Points about calcium supplements
Calcium supplements should only be taken if prescribed by your caregiver during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As a guide, supplements should not exceed 1000 to 1,500mg a day and if supplements are taken in combination with calcium rich foods, the total intake should not exceed 2,500mg per day.
Excess calcium can lead to constipation, bloating and excess gas production by the bowel. It can also lead to the formation of kidney stones and interfere with the body absorbing other minerals, such as iron. Very high doses can make the blood calcium levels abnormally high, causing headaches, irritability, tiredness, and in extreme cases kidney failure.
Calcium supplements are best taken in doses of 500mg (or less) two or three times a day, rather than one large dose once a day. This improves their absorption. Bear in mind that multivitamins containing small amounts of calcium will not provide adequate calcium as a supplement and if you try and take more of the multivitamins to consume adequate calcium, you may overdose on the other vitamins it contains.
Calcium supplements can come in many forms:
Calcium compounds.These are the simplest forms of purified calcium and come as calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, calcium malate or calcium phosphate. Read the labels carefully to find out
EXACTLY how much calcium they contain. For example, a 500mg of calcium gluconate may only provide 45 mg of actual calcium.
Amino acid chelates.These mineral compounds combine calcium with amino acids to increase their absorption.
Bone meal or powdered bones.These are crushed bone preparations that are not well absorbed and may contain toxic materials such as lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium. These should be avoided.
Oyster shell. This is powdered oyster shell intended as a calcium supplement, but they are not very well absorbed by the body.
Points about calcium supplements.