An Essential Overview Of The Different Forms Of Calcium

of the most unfortunate health consequences of calcium deficiency is osteoporosis, the weakening and loss of bone. And the only way to combat that, of course, is to make sure that you have adequate calcium to keep you bones strong and adequate blood calcium levels for other bodily functions.

Basically, calcium is the be-all and end-all when bone building is concerned - it is the key ingredient for that process, after all. But not everyone gets his recommended calcium intake - and this calcium does not simply refer to the mineral, it refers to a specific elemental calcium.

Elemental calcium is the amount of calcium that is available to actually work in the body. Study your daily diet and see if you can and should increase your calcium intake through the food you eat. Generally, the best elemental calcium-rich foods are the nonfat or low-fat dairy products, and nondairy food like green, leafy vegetables, salmon, sardines, and soy products like tofu.

Of course, you're not always sure if you're getting enough calcium from the food you eat. There are times, maybe, that you believe you get enough calcium on today's diet... sometimes, you believe you get enough, other times you're just not sure. But dealing with the possibility of bone fractures or osteoporosis, you can't afford to be lenient about your calcium intake.

If you're not sure about getting enough calcium, you can make a choice - either start eating calcium-rich food religiously, or take calcium supplements.

Calcium supplements are the logical choice, especially for women experiencing menopause. You are sure that you're getting a level of calcium everyday. Of course, read the labels carefully to ensure that you are getting the right amount of elemental calcium - just because the label says that the calcium supplement has 2500 mg does not mean that this is the amount of elemental calcium in it. Some supplements will list their elemental calcium, other times it won't be mentioned at all. So to be sure you're getting the calcium that your body needs, it is imperative that you know the percentage of elemental calcium in the different forms of calcium available.

The type of calcium that you are taking could make a huge difference in your quest for perfect bone health. There are so many forms of calcium and calcium supplement out there, and though they appear to be the same thing, there are differences between the different forms.

Each is not entirely calcium - there's a degree of foreign substance attached to the molecule. The percentage of the compound that is actually elemental calcium is, then, an issue.

Inorganic Calcium Forms:
-Calcium carbonate is the most widely-used form of supplement of all types, and also the cheapest. Also, it has the highest degree of elemental calcium - 40% of the total molecule. Taking a 1250 mg of calcium carbonate tablet means getting 500 mg of elemental calcium. Unfortunately, like inorganic forms, it is the most poorly absorbed, with only 5-10% taken in by the body. But unlike the other inorganic forms, calcium carbonate requires the most acid. It is a good idea to drink more water than usual when taking calcium carbonate.

-Calcium Phosphate contains approximately 39% elemental calcium. It is easily digested, and it is the calcium type that is used to fortify orange juice and soy milk. Unfortunately, it is the most expensive.

Organic Calcium Forms:
-Calcium amino acid chelates has 65-80% absorption rates. They are fairly expensive and not as easily found.

-Calcium ascorbate gives you the benefit of Vitamin C as the other part of the molecule sans the acidity of the vitamin. It's both expensive and hard to find.

-Calcium aspartate is the second best absorbed - 85% - of the commercially available types of calcium. Along with calcium orotate, it is the hardest to find.

-Calcium citrate is the most recommended by doctors, because it is the most easily absorbed. Unfortunately, it contains only about 21% of elemental calcium - you have to take more tablets to get enough calcium.

-Calcium gluconate and calcium lactate contain about 15% elemental calcium, similar to citrate in terms of absorbability and lack of side effects. But these cost more - as much as 3 to 10 more than the cost of calcium citrate

-Calcium orotate is the best absorbed of the commercially available types of calcium with 90-95% absorbent rate.