The mineral calcium is essential for the proper development, function and health of your bones and teeth, your nervous and circulatory systems and your muscles. You can get all the calcium your body needs from dairy products, vegetables and fortified drinks, but some people choose to take calcium supplements. Citracal and Caltrate are brand-name calcium supplements you can take to meet your daily calcium needs. Consult with your physician about the best form of calcium to take for your medical condition. Caltrate contains calcium carbonate, a chemical found naturally in egg shells, snail and oyster shells, pearls, chalk, limestone and marble. Calcium carbonate is a relatively inexpensive and dense source of elemental calcium that contains 40 percent calcium by weight. One Caltrate 600 tablet provides 600 mg of calcium or 1,500 mg of calcium carbonate. The manufacturer of Caltrate also sells Caltrate chewable tablets and other tablets containing vitamin D and essential minerals. Calcium carbonate does not dissolve very well in water.
Under normal conditions, no more than 14 mg of calcium carbonate can dissolve in a liter of water. However, stomach acid helps your body absorb more calcium carbonate from Caltrate. As the Caltrate dose travels from the stomach to the intestines, about 36 percent of it makes it into your bloodstream. An analysis of past studies of calcium supplement absorption published in the "American Journal of Therapeutics," however, found that calcium carbonate was not as well absorbed as calcium citrate. Caltrate can cause constipation, intestinal gas and bloating. In addition, it can interact with certain prescription medications. If you are taking drugs to block stomach acid or other prescription medications, consult with your physician about the best form of calcium to take. Citracal does not contain a naturally occurring form of calcium like that found in Caltrate. Instead, it contains calcium citrate, which is made by mixing citric acid with calcium hydroxide. Citracal is less calcium-dense than Caltrate.
Calcium citrate contains 21 percent calcium by weight. Two Citracal Regular tablets contain about 2,380 mg of calcium citrate, which yields 500 mg of elemental calcium. Citracal Regular also contains 400 IU of vitamin D to help your body use calcium more efficiently. Citracal dissolves slightly better in water than Caltrate, and your body can absorb 20 percent more calcium from Citracal than from the same amount of Caltrate. A review of calcium supplements published in "Nutrition in Clinical Practice," however, found that some studies showed no difference in overall absorption levels from the two calcium supplements. Unlike Caltrate, Citracal is not dependent upon the presence of stomach acid for absorption, so it can be taken with or without food. Finally, while Citracal causes fewer intestinal side effects than Caltrate, it does have the same potential for drug interactions. Which Calcium Supplement Is Best Absorbed in the Body? Can Taking Calcium Rebuild Teeth? The Side Effects of Calcium Caltrate vs. Calcium Citrate
What Is the Best Time to Take a Calcium Supplement? The Advantages & Disadvantages of Liquid Calcium Supplements List of Top Vitamin Brands What Does USP Mean on Vitamin Supplements? Calcium Citrate Plus D Side Effects A Calcium Supplement That Does Not Constipate Calcium in Fruits and Vegetables Can Excess Calcium Cause Dizziness? How Acids Affect Calcium in the Teeth & Bones Cause for Left Side Abdominal Pain in Females How to Reverse Bone Loss in Teeth Benefits of Calcium Before Bed Eggshell as a Source of Calcium Side Effects of Calcium Supplements What Are the Benefits of Calcium Supplements in Fracture Healing? Calcium and Magnesium in Caltrate: What Does It Do for the Body?Caltrate 600+ D Calcium Supplement provides 1200 mg of Calcium and 800 IU of Vitamin D daily, in the convenience of just two tablets, to help keep your bones strong and your body moving. These new smaller tablets are scientifically advanced with the same levels of calcium and vitamin D.Vitamin D is essential.
Without adequate vitamin D, your body can’t absorb enough calcium, which is critical for building and maintaining strong bones. Yet more than two-thirds of all Americans do not get enough vitamin D from their diet. Many experts agree that adults should be getting at least 750 to 800 IU per day.Trust Caltrate, the expert in Calcium, to help replenish the Calcium and help provide the Vitamin D your body uses every day. Why should calcium be taken in conjunction with vitamin D?Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Vitamin D is either derived from the diet or produced by our exposure to sunshine, which can vary throughout the year. So in addition to getting enough calcium in your diet through food or supplements, you must be sure to get enough vitamin D as well, to help calcium absorption.Calcium is an element that occurs naturally. It is present in foods such as milk, cheese and other dairy products, in broccoli, kale and other dark green vegetables, and in salmon and sardines with bones.
