Socle Calcium: Bone Rejuvenator

What is the role of calcium?
How much calcium do I need?
How do I choose a calcium supplement?
Calcium facts
Comparison of calcium salts

What is the role of calcium?
Calcium is used for many physiologic functions, only one of which is maintaining bone health.  It is also utilized by the body for muscle contraction and relaxation (muscle cramps and fatigue can result in deficiency states), cardiac contraction and conduction of the electrical impulse for the heart (cardiac arrhythmias can result with low levels as well as excessively high levels), nerve impulse conduction (numbness and tingling) and hormone and enzyme synthesis (leading to hormonal abnormalities and fatigue).  Many studies have shown the benefits of calcium when appropriately dosed to help assist weight reduction.

How much calcium do I need?
Calcium is dosed based on a person’s age.  Although there are some minor variations in recommendations depending on the source of information, most established and respected organizations recommend:
4 servings per day for ages 9-18 (about 1200-1500 mg)
3 servings per day for ages 19-50 (about 1000-1200mg)
4 servings per day for ages >51 (about 1200-1500 mg)

This can be achieved by diet, or when a dietary deficiency exists, through appropriate supplementation.
Because of concerns for calories, or sometimes because of distaste or lactase deficiency, people will a lot of times fail to achieve 100% of this recommended amount in their diet.  This places you at risk for the development of osteoporosis as well as for other body functions mediated by calcium.  Understanding the process of “bone remodeling” is important to realize that over time a deficiency will allow you to enter a negative calcium balance in the body leading to the bones to becoming weak and brittle.