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Calcium Supplement for Osteopenia
Calcium supplements are used to prevent or reverse osteopenia, a condition where the bone mineral density, or BMD, is lower than normal. If osteopenia worsens, it is called osteoporosis 2. When the density of a bone is less than normal, or porous, it is weak and susceptible to fractures. Osteopenia can occur at any age in both men and women, especially if you lack a balanced diet and do not get enough exercise. Before you take calcium supplements, ensure its safety for you with your health care provider.
Calcium Carbonate
Calcium carbonate is an over-the-counter supplement that supports healthy bones 3. This type of calcium is recommended to take with food. The stomach acid produced with food intake allows better absorption of this calcium. Mayo Clinic.com recommends taking 500 to 600 mg calcium at one time to improve absorption 2. Adults age 19 to 50 need 1,000 mg a day, and people over 51 need 1,200 mg.
Calcium Citrate
The Best Form of Calcium for Osteoporosis
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Calcium citrate, another type of calcium supplement, aids in the formation and maintenance of bone. This calcium comes in a pill form and effervescent tablets that dissolve in a glass of water. Effervescent tablets are a better option if you have difficulty swallowing pills. Both forms are available over the counter. Calcium citrate can be taken with or without food because it does not need stomach acids to promote effective absorption.
- Calcium citrate, another type of calcium supplement, aids in the formation and maintenance of bone.
- This calcium comes in a pill form and effervescent tablets that dissolve in a glass of water.
Check the Label
Calcium lactate and calcium gluconate are two options for calcium supplementation. The supplements contain low amounts of elemental calcium combined with other sources such as salt. It is important to read the nutrition labels for calcium supplements to determine the true amount of elemental calcium, which is the pure source 3.
Safety and Precautions
Side Effects of Calcium Supplements
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Before taking calcium supplements, action and side effects should be reviewed with your health care provider. There are certain medical conditions and medications that will interact with calcium. For instance, if you have a history of kidney stones, calcium supplements should be directed by your provider only. The effects of certain medications, such as digoxin, antibiotics and antacids, can be altered with the use of calcium supplements.
- Before taking calcium supplements, action and side effects should be reviewed with your health care provider.
- The effects of certain medications, such as digoxin, antibiotics and antacids, can be altered with the use of calcium supplements.
Related Articles
References
- Mayo Clinic: Nutrition and Healthy Eating
- Mayo Clinic: Osteoporosis
- HealthCastle.com: The Myth of Calcium Supplements: Which One is Best?
- Drugs.com: Calcium and Vitamin D Combination
- Bolland, MJ, et. al. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2011 Apr 19;342:d2040. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d2040
- Reid IR. The roles of calcium and vitamin D in the prevention of osteoporosis. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 27: 389-398. DOI:10.1016/s0889-8529(05)70011-6
- Chen M, Pan A, Malik VS, Hu FB. Effects of dairy intake on body weight and fat: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012;96(4):735-747. DOI:10.3945/ajcn.112.037119
- Williams V, Rawat A, Vignesh P, Shandilya JK, Gupta A, Singh S. Fc-gamma receptor expression profile in a North-Indian cohort of pediatric-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: An observational study. Int J Rheum Dis. 2019;22(3):449-457. doi: 10.6061/clinics/2012(07)22
- Reid IR, Birstow SM, Bolland MJ. Calcium and Cardiovascular Disease. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 2017;32(3):339-349. doi: 10.3803/EnM.2017.32.3.339
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, "Milk-alkali syndrome"
- Bolland MJ, Grey A, Avenell A, Gamble GD, Reid IR. Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women’s Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ. d2040-d2040. DOI:10.1136/bmj.d2040
- Chan Soo Shin, et. al. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul). 30(1): 27–34. DOI: 10.3803/EnM.2015.30.1.27
- Linus Pauling Institute. Calcium.
- National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium.
- Weingarten MAMA, Zalmanovici Trestioreanu A, Yaphe J. Dietary calcium supplementation for preventing colorectal cancer and adenomatous polyps. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD003548. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003548.pub4
- Zemel, MB et. al. Calcium and dairy acceleration of weight and fat loss during energy restriction in obese adults. Obes Res. 2004 Apr;12(4):582-90. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2004.67
Writer Bio
Susan Ferrandino began writing in 2005. She started writing health and nutrition articles online during the summer of 2010. Some of her articles focus on Omega 3 fatty acids and nutrition with pregnancy. She has been working in the health-care industry for over 10 years and is pursuing her Master of Science in women's health.