Your body needs calcium for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between your brain and every part of your body. Calcium also helps blood vessels move blood throughout your body and helps release hormones that affect many functions in your body.

The average adult needs 1,000 mg of calcium per day. The amount increases to 1,200 mg per day for women over the age of 50 and men over the age of 71. "It's best for your calcium intake to come from your diet, which is very achievable since it's a mineral found in many foods," says Dr. Brown.

Summary: Best Calcium Supplements

Ingredients: Calcium Carbonate, Maltodextrin. Contains < 2% of: Blue 2 Lake, Cholecalciferol (Vit. D3), Croscarmellose Sodium, Magnesium Stearate, Polyethylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Red 40 Lake, Talc, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherols (To Preserve Freshness), Yellow 6 Lake.

Calcium supplements can help people who are at risk of osteoporosis, as well as those who don't get enough calcium in their diets. While some research suggests a link between calcium supplements and heart disease, the link is not clear.

Taking extra calcium helps the bones rebuild and stay strong. The heart, nerves, and blood-clotting systems also need calcium. People commonly take calcium by mouth for the treatment and prevention of low calcium levels, muscle cramps, osteoporosis, softening of the bones, and PMS.

Calcium supplements can help fill the gap between how much calcium you get in your diet and how much you need per day. Remember, the recommended amount for most adults is 1,000 mg per day and increases to 1,200 mg per day for women over age 50 and men over age 70.

Calcium Health Benefits

• Help form bones and teeth.
• Help maintain body strength.
• Assist in the movement of muscles.
• Assist with nerve messaging between the brain and body systems.
• Help blood flow as vessels relax and constrict.
• Release hormones and enzymes that support body functions.

Calcium/Vitamin D is an over-the-counter medication used as Calcium Supplementation. Calcium/Vitamin D is available under the following different brand names: Caltrate 600+D3, Os-Cal Calcium+D3, Os-Cal Extra D3, Os-Cal Ultra, Citracal.

Calcium citrate Calcium citrate is the most easily absorbed form of calcium. It can be taken with or without food and usually doesn't cause stomach upset or gas, a common problem with other types of calcium supplements. It's also less likely to cause constipation, unlike calcium carbonate.

Calcium supplements may contain diff erent calcium compounds such as calcium acetate, calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium citrate malate, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium lactogluconate, tricalcium phosphate and others.

CALTRATE, THE #1 TRUSTED CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT BRAND++ Calcium-containing dietary supplements, taken throughout life in conjunction with a healthy diet and regular exercise, can help people meet their recommended daily calcium requirements and may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

Elderly people - as we age, the skeleton loses calcium. Women lose more calcium from their bones in the 5 to 10 years around the age of menopause. However, both men and women lose bone mass as they grow older and need to make sure they get enough calcium in their diet to offset these losses.

Dietary calcium is considered safe, but too much calcium in the form of supplements might have some health risks. Too much calcium has the potential to increase the risk of kidney stones, constipation or even calcium buildup in your blood vessels, along with difficulty absorbing iron and zinc.

Take your calcium supplements with meals, rather than alone. The calcium needs the acid from stomach juices to break it down. Avoid taking calcium supplements with very high fiber meals. Fiber can bind with calcium, reducing the amount available to your body.

Calcium supplements may offer benefits in reducing the risk of certain diseases, including colon cancer and high blood pressure. But there is no conclusive evidence of these benefits. Taking too much calcium has its own risks too. Among them is the potential to interfere with medications you already take.