Understanding Calcium Supplements

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Understanding Calcium Supplements JoAnn Guest Apr 27, 2003 17:39 PDT

Floradix Calcium Magnesium

with Zinc & Vitamin D

 

BECAUSE THERE'S MORE TO BONE HEALTH

THAN JUST CALCIUM....

 

http://www.florainc.com/flora/home/usa/products/r64730.asp#2

 

 

Understanding Calcium Supplements

 

Daily " Supplemental "

Requirements

 

You should not try to fulfill your daily calcium requirements with a

supplement. Your diet will already provide you with a portion of the

RDI, (based on dietary calcium), and you should rely on a high quality

supplement to provide the remainder.

 

This encourages a more beneficial ratio of calcium to magnesium

consumption.

 

Dosage

Due to the high solubility of Floradix Calcium Magnesium, its dosage is

able to be much lower than most other supplements while still providing

the same utilizable amount of calcium, in many cases even more!

 

This kind of solubility is created through the form of the supplement

(liquid) and the forms of calcium (lactate and gluconate).

 

Liquid vs. Solid

 

The average person's body will only dissolve 20% (4) of most solid

supplements and will eliminate the remaining 80% possibly causing

constipation, gas and bloating (6) A liquid solution does not need to be

dissolved, so approximately 98% (4) of the elemental amount will be

available for absorption.

 

Rates of Absorption

 

Calcium in supplements occurs in a compound form. The component that

calcium is bound to is called the compound or " form " of calcium and the

calcium itself is called " elemental " . The less soluble the compound is,

(citrate is less than lactate is less than gluconate) the more elemental

calcium is available but the lower the absorption rate. For example, the

same amount of calcium gluconate contains less elemental calcium than

citrate, but is absorbed at a higher rate because gluconic acid is more

soluble than citric acid. Dietary calcium is absorbed at an average rate

of 10-30% and most calcium supplements are absorbed at rates anywhere

between 4% and 45% depending on the forms of calcium used. Floradix

Calcium Magnesium provides the highest rate of absorption possible with

a combination of calcium lactate and gluconate, which boast absorption

rates of 45% and 50% respectively (7, 5).

 

Calcium Compounds

Of the four top selling calcium compounds on the market:

 

Calcium Carbonate-- is inorganic, insoluble in liquid, requires stomach

acid and vitamin D for absorption and its absorption rate plateaus after

approximately 500mg (7, 8).

 

Calcium Citrate-- is organic and soluble but when taken in large enough

quantities in liquid to have a positive impact on your health, its taste

is very bitter. However, it is a good choice for use in a solid

supplement.

 

Calcium Lactate and Gluconate-- are organic, have a pleasant taste and

are both highly soluble in liquid form. Most importantly, they do not

rely only on " active transport " sites, located at the beginning of the

small intestine, for absorption. These sites are vitamin D dependent and

are limited as to the amount of calcium that they can take in. Only a

soluble calcium compound, such as calcium lactate or gluconate, can also

take advantage of the independent " passive diffusion " sites in the more

alkaline environment at the end of the small intestine. These sites

allow absorption regardless of stomach acid levels, age, gender,

nutrition or hormone status and are limited only by intestinal transit

time (7). Highly soluble throughout the entire digestive tract, these

are extremely bioavailable forms of calcium (8).

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

Friendsforhea-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Magnesium.html

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

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" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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