At the risk of keeping it not entirely simple, Dr. Spreen offers three rules for
supplementing with calcium.
Rule One: As the Karolinska study shows, calcium must have magnesium.
Dr. Spreen: "Calcium without magnesium doesn't occur in a natural human diet,
so it shouldn't be introduced to the body that way. Calcium alone has been
found in several experiments to be improperly laid down in the body, even
affecting arterial walls before setting up in bones.
"Unfortunately for those looking for the simplest solutions, the mineral calcium
requires more than just magnesium: It also needs manganese, boron, silica,
strontium, usually digestive enzymes, often additional betaine hydrochloride,
and ALWAYS vitamin D (and high doses of that last one if a lot of calcium is
swallowed)."
Rule Two: Forget about antacids
Dr. Spreen describes the form of calcium in antacids simply as a "problem," noting
that this inferior form actually lowers the acid level (pH) in the stomach, which is
necessary for digestion of many nutrients and proteins.
Rule three: Know your calcium forms
Dr. Spreen: "Not all calcium salts are absorbed the same, and in some cases there
are pretty big differences. However, it's usually easier to acquire (and cheaper to
take, per amount absorbed) in forms that may cost less than the most absorbable
types. By just taking a bit more of it, it's not that big a deal (as long as the other
'stuff' is taken with it)."
Dr. Spreen notes that among the commercially available types of calcium, the best
marriage of price, percentage of elemental calcium, and absorption is calcium citrate.
