Calcium is essential for muscle, hormone, nerve, and bone health. It’s found in many foods and supplements, which should list the amount of elemental calcium and compound used. Calcium carbonate is best with food, while calcium citrate is safe for shellfish allergies. No more than 500mg of elemental calcium should be taken at once.
Calcium is an essential dietary mineral that plays vital roles in muscle contraction, hormone secretion, nerve impulse transmission, and bone growth and remodeling. Calcium is widely available in many foods, including dairy products, leafy green vegetables, and fortified cereals, but many people choose to increase their dietary calcium intake with supplemental calcium. The dietary supplement industry uses the term “elemental calcium” to refer to the amount of calcium available for use by the body in a supplement.
Calcium forms compounds very easily and is never found in its elemental form in nature. Supplemental calcium also exists in the form of calcium compounds, usually calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. The amount of this substance found in a calcium compound varies depending on the compound. Calcium carbonate is 40 percent elemental calcium and 60 percent carbonate, but calcium citrate is only 21 percent elemental calcium. A calcium carbonate supplement with a total weight of 500 milligrams, of which 40 percent is elemental calcium, supplies the body with 200 milligrams of absorbable calcium.
It is important for users to know the amount of elemental calcium in a supplement because it is the elemental form of calcium that is important when determining how much calcium an individual should consume to meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for the mineral. The RDA for calcium is 1,000 milligrams for adults 19 to 50 years of age and 1,200 milligrams for adults 51 years and older. Supplements that contain calcium must report both the amount of elemental calcium contained and the percentage of the RDA for calcium that amount represents on their label. The ingredients should also list what compound the calcium is in.
Calcium carbonate is best absorbed when taken with food. People with a shellfish allergy should avoid it as it is made from oyster shells. Calcium citrate can be taken with or without food and is safe for those with shellfish allergies. Supplemental calcium can also be found in the gluconate, lactate, and phosphate compounds.
Experts recommend that people take no more than 500 milligrams of elemental calcium at one time, because more than that amount cannot be efficiently absorbed by the body. Higher doses of supplemental calcium can be achieved by taking 500-milligram doses of elemental calcium several times a day. Calcium supplements can cause gas, bloating, and constipation, but these symptoms may improve if large doses are taken throughout the day and taken with food.
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