Medication News
Calcium/Vitamin D

How important are calcium and vitamin D to your health?
Many consumers know that calcium and vitamin D are essential components of good health but find it difficult to assess if they are getting the right amount of each in their diet or from nutritional supplements that they may take. Furthermore, they don’t even know what the right amount is. We’ve all heard that postmenopausal females generally require more calcium, but how much more? And what about other groups? What is the right amount that you, your father, your wife, husband, son and so on should take? The same goes for vitamin D. Studies show that many of us, especially children, just aren’t getting enough. But how much is too much and how much is too little? It’s important information to understand because calcium and vitamin D are essential for overall health. Low calcium levels, over time, can result in brittle bones. Some literature even links low calcium levels with colon cancer. And having enough vitamin D is important because it affects absorption of calcium into your body.

Marketers of over-the-counter products are pushing calcium supplementation based upon recent findings that calcium plays a role in risk reduction in colon cancer, hypertension and osteoporosis. However, some marketers are providing invalid and dangerous information about the benefits of certain calcium products (i.e., coral based calcium derivatives). Review the essentials of calcium and vitamin D and get a better understanding of how to calculate for yourself the intake of these vitamins accurately.

Calcium
Why is calcium important to my health?
Calcium is an essential component of the diet. It is good for teeth and bones and needed for proper muscle contraction, blood clotting, blood pressure and healthy nerve cell transmission. When you don’t have sufficient calcium in your diet, your body takes calcium that is stored in your bones. This reduces bone strength and eventually puts you at risk for osteoporosis.

How much calcium should I get each day?
The amount of calcium you should take in each day depends on your age and certain life conditions. For example, the need for calcium increases during childhood, during pregnancy and in postmenopausal women. The table below lists recommendations for the intake of calcium by group. It is important to determine the total daily requirement of calcium that you need and develop a supplementation plan based upon how much calcium is in your diet (click here for a list of foods high in calcium). Often, a calcium product will be needed to meet your daily calcium requirement.

What kinds of food contain calcium?
Click here to see a list of common sources for calcium.

Do daily multi-vitamins provide all the calcium I need?
Many people believe taking a daily multi-vitamin provides them all of the calcium that they require. Surprisingly, most multi-vitamins do not. For example, Centrum® daily vitamins contain only 162 mgs. of elemental calcium. Depending on the amount of calcium you get in your diet, you may need to take a calcium supplement.

Are all calcium supplements the same?
Calcium is provided within supplements as a mixture of calcium plus another compound. For example, calcium is marketed as calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium citrate and calcium phosphate. Each type of calcium mixture has a different amount of elemental calcium. The daily recommendations for calcium is based upon elemental calcium, so a consumer taking 1500 mgs. of calcium carbonate receives about 500 mgs. of elemental calcium. If the same consumer takes 1500 mgs. of calcium gluconate, they only receive 135. mgs of elemental calcium. Be sure to read the label on your supplement. The breakdown of calcium and the other compound should be listed.

It is important to note that calcium absorption into the body differs from product to product. Calcium carbonate’s absorption, for example, depends upon the amount of acid in the stomach. Therefore, taking calcium carbonate with a meal will increase its absorption into the body. Calcium citrate, on the other hand, is better absorbed on an empty stomach, therefore it should be taken without meals. If you have a question which supplement to take, consult your physician or pharmacist or e-mail a Health Alliance pharmacist.

Can I take too much calcium?
Yes. Elevated calcium levels can result in heart rhythm abnormalities, confusion and calcium deposits on soft tissue. For these reasons, it is important to follow the specific recommendation.

What about calcium derived from coral?
Calcium products derived from coral origin (coral calcium), have been promoted heavily as the cure for a lot of diseases. These products are just calcium carbonate ground from coral reef remnants. Coral calcium contains calcium, some magnesium and other trace elements. The claims that are made for this product are not well researched. The Food and Drug Administration has taken legal action against one of the manufacturers of a coral calcium product based upon “unsubstantiated health and medical claims.” The only thing that a coral calcium supplement offers over other calcium supplements is a bigger price tag. Click here for more about coral calcium.

Vitamin D
What is vitamin D important to my health?
Vitamin D is important because it helps your body absorb calcium from the stomach.

Where do I get vitamin D?
Your body actually makes vitamin D through exposure to sunlight. As little as 10 minutes of sunlight three times a week is enough exposure for your body to produce sufficient vitamin D. You can also get vitamin D from your diet and oral supplements. The most common form of vitamin D supplements is calciferol. Generally, this form of vitamin D supplementation is all that is needed. However, patients with liver and kidney disease may require a different form of vitamin D because calciferol has to be converted by both the kidney and liver to be active. If you have liver or kidney disease, you should discuss vitamin D supplementation with your doctor.

How much vitamin D do I need?
The daily requirements of vitamin D are listed in the table below.

What kinds of food contain vitamin D?
Click here to see a list of common sources for vitamin D.

Can I take too much calcium or vitamin D?
Yes. Vitamin D toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, poor appetite, weakness and weight loss. Too much vitamin D can cause also elevate calcium levels, which can result in heart rhythm abnormalities, confusion and calcium deposits on soft tissue. For these reasons, it is important to follow the specific recommendation.

How do I know if my children are at risk for vitamin D deficiency?
Recently, doctors reported that vitamin D deficiencies in children are a growing problem. Since, children have shifted their play to indoor activities like video games and television, the amount of sunlight that they receive is reduced. Dr. Catherine Gordon, (a ??? specialist???), states that 20 percent of her healthy pediatric patients are vitamin D deficient, and estimates nationwide say that 30 percent of adolescents are vitamin D deficient. The problem is greatest with children who live in the northern states, since clothes (coats, jackets, long pants) can block sunlight exposure to the skin. Sunscreens with a sun protection factor of 8 or greater can block the UV rays the skin needs to manufacture vitamin D. However, sunscreen is important if sun exposure is going to be greater than 15 minutes. It is essential for individuals who have limited sun exposure to receive adequate amounts of vitamin D, either from diet or supplementation. Having deficiencies in vitamin D can cause low calcium levels. (more info).

What tests tell that I have a bone density problem ?
There are a few tests (DEXA, Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) available to your doctor that can determine if your bones are thinning. These tests should only be tested on individuals who are at a higher risk for osteoporosis. These individuals would are elderly people, people who have a lifelong low calcium intake, post-menopausal women, and smokers are just to name a few.