We are often told by health specialists to introduce calcium-rich foods to our diet if we want to develop strong bones and teeth. Calcium not only helps in developing a strong skeletal system, but it also helps in protecting it from various diseases including degenerative disease. Calcium sources are broadly categorized as animal and plant sources.

Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, mustard greens, and Brussels are rich plant sources of calcium. One of the widely-known animal calcium sources is milk. Doctors normally advise to intake more vegetables than dairy products because in addition to useful nutrients, they also contain some contaminants, cholesterol and fat.

These substances might be dangerous for obese people and those who do not like to exercise on a regular basis. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid animal sources of calcium as much as you can. Red meat, eggs and other dairy products are rich in protein and may cause calcium loss in your body.

Another source of obtaining calcium is to consume supplements rich in coral calcium. Coral calcium is essentially a salt mainly composed of calcium carbonate and has many health benefits associated with it.

If you have adequate amounts of calcium in your body you will be at a reduced risk of developing osteoporosis. Since calcium sources in food are hard to find and consume, doctors now suggest taking calcium-rich supplements. These are easy to consume and provide all the benefits of developing strong bones, and improving posture and strength. These products also contain other minerals and vitamins, for example vitamin D and K2 for the enhancement of your bone health. They are easily available online and most of the time these products don’t require a doctor’s prescription as they have already been approved by health specialists.

Some rich and easily digestible calcium sources are orange juice, spinach, oatmeal, beans, sweet potato, sesame seeds and raisins. In addition to increasing your intake of calcium you also need to reduce your consumption of protein-rich food, especially the ones that come from animal sources. Proteins tend to increase calcium loss through urine just like sodium. That’s why health experts tell us to reduce our intake of salt as much as we can.

Exercise is mandatory for proper absorption of calcium in bones. Don’t let proteins and other substances cause calcium loss in your body. If you are not used to doing physical exercise a lot, then take a walk or simply indulge yourself in household chores. Don’t sit idle for long periods of time. Vitamin D helps in controlling the amount of calcium in our body, therefore introduce vitamin D supplements to your diet after consulting a physician.

By: John Gibb

During pregnancy the requirement of calcium increases. Around 200 mg/day of calcium is taken up by the baby to develop properly. When the baby is born, about 20-30 g of calcium is found naturally in its skeleton. Later on during breastfeeding, about 1200 mg of calcium should be consumed by the mother to ensure proper growth of her baby.

Sufficient calcium intake and pregnancy are therefore related to each other. Many kinds of birth defects, abnormalities and miscarriages occur as a result of calcium deficiency in the mother. Women are advised by their doctors to obtain optimal levels of calcium from their everyday diet and to be on the safe side they should add at least one calcium supplement product to their everyday diet.

The importance of calcium intake and pregnancy can also be established by the fact that the rate of calcium loss through urine is the highest during pregnancy. To ensure proper absorption of calcium by the blood stream, vitamin D or multi-vitamin tablets should also be consumed. In addition to these, a calcium-rich diet, regular exercise and good-quality calcium supplements help to ensure healthy pregnancies.

Because of urinary calcium excretion, pregnant women are at high risk of developing kidney stones. Extra care should be taken in the context of diet and other factors during pregnancy. Avoid too much protein-rich foods coming from animal sources, and try to drink milk regularly.

In addition to this, also try to avoid soft drinks, too much sugar and salt, coffee, tea, tobacco and alcohol. All these things are not only dangerous for the baby but also increase the rate of calcium loss.

Hypertension and depression are two of the most common symptoms seen in pregnant women. These again are caused due to severe calcium and other minerals’ deficiency. Heavy medication and inactivity also contribute to calcium loss and interfere in other processes. Similarly, high levels of phosphorus in the blood and high level of parathyroid hormone are dangerous for health.

To ensure a healthy pregnancy and long-term health after delivery, try to find the highest quality calcium supplements available out there. The best ones are those which have been made by mixing a calcium salt with sources of some other minerals and vitamins. These nutrients include magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, vitamin K2 and sodium.

The importance of sufficient calcium intake and pregnancy cannot be overemphasized. Try to eat a balanced diet and don’t sit idle for long durations of time.

By: John Gibb

Calcium citrate supplements have benefits of their own and in some cases they are better than calcium carbonate supplements. However, a great majority of calcium tablets available on the market are products made of calcium carbonate, especially coral calcium which comes under this category and is gaining widespread popularity nowadays.

Choosing the right calcium supplement depends on your age and recommended dietary allowance. Calcium citrate is an acidic form of calcium, and therefore it has a better absorption rate. However, calcium citrate supplements normally provide much less amounts of calcium when measured in milligrams than other kinds of calcium compounds. Since calcium is used to reduce acidity in the stomach, people who are already suffering from an acidic stomach should avoid calcium citrate at all costs.

Calcium carbonate, on the other hand, is ideal to be taken after meals since it reduces acidity and helps in proper digestion of food. When measured in milligrams, capsules or tablets containing calcium carbonate provide more elementary calcium than calcium citrate supplements. If you think your everyday diet is not sufficient to fulfill calcium RDA then you should buy calcium carbonate supplements easily available for purchase.

High levels of calcium in the blood are just as much dangerous as low levels. Therefore, don’t consume more than 2000 mg of calcium daily, either through food or through supplements. A good alternative to calcium citrate supplements is provided by tablets made from coral calcium. This kind of calcium is better absorbed than normal calcium carbonate and can be taken with other vitamin and mineral supplements.

The amount of calcium absorbed by the blood depends on many other factors including age, level of vitamin D in the blood and pregnancy. Caffeine, alcohol and a protein-rich diet can reduce calcium absorption. Similarly, sodium is responsible for calcium loss through urine.

If you intake calcium citrate supplements, you have to take more tablets to receive the same amount of calcium as you would receive from a coral calcium tablet. Fortified-orange juice and cereals make use of calcium citrate to increase their nutritional value. Calcium absorption is also affected by the time at which you consume the tablets. Normally, it is recommended to take calcium pills right after meals. And it is also useful to go for a walk after a meal or exercise on a regular basis if you want to reduce calcium loss.

By: John Gibb