Calcium provides our bodies with many health and nutrition benefits. But are we getting enough? We compiled a list of the best calcium supplement.
Calcium deficiency can result in symptoms and illnesses including bone fractures, osteoporosis, weakness and fatigue and heart ailments involving blood pressure.
It is no secret that our bodies need calcium. Scientists and health experts will agree that the best way to maintain our levels of calcium and other nutrients is through our diet.
Health reasons such as lactose intolerance can prevent us from drinking enough milk or eating enough dairy. Other factors can come in to play as well. Or, we are too busy to ensure we are eating a well-balanced diet. In these cases, a doctor may recommend a calcium supplement.
But which one should you choose? There are a wide variety of brands and calcium types to choose from. How do you know which one is best for you? Which ones should you avoid? In this article, we will examine the best calcium supplements to help you choose.
Calcium supplements are pills, capsules, powders or gummies that you take with (or mixed in) water or juice to increase your daily calcium intake levels.
Health experts and doctors claim we should ingest 1000mg of calcium daily. You will find this in dairy products like milk, cheese or yogurt.
However, if we are not getting enough calcium through our diet, we may need to add supplements to our daily regimen.
Other factors to consider are calcium draining issues such as being on a constant regimen of corticosteroids, celiac disease or osteoporosis.
Another thing to consider taking calcium supplements for is low vitamin D. Our bodies need vitamin D to absorb calcium.
Without enough sunlight (the main source of our vitamin D levels) you may need to supplement calcium. This is due to the reason that you are not absorbing correct amounts of calcium.
Also, magnesium is needed in regulating your calcium intake and elimination although, magnesium is not required for calcium absorption.
If this is the case, seek advice from your doctor regarding taking other supplements.
We give each supplement a rating based on five stars. The more stars, the better the supplement. However, this isn’t a blind guess. We take a lot of factors into consideration before giving each supplement a star rating.
First, we look at the science. Is the calcium naturally sourced, is it extracted and where does it originate from.
We also look at the brand and the company behind the brand. We check to see if they are reputable or have any ongoing issues with any of their products. Further, we look at the consumers.
We look at reviews, testimonials, reports, studies, and findings by those taking the supplements on a regular basis. We combine all this information into categories and check them on the whole.
From there we give the evaluations a star rating and report to you only the best. Only the top-rated calcium supplements make our list. However, this does not mean that because one supplement got a higher rating than the next that it is better for you.
You need to evaluate each supplement for yourself. As we will all have different needs for the supplements. What will work best for one person may be the worst option for another.
Ultimately, while we try to be as thorough and unbiased as possible, we based our ratings on the general supplement itself, not how it will react when you ingest it. You should always seek professional medical advice before starting any supplement regimen.
Here we offer the best calcium supplements for your consideration. Each supplement has a brief assessment as to why it received the rating we gave followed by the rating itself. Remember, because it has a high rating doesn’t make it the best calcium supplement for you.
The Citrical name is synonymous with calcium and with supplements. The brand (Bayer) has seemingly been around forever and has always produced a top-notch product.
The calcium supplement is no different. It may be the absolute best on the market.
The slow release formula releases the calcium over the course of the entire day, so you do not try to absorb all of it at once. Moreover, they have also added a couple of hundred extra milligrams to the carbonate and citrate blends.
There is also 1000 IU of vitamin D3 to help your body absorb the dosage and 80mg (20 percent DV) of magnesium.
Unlike some other large does pills or capsules, you do not have to worry about not absorbing this one. You will get your 100 percent dosage and absorption with one daily pill.
Due to the sustained release nature of this product, you should seek advice from your pharmacist about use with certain prescription medications.
Bayer, the makers of Citrical, has also given us a second option, that may be a little better than the first. The Petites are smaller, easy to swallow capsules. These capsules are not slow release, though so you will have to take more than one dose per day.
In each pill, you will get 400mg of calcium citrate, which is easily absorbed with the help of additional D3.
Third party labs tested Citrical Petites products, like all other Citrical (and Bayer) products. There will be no surprises here.
The benefit here is that the pills are smaller and easier to take than most any other on the market. This makes it better for those that may struggle swallowing pills.
