We all know that calcium is a vital part to the health of our bones, especially women who are prone to osteoporosis. Not only does calcium play an important part to the health of our bones, it is important for producing a regular heart beat, conducting nerve impulses, stimulating hormone secretions and clotting blood. The chances are very good that you are not getting enough calcium, especially women!
If you don’t feel that you are getting enough calcium through your diet (dairy products & green vegetables) you might want to take a supplement. It’s important that you find a calcium supplement that will best suit your needs.
The first thing you need to decide about a supplement is what compound you want to take. If you don’t like swallowing pills and don’t want to have to worry about taking a bunch of them, calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate have very high concentrations of calcium but calcium phosphate may not be absorbed into your system as well. If you don’t have a problem taking pills and won’t mind taking several calcium citrate is recommended for those that don’t produce a lot of stomach acid. No matter what product you choose, it’s imperative that you read the labels and make sure you’ll be getting enough calcium by itself (elemental calcium).
All brand names are not created equal so here are some tips to help you weed your way through all the different brands of calcium supplements.
*Skip over any supplements that contain natural ingredients but have not been purified. These products could make you sick because of the dangerous metals that are more than likely in these products.
*If you find that a supplement is causing you to be gassy or bloated, simply switch brands and if it still seems to be a problem then switch to a lower dosage and work your way up.
*Look for products that bare the USP seal on them. This will help ensure the purity of the product.
*Do a warm water test on the supplement. Take one calcium pill and drop it into a warm glass of water. Let sit for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If after 30 minutes you find that the pill hasn’t completely dissolved, it probably won’t be completely absorbed into your body either and you should find a different brand.
It might take a little research and time to find the right supplement but it’s worth it in the long run. Once you find the right one, you’ll be helping keep your body healthy and strong.
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