Calcium or calcium - the main thing is to take it!
Calcium is a vital mineral that is extremely important for humans. Not only do teeth and bones need it every day, it is also involved in many other processes. With a healthy lifestyle, the daily requirement of the human body can usually be covered well at a young age, but treatment with the appropriate preparation (usually calcium citrate or carbonate) as capsules, tablets or in powder form is recommended, especially for older people.
People with osteoporosis or an increased requirement for other reasons also take dietary supplements in the form of capsules, tablets or powder for strong bones outside of their diet, after consulting their doctor. It is best to discuss with your doctor whether calcium citrate or carbonate is the right choice here.
Taking various medicines can also lead to reduced absorption or even calcium losses. Your doctor can advise you on which substitutes he or she recommends in this case and whether the combination should contain other vitamins.
What does the body need calcium for?
The mineral is used for the normal function of cell division and is therefore necessary for many metabolic processes: For the normal function of cell metabolism, normal energy metabolism, normal muscle function, normal blood clotting, normal nerve cell signalling, to maintain normal bones and maintain normal teeth.
Which can the body utilise better: calcium citrate or calcium carbonate?
When searching for the best calcium, you stumble across a lot of information, especially the question of which form of the mineral has the best bioavailability for the body: As calcium citrate or calcium carbonate? Both forms have a high bioavailability, the only difference is in how they are produced. Although calcium citrate is not a natural source, it can be easily absorbed by the body. The carbonate can be of synthetic origin, from rock or the deposited skeleton of the Sango sea coral.
In addition to natural calcium carbonate, Sango sea coral also provides up to 70 other trace elements and minerals, unlike calcium from rock. And don't worry, neither living coral is used nor is the coral reef removed! Only the fallen coral reef fragments are collected from the seabed and processed into powder. Easy intake can be guaranteed by capsules.
The red algae Lithothamnium calcareous is also a popular source of natural calcium carbonate with very good bioavailability and is also available as capsules or powder. Unfortunately, it also contains a very high dose of iodine (although the content varies), which can be particularly problematic for people with an iodine allergy or thyroid problems. However, magnesium is only present in small amounts here.
How do you recognise a calcium deficiency?
It is not only a low intake of the mineral that can lead to bone mass being broken down or healing after a fracture not proceeding properly. A vitamin D deficiency can also exacerbate this effect because it means that less calcium is absorbed in the intestine. The consequence of this is bone softening osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children. After consulting your doctor, capsules or powders containing calcium citrate or carbonate can help to counteract the symptoms.
How much calcium do you need per day?
Measuring the body's own calcium level can be difficult, as large amounts (99%) of our calcium content is accumulated in bones and teeth. Only 1% is found in the blood, although this level is usually very constant, as blood utilises the calcium deposits in bones and teeth. It should also be noted that the content is not measured in the serum as in normal measurements, but in whole blood. Pregnancy and breastfeeding result in an increased requirement!
The DGE (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V. - German Nutrition Society) reports on the recommended daily intake of calcium. ) reports the recommended daily intake as follows [1]:
- Infants 0 - 4 months = 220 mg / day
- Infants 4 - 12 months = 330 mg / day
- Children 1 - 15 years = 600 mg to 1200 mg / day
- Adolescents and adults 15 - 19 years = 1200 mg / day
- Adults from 19 years = 1000 mg / day
- Pregnant women from 19 years = 1200 mg / day
- Breastfeeding women from 19 years = 1200 mg / day
How should you take calcium as a dietary supplement?
Optimally, calcium citrate or carbonate should be taken in the evening with food. When choosing the right dietary supplement, make sure that it does not contain any unnecessary additives. Effervescent tablets in particular often contain sugar or sweeteners, so tablets or capsules may be more favourable from this point of view, depending on the manufacturer. But even these often contain unnecessary ingredients, so you should read the list of ingredients carefully. After all, you want to maintain normal teeth, for example, and not weaken them by adding sugar or unnecessarily burdening your energy metabolism with sugar.
Stomach acid is necessary for the optimal absorption of calcium. People with chronic stomach problems and an associated lack of stomach acid often have absorption disorders and are therefore unable to absorb calcium properly (also due to the use of acid blockers). In this case, calcium citrate is advantageous as it requires less stomach acid for absorption. This is in contrast to the use of calcium carbonate. If the body produces too much stomach acid, the use of calcium carbonate can be beneficial as it dissolves optimally in a lot of stomach acid.
Vitamin D also increases the absorption of calcium and is also good for the bones! As vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, we recommend taking it with food.
The interaction of calcium
Calcium has a positive interaction with vitamin D. A simultaneous supply of this vitamin can promote the absorption of calcium from the gastrointestinal tract into the blood and the incorporation of this mineral into the bones.
Possible side effects
According to the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), a regular daily intake of more than 2500 mg can increase the risk of harmful side effects due to an oversupply. This can result in urinary stones and impaired kidney function [2]. It can also lead to hypercalcaemia (excessive calcium levels in the blood). The symptoms of this can include constipation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and loss of appetite [3].
Which foods contain calcium?
Some animal-based foods contain a good amount of calcium. However, if you eat a vegan diet, you need to take larger amounts. Calcium citrate or carbonate in the form of capsules or powder can also be helpful here. You can also easily get calcium from mineral water!
Animal products: Cheese (e.g. Emmental, Parmesan or Gouda), milk, buttermilk, kefir, yoghurt.
Plant-based products: Kale, spinach, rocket, broccoli, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts.
Sources
[1] https://www.dge. en/science/reference/calcium/?L=
[2] https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2814
[3] https://www.msdmanuals.com/de-de/heim/hormon-und-stoffwechselerkrankungen
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