gettimg enough calcium in diet

scrowley · Post by **scrowley** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 11:53 am

i am gone off dairy since being diagnosed with LC 2 months ago and am wondering how do those of you who don' eat dairy really get adequate amounts of calcium in your diets and if you are taking a regular multivitamin which already contains calcium are you also taking a calcium supplement?
is there a problem with taking in too much calcium supplements?
thanks

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:26 pm

I take additional calcium and was taking it long before being diagnosed with MC. I take Bone-Up by Jarrow. I also take plenty of Vit D3 and Vit. K.

I take the recommended dose. Oh, I do take a multi-vitamin, but the amount in those are never (IMHO) enough.

Nancy

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:00 pm

I will be interested in the answers to this, as I have just scheduled my bone-density test. I also avoid dairy 100%, and am not taking supplemental calcium at all. I do take a lot of Vitamin D, and my levels are good - but my understanding is that its role in bone density is partly relates to calcium. And I do take Vitamin K.

--Sara

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:27 pm

I take calcium citrate plus magnesium capsules from the Vitamin Shoppe. The recommended dose is 6/day and I only take 2 or 3. I also take a multi most days and extra Vitamin D. I also drink SoDelicious or Silk coconut milk, which both have more calcium than milk. Researchers are slowly proving that calcium, especially from dairy, is not the key to strong bones. Keeping an alkaline system (through more fruits and vegetables and less starches) preserves your bones, as does Vitamin D from the sun and supplements. Weight-bearing exercise is also key. I also eat lots of cooked broccoli, although I'm not sure how much calcium that adds.

scrowley · Post by **scrowley** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 1:59 pm

I have read that calcium in the citrate form is more easier to be digested by the body rather than calcium carbonate.
i wonder can you overdose on calcium though??
i am already taking lots of tablets.......
thanks for the replies.

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:07 pm

Yes, calcium citrate is more absorbable than carbonate. Carbonate can cause uncomfortable bloating too. Calcium carbonate in the primary ingredient in Tums, ironically.

Regarding daily intake, more is not better. Recent studies link calcium supplements to an increased risk for cardiovascular events, vascular calcification, and kidney stones.

From Medscape:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/744565

The bottom line of this study was that more moderate levels of calcium intake were best for bone health and that more was not better. We should be recommending more moderate intakes of calcium for our patients and not above the RDA of 1000-1200 mg a day total. Assuming that many women will get about 700 mg a day from dietary sources alone, many women may require no more than an additional 500-600 mg a day from calcium supplements. In contrast, many women are taking a very high dose of calcium, often 1200-1500 mg a day just from the supplements alone, and this could lead to very high total intake.

Post by **tex** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 2:07 pm

scrowley,

I believe that a key consideration to this discussion is the fact that the countries with the highest consumption of dairy, and calcium supplements, are also the countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis and osteopenia. Not only that, but there seems to be an inverse linear relationship. The more dairy/calcium the populations consume, the higher the rates of osteoporosis and osteopenia. So obviously, there's a lot more to the equation than simply calcium intake.

I agree with Zizzle that vitamin D, and exercise, is probably much important than calcium intake. Most of us get plenty of calcium in our diet without any supplementation, but our body isn't able to utilize it, either because of malabsorption issues caused by gluten-sensitivity, or by imbalances in certain other nutrients that inhibit the utilization of the calcium in our diet.

Osteoporosis is very closely linked with celiac disease. In fact, many celiacs are diagnosed after they've been diagnosed with osteoporosis. You don't have to have celiac disease to have a high risk of osteoporosis, though - the kind of non-celiac gluten sensitivity that most people with MC have, is sufficient to predispose us to osteoporosis issues.