What is calcium carbonate, and what are its advantages?Calcium carbonate is nature's most concentrated form of calcium, and what Caltrate is made of. It's about 40% elemental calcium by weight so you need to take just two Caltrate tablets per day to get the amount of calcium recommended by the Institute of Medicine for adults 51 years and older. With less concentrated forms of calcium such as citrate, you'd need to take more tablets to get the same amount of calcium. Why is calcium important?Calcium is an essential nutrient that helps build and maintain healthy teeth and bones. Most notably, as part of a healthful diet, adequate calcium throughout life may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a disease that's characterized by a decrease in bone mass and an increase in bone fractures. Calcium also plays a role in muscle contraction, blood clotting and nerve function. A recent study suggests that calcium may help reduce the risk of recurrence of colon polyps, a risk factor for colon cancer.
While promising, further research is warranted and ongoing. Calcium is important to people of all genders and ages. Men would benefit by taking calcium supplements; one in eight men over 50 years of age will sustain an osteoporosis-related fracture in his lifetime. Calcium is important for children. Adequate calcium throughout life, including during peak bone-mass-building years, as part of a healthful diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. Recent scientific research has determined that even postmenopausal women can benefit from calcium intake as this can help slow the rate of bone loss.Osteoporosis, often called "brittle bone disease," is a condition in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break. When you don't get enough calcium to support bodily functions such as muscle contraction and blood clotting, your body takes what it needs from your bones. Over time, this can lead to pitted, porous and brittle bones: osteoporosis. The disease can develop from calcium deficiency, poor diet, tobacco use or lack of exercise.
It occurs in both women and men. What is the recommended daily calcium intake for women and men?The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends 1200 mg of calcium daily for women and men over 51 years of age. The daily Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) recommended by the National Academy of Sciences for women and men are: Can women who take estrogen still benefit from a calcium supplement?Yes, women experiencing menopause generally need increased amounts of calcium due to bone loss associated with menopause. While estrogen protects the skeletal system by promoting the deposit of calcium in bones, those taking estrogen typically still require a calcium supplement. Estrogen is not a substitute for calcium. More specific questions about estrogen should be directed to your physician. How is Caltrate different from other calcium supplements?Caltrate products have 20% more calcium per tablet than most other leading brands of calcium supplements. Caltrate has been clinically tested for proven absorption and is made with calcium carbonate, the most concentrated form of calcium.
This means you need to take just two tablets per day to get the calcium and the vitamin D3 recommended by the Institute of Medicine for adults 51 years and older (1200 mg). Caltrate is available in four different formulas to suit your calcium supplement needs. It says "New Smaller Tablets" on my 600+D products. Is this the same Caltrate formula I know and trust?Even though these tablets are now pink and smaller, the new smaller tablets contain the same levels of calcium and vitamin D3 as your previous 600+D tablets. How well is the calcium in Caltrate absorbed?When Caltrate is taken with food, the absorption rate is approximately the same as that of milk - about one-third. Exactly how much calcium is absorbed depends on the individual. Note: When physicians recommend 1200 mg of calcium, they're recommending taking 1200 mg, not absorbing 1200 mg.Doctors consider Caltrate one of the most trusted, carefully developed calcium supplements that you can buy. That's why it's the #1 brand of calcium supplements in the United States and globally.
And that's why it has been used in several major clinical studies assessing the benefits of calcium on osteoporosis and recurrent colon polyps. Can Caltrate help reduce the risk of colon cancer?A well-controlled clinical trial suggested that Caltrate may help reduce the risk of recurrent colon polyps, a risk factor for colon cancer. While promising, further research is warranted and ongoing. In fact, according to the FDA, some evidence suggests that calcium supplements may reduce the risk of colon/rectal cancer; however, the FDA has determined that this evidence is limited and not conclusive. How many tablets of Caltrate do I need to take, and when should I take them?Just two tablets provide you with the daily amount of calcium recommended by osteoporosis experts. For best results, doses should be divided–one tablet taken in the morning, one tablet at night. How do I break these tablets in half?Place the tablet score side up on a countertop. While holding one side of the tablet down with your index finger, press down on the other side with your thumb.