Calcium supplements are derivatives of natural products, such as oyster shell or bone , and offer many health benefits. Some forms are marketed primarily as antacids. Calcium carbonate and phosphate preparations have the highest concentration of elemental calcium, about 40 percent. Calcium citrate contains 21 percent elemental calcium, and calcium lactate and gluconate contain 13 and 9 percent, respectively. Absorption of calcium citrate is 25 percent higher than that of calcium carbonate.  However, for practical purposes, since we do not know the ideal amount of calcium supplements that are beneficial with the least amount of side effects, it is not worth worrying too much about the ideal form of calcium supplement to ingest, whether it is carbonate or citrate.
   In women, calcium supplements offer the greatest protection against forearm fractures early in menopause, whereas they offer the best protection against broken hips later in life.

If your diet does not include an adequate amount of calcium, a high quality calcium supplement could provide you with health benefits. It's the easy way to keep your bones healthy and strong.

Calcium reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects middle-aged and older persons. A lifetime of regular exercise and a healthy diet that includes calcium builds and maintain good bone health and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis late in life. Daily intakes above 1,000 mg are not proven to provide any additional benefits to bone health.

You can buy Calcium pills here.

Food sources of Calcium mineral
The NIH recommends milk and other dairy products as a primary source of calcium. In addition, a variety of other foods are excellent sources of calcium as well. Dark green, leafy vegetables and foods with added calcium can be healthy ways to get enough calcium. By eating a wide variety of foods with calcium, you can help make sure to get the calcium you need each day.

Interactions with phytates and zinc
Dietary calcium does not exacerbate phytate inhibition of zinc absorption by women from conventional diets.
Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 Mar; Hunt JR, Beiseigel JM. US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9034, USA.
Although calcium inhibits zinc bioavailability in rats, especially from high-phytate diets, the effect of calcium on zinc absorption by humans from practical diets remains unclear. The objective was to test the inhibitory effect of dietary calcium, in Western diets with high and low phytate content, on zinc absorption. Zinc absorption was determined in 10 healthy women from 1-d diets with moderate and high calcium contents of approximately 700 and 1800 mg/d and low and high phytate contents of approximately 440 and 1800 mg/d. Mean zinc absorption was 32% from the moderate-calcium, low-phytate diet; 27% from the moderate-calcium, high-phytate diet; 39% from the high-calcium, low-phytate diet; and 2% from the high-calcium, high-phytate diet. Phytate significantly reduced fractional zinc absorption by approximately 10 percentage points and reduced absolute zinc absorption by 25%, or approximately 1 mg/d. Differences in dietary calcium did not affect zinc absorption, regardless of a high or low dietary phytate content. In healthy women consuming ordinary foods (some fortified with calcium), dietary phytate reduces zinc absorption, but calcium does not impair zinc absorption, regardless of whether dietary phytate is low or high.

Calcium Dosage recommendations
A high dietary calcium intake combined with vitamin D can increase bone density and reduce fractures in older women and, probably, men. The Institute of Medicine recommends that persons 19 to 50 years of age consume 1,000 mg per day of calcium and that persons older than 50 years consume 1,200 mg per day. The average American consumes less than 800 mg of calcium per day.
   Taking calcium with food in dosages of 500 mg or less increases absorption. Calcium preparations must be dissolved before they can be absorbed; the absorption rate for calcium is about 20 to 30 percent. The absorption of calcium supplements differs by preparation. Foods such as spinach, rhubarb and wheat bran can decrease calcium absorption. Calcium can interfere with absorption of iron, zinc, bisphosphonates and tetracycline. Absorption also requires adequate doses of vitamin D. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 200 IU for adults younger than 50 years and 600 IU for those older than 70 years. Vitamin D supplementation is especially important in elderly persons because skin synthesis and absorption of vitamin D may be impaired.

Calcium supplement for kids, children, teenagers
Unless your child has an unusual diet, we do not believe it is necessary for children to take calcium pills. If your kid does not drink milk or eat dairy products and does not have good source of calcium in the diet, then it would be appropriate to supplement. Either calcium carbonate of citrate are good options.

Calcium side effects
The most common adverse effects of calcium supplements are constipation, intestinal bloating and excess gas. Adverse effects occur most frequently with calcium carbonate. Switching preparations or increasing fluid intake may relieve symptoms. Patients who form calcium-containing stones are generally advised not to take calcium supplements. However, a low intake of calcium can aggravate the risk of stone formation by increasing absorption and urinary excretion of oxalate. Calcium is best taken during meals.

High blood calcium level in elderly
In elderly people, higher levels of calcium in the blood are associated with poorer mental function and faster decline in cognitive ability. Some diseases that increase blood calcium -- such as kidney failure, cancer and excessive parathyroid gland activity.

Additional benefits of Calcium
Calcium supplements may help treat premenstrual syndrome. The rational for calcium supplementation in women with PMS lies in several studies suggesting that PMS patients have altered calcium homeostasis and increased risk of osteoporosis.