Tex

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 3:51 pm

What calcium is better between carbonate and citrate depends on the individual

As i do have excess acid and GERD issues, carbonate is the preferred choice for me.

i agree with Tex and others, to get the full benefit of absorbing the calcium supplements you take, you also need to have D3 and magnesium in your eating plan.

re your comment that you are already taking lots of tablets, I agree, we have to prioritise what supplements we take and this is very individual depending on health needs and what eating plan you are having.
I dont tolerate tablets well so my focus is the supplements that are liquids or powders,
there are two benefits to this a) they are absorbed better and b) i can introduce them gradually starting from a 1/8th dose working up to a full dose and this helps to minimise my body having MC reactions to new ingredients

I had to stop some of the supplements for some oral surgery, from today i will start to gradually introduce them again.
and at the moment i am focussing on
D3, calcium, potassium (for GERD as well as a teeth and bone health)
zinc (gum repair post oral surgery) and
Collustrum (removal of pathogens, villi rebuild, and IGg boost to immune system)

one of my sayings for MC is there i no right way or wrong way there is your way.
not only do we have to figure what works for us MC management wise, we also have to assess what our needs are nutrition wise, taking into consideration other health conditions and symptoms we may be having

hope this helps.

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 9:52 am

Scrowley,

This is a good question, and thanks to Zizzle's response, I also have learned something.

I just placed an order through Freeda vitamins for Cal-Citrate plus D. Those pills combined with my multi-vitamin, give me 1550 mg. calcium per day. I recently created a spreadsheet to tabulate the major nutrients I get from my diet and found that I get an additional 500-600 mg through my diet.

I'm probably getting too much calcium and need to reduce my supplements. I also have osteoporosis.

Many calcium supplements include magnesium. Since excess magnesium taken orally is known to cause loose stools, many here prefer to take magnesium supplements via a spray or cream, thus avoiding the gut. You might want to look at the magnesium content when searching for a calcium supplement.

Gloria

scrowley · Post by **scrowley** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 1:46 pm

thanks for the input

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:14 pm

At one time I wasn't taking a very good calcium and my bone density tests were at a level that they wanted to put me on Fosamax. I refused. I was already working out at the gym doing a lot of weight bearing exercises, walking, etc. I began taking AdvaCal by Lane Labs plus Vit. D3 and Vit. K. Two years later when I returned for my test, they could see an improvement. I took that for 4-6 years and switched to Bone-Up a few years ago. (much more affordable) So far, my tests have remained pretty good and they have said I don't need medication. Not that I would take it anyway. I am very small boned so at a higher risk.

I am also dairy intolerant and not getting much calcium in my diet at this time. Although, I am getting a fair amount of almond milk which they advertise as having 50% more calcium than milk.

Nancy

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu Sep 15, 2011 2:32 pm

Here's a helpful table of GF/DF sources of calcium, prepared by a nutritionist I visited a couple of times. She seemed to think I was doing fine with my diet. Try to ignore all the soy products (tofu, edamame, soymilk, etc). She lists the amount of calcium in each item by mg, so you can add that to the supplements you are taking.

http://www.harriswholehealth.com/wp-con ... alcium.pdf

Mackey · Post by **Mackey** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:35 pm

When I was first diagnosed with MC I had terrible bouts of D but now I have terrible bloating often with constipation. My vitamin D level is low and I have osteopenia so doc recommended taking calcium supplements. I am taking calcium supplements with vit D but I think the tablets are causing painful bloating and constipation. I am taking calcium citrate. Anyone struggle with this.

Post by **tex** » Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:20 pm

Calcium is constipating. The trick to preventing osteoporosis is to take vitamin d and magnesium so that you can utilize the calcium that's normally in your diet (without taking a calcium supplement). The vitamin D helps to absorb the calcium into your bloodstream, and the magnesium helps insulin to transport the calcium to your bones and other cells where it's needed. For most people, this is much more effective for preventing osteoporosis than taking calcium.

Tex

ldubois7 · Post by **ldubois7** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:36 pm

Tex,

I was just diagnosed with osteoporosis. My doc suggested Prolia. I want to reverse it naturally, if possible.
What do you suggest?

My vitamin D level is good & I take 240 mg of magnesium a day.

Thanks!

Linda

MICROSCOPIC COLITIS SUPPORT

gettimg enough calcium in diet

gettimg enough calcium in diet

Calcium, constipation, and bloating

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