin K2/MK7 supplement)

5) Don't take more tha a total of 500mg of calcium (supplement plus food) in a particular meal. -- Taking more than 500 mg means that your body will actually absorb less than 500 mg of calcium. Calcium is a covalent ion and if you take too much of a covalent ion at one time it fights itself for absorption (iron is also a covalent ion).

Andrew is at HSN this weekend and next weekend, so all of his products have free S&H during this period.

Also, his Essential-1 w/ 1500 IU Vitamin D multi-vitamin is today's TSV. -- I'm passing on this TSV because, even at full price, his Essential 1 with 3000 IU Vitamin D is better for my parents.... And that means that my mom doesn't have to take a separate Vitamin D capsule. But this TS is a very good value. -- If you are not overweight, Andrew says your that your daily Vitamin D dosage should be between 2000 IU and 4000 IU.

HD, feel free to give me a call if you want more info... lol, or just to chat.

-- bebe

[sidsmom]

---

@bebe777 wrote:
 

Leafy greens do have calcium in them, but the calcium isn't that bioavailable (unless you Vitamix it probably).

---

 @bebe777

Huh?  

A bunch of kale isn't bioavailable but manufacturered vitamins are?

How Vitamins are made:

- Preliminary check (obtaining raw materials)

- Preblending (processing)

- Wet granulation (mixed with cellulose)

- Weighing & mixing (samples taken from mixer)

- Encapsulating machine (tamper pins pushing powder down)

- Polishing & inspection

- Tableting (4-10 tons of pressure is exerted on the vitamin powder)

- Coating (depending on product, tablets could have several coatings)
- Packaging (sealed, capped, labelled, and shrink-wrapped)

or

 

[Shelbelle]

I take 1200 mg daily of calcium carbonate mixed in with Vit D3, K1, K2 and Magnesium, this is a winning combination taken in 2 intervals daily.

[Jacie]

I switched to gummies and they are far easier for me to take, those big bad tablets were awful!

[NYwoman]

Yes, calcium citrate is more easily absorbed by the body.   And taking calcium with vitamin D3 and magnesium is optimum for absorption.   But I would watch out taking any vitamin K without talking to your doctor and/or knowing all interactions with all meds you are on.    Vitamin K is a clotting agent that cannot be taken with certain meds or certain conditions.    Be caucious with that.

I started getting kidney stones and cannot take either calcium mentioned above.   I take calcium hydroxyapatite.    No more kidney stones!     A bit hard to find.    I get mine through NOW products through LuckyviVitamin.com

[Shelbelle]

The Vit K is necessary to keep the calcium directed away from your heart, very important. If it may interact with other meds you are taking, by all means consult your doctor first.