Do calcium supplements reduce bone fracture risk?
Another New England Journal of Medicine study creates confusion -- and misleads the public -- regarding the role of calcium and bones. The abstract starts out, "The efficacy of calcium with vitamin D supplementation for preventing hip and other fractures in healthy postmenopausal women remains equivocal." (Equivocal means open to two or more interpretations; ambiguous.) And the article concludes, " Among healthy postmenopausal women, calcium with vitamin D supplementation resulted in a small but significant improvement in hip bone density, did not significantly reduce hip fracture, and increased the risk of kidney stones."
   Now, if you just read the headlines on TV or newspaper articles, and read the conclusion of the researchers, you may be tempted to throw out your calcium supplement bottle. But, I suggest you hold on to it. Let's dig deeper and find the hard facts.
   Here are the facts: 36,000 postmenopausal women, 50 to 79 years of age were randomly assigned to have either 1000 mg of calcium carbonate with 400 units of vitamin D daily or placebo. The study went on for 7 years. Women who took the calcium with vitamin D supplementation had a small but significant improvement in hip bone density. When all the women were included in the statistics, the overall study did not show a reduced rate of hip fracture. But, when the researchers limited their analysis to women who had consistently taken the supplements, the results showed a nearly 30 percent reduced risk of hip fracture. The side effect was an increased risk of kidney stones. Muddling the results of this study was that over half of study participants were on hormone replacement therapy, which is known to reduce fracture risk. Another complicating factor is that calcium intake from diet and other sources — in addition to the supplements given as part of the study — were not accounted for.
   The study's lead author, Dr. Rebecca D. Jackson of Ohio State University in Columbus, says, "Calcium is the foundation for helping to ensure bone health, but women 65 and older and those with osteoporosis, or risk factors for the condition such as cigarette smoking, may need more aggressive treatment to keep their bones strong. We have a host of options available that have been approved by the FDA as effective agents for the treatment of osteoporosis."
This statement immediately makes me suspect. Is she trying to push the new, expensive drugs made by pharmaceutical companies. Since studies came out a few years ago pointing out the potential dangers of estrogen and progestin, drug companies have been more aggressive in pushing drugs to treat or prevent osteoporosis. These drugs fall into four categories: bisphosphonates (alendronate and risedronate sodium), calcitonin, selective receptor molecules (raloxifene hydrochloride) and the newest category, the bone formation agents (teriparatide). Osteoporosis drugs may slow bone loss, promote bone growth, reduce the risk of fractures but at what short term and long term cost? Not only are these drugs expensive, but we have no idea on the long term dangers that they may pose. It's quite possible to take a drug and have a lesser risk for fracture, but then die sooner from a side effect of the drug.
   Our suggestions: We favor the use of calcium and vitamin D supplements to maintain healthy bones, both in older men and postmenopausal women. Since there could be an increased risk for kidney stones, my thought is to not take more than 1,000 mg of calcium a day, but limit calcium supplement intake to 500 to 1,000 mg for women and 200 to 800 mg for men. This is a wide range since the amount of a calcium supplement you may need depends on how much you get in your diet. Men can lose bone mass, too, but not as much as women. I also recommend 400 to 800 units of vitamin D. Drink plenty of water or fluids in order to reduce any potential risk for kidney stones.

Enzymatic Therapy - Calcium, 180 Tablets
It's important to take the right balance of calcium and phosphorous, so your body absorbs the nutrients properly. Based on a bone mineral content study, calcium with phosphorous is five times better utilized by the body than calcium carbonate. Enzymatic Therapy's Calcium gives you more calcium and vitamin D than drinking 3 glasses of whole milk, without the fat and calories. It's the easy way to keep your bones healthy and strong. Enzymatic Therapy's Calcium may reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis affects middle-aged and older persons. A lifetime of regular exercise and a healthy diet that includes calcium builds and maintain good bone health and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis late in life. Daily intakes above 2,000 mg are not likely to provide any additional benefits to bone health

Calcium pill questions
Ezorb Calcium supplement. The website claims that it is highly absorbable and will build bone mass. I have osteoporosis and have been taking it. Do you know anything about this type of Ezorb calcium? (calcium aspartate anhydrous) The Ezorb powder disappears in water. I also take chaste berry herb for premenstrual symptoms.
   There are a number of calcium supplements on the market, and science still does not have a good answer regarding which form of calcium is best for long term use and what the ideal dosages are, since much depends on each person's unique diet and biochemistry.

 Would osteochondritis dissecans be helped by calcium supplements?
   See the link for more information.

I find some supplements from manufacturers include calcium in addition to the active ingredients. For instance, I bought a tribulus terrestris extract herbal product and it had 40 mg of calcium carbonate. If I take many such pills, it can add up, could it not?
   Yes, people who take a lot of pills should examine the supplement fact panel to make sure they are not taking in too high a dosage of this mineral.

I take carotenoids pills a few times a week along with cats claw for arthritis. I have not found any problems taking these along with my calcium pills.
   Does cat's claw help with your arthritis?
      Yes, I think I have noticed some improvement.

Would there be an inhibition of chromium mineral supplement absorption use with the use of calcium supplements? Also, do you have any info on cesium element?
    Chromium supplement dosage should be limited to 100 mcg a day at most and we don't think there would be much of an interaction between the two minerals in terms of absorption. You can learn about cesium element.