You will need to take two or three doses per day though, to get your full recommended daily allowance of calcium.
GNC comes to the table with a 1000mg calcium carbonate supplement pill.
Fully tested in independent and third party labs, these pills contain the calcium as well as 800 IU vitamin D3 and 500mg magnesium.
Physicians do not recommend taking 3 tablets of 1000 mg calcium all at once. To aid in the absorption of the calcium, you should spread out the daily allotment and take one with each main meal. You will receive 180 pills per bottle, which is enough to last for two months.
This is ideal for those that can’t always get away to replenish the supply as you will only get them at GNC stores and online affiliates.
There is a slight chalky taste to the pills that you may or may not get used too. However, the daily dosage is three pills.
An entry from Rainbow Light attempts to break into several markets all at once by offering a calcium citrate supplement from plant-based origins. These small tablets are free of gluten, soy, wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts, and shellfish.
Not only that but that are also non-GMO and vegan certified. You also get vitamin D3 to help with the calcium absorption as well as boron and horsetail extract.
You will, however, find that there are more ingredients here than in most other calcium supplements. These ingredients, while sourced from natural mineral or vegetable sources, include cellulose, silica and vegetable food glaze.
The extra ingredients coat the tablets and make them easier to swallow and digest. If you are looking for a vegan alternative, this could be your answer.
Needs to be broken in half for people with swallowing issues.
Next on our list of the best calcium supplement is Nature Made. You will find this brand everywhere because it is widely popular even in smaller towns and drug stores.
Knowing people can find their preferred brand anywhere they go is a huge plus.
This tablet is not vegan or vegetarian certified. It contains a dosage of 600mg of calcium, which is generally more than you should take at one time. However, even though the label doesn’t make a claim, the calcium is bound with the same slow release ingredients as the Citrical Slow Release. The dosage is higher because the capsules have the same slow release formula.
You also get 400IU of vitamin D3 as an absorption aid.
All the other ingredients on the label are for the slow release binding or the capsule creation. Taking a daily dose of one pill twice a day will give you 100 percent of your daily vitamin D3, and 120 percent of your daily calcium.
The overage in calcium (1200mg total) is due to the natural passage of some of the calcium before absorption.
The lower cost and constant availability of the brand are important to a lot of consumers.
The Nature Made calcium is carbonate which may be more difficult for some to ingest. It is also in capsule form (which is why you will find gelatin on the label).
When looking for a calcium supplement, there are three main factors to consider.
If you do not then a calcium supplement with added D3 may not be the best answer.
You need to check dosages and ensure you are taking a small enough dosage to absorb the calcium effectively.
When these undergo processing for their calcium, there may also be trace amounts of toxic metals like lead. If the label doesn’t say calcium carbonate or calcium citrate, it is best to avoid it.
However, you should also be aware of the differences in these two calcium supplements as well. Citrate is more easily absorbed by the body than carbonate. The downside is, though, that most citrate is only around 25 percent or less of actual calcium, so you may have to take a lot more of the supplement to get your daily recommended dosage.
Carbonate, on the other hand, requires the acid of the stomach to break down and undergo absorption. If you take acid reducers for heartburn, you may not be able to take calcium carbonate.
Finally, you will need 1000mg of calcium per day. Our bodies, though, will not absorb that much at one time. Calcium is very slowly absorbed and anything over 400 to 500mg at a time may be too much.
The excess will pass through your body and undergo excretion. You should always check the label. If the dosage is less than 100% multiply that number by 10 for the total milligrams of calcium per dose.
A percent daily value of 21, for example, will be 210mg of calcium. You will need to take four doses per day to reach the 1000mg total.
When you or your doctor puts you on a calcium supplement regimen, you should always ask questions. Know what kind of supplement you should be taking and how much of it to take daily.
If you take acid reducers, you may need to stick to calcium citrate supplements while avoiding calcium carbonate.
Failure to do so will result in the calcium passing through your body and being a waste of the supplement and your money. Worse, you still won’t be getting the proper amounts of calcium per day.
Always seek professional medical advice before starting a supplement and read the labels before making your final purchase. If you don’t feel right about it, pick another one. There are plenty to choose from, make sure you get the one right for you.