Calcium for Health (01)

Will Calcium Supplements Create Kidney Stones? From Dr. Weil
This is a useful question and answer on the Dr. Weil health site. It explains the interaction between calcium and kidney stones, and says it is OK to take a calcium supplement as long as they are taken with lunch and dinner and some other dietary suggestions are followed. The site states that calcium supplements and foods high in calcium don't cause kidney stones-"Researchers believe that calcium from food binds with oxalate in the intestine which cannot absorb the combination. The calcium oxalate then is eliminated with fecal matter. This lowers the amount of calcium and oxalate your body otherwise would have to eliminate in urine and prevents crystallization of calcium oxalate in the kidneys," the site says. Very informative information on calcium and kidney stones here.

Osteoporosis Center: The Importance of Calcium and Calcium Rich Foods
Calcium is vital for bone health, so taking calcium supplements makes sense for those who don't eat a calcium-rich diet. This page includes information on how important physical activity is for bones, how to avoid osteoporosis and how to maintain bone strength, as well as treatment for osteoporosis and bone formation with calcium food sources. Calcium can be found in calcium rich foods and calcium supplements, so it's not that difficult to make sure you get calcium in your diet.

Calcium Rich Foods, Calcium Supplements Create Healthy Pregnancy
Although calcium nutrition doesn't reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia in women who take adequate calcium nutrition, it was associated with 10 percent reduced risk of pregnancy-associated hypertension. Eating plenty of foods with calcium and even taking calcium supplements is smart for when you're pregnant.

Do Children's Calcium Supplements Really Work
This article describes 19 studies that were reviewed to determine if children's calcium supplements really work. The studies tested 2859 children from three to 18 and compared children who took calcium supplements to children who took placebos (or fake pills) for 8 1/2 months to seven years. The calcium supplements provided 300 to 1200 mg of calcium as calcium carbonate or phosphate, calcium citrate malate, calcium lactate gluconate or calcium from milk minerals or extracts. Interestingly enough, The studies found that bone mineral density increased the same amount in the hip and spine whether children took calcium supplements or placebos, but it did increase the bone mineral density in the arm. Overall, calcium nutrition is vital and taking a children's calcium supplement and eating calcium rich foods is a must-do.

Benefits of Calcium Supplements: A Study
This article on WebMD discusses the benefits of Vitamin D and calcium supplements and notes that women won't get the full benefits of the Vitamin D and calcium nutrition without taking Vitamin D and calcium supplements regularly. The article discusses a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study reported that women who took Vitamin D and calcium supplements twice daily were 29 percent less likely to fracture their hips than those who took placebos. This proves that the benefit of calcium supplements and Vitamin D are very useful for maintaining strong bone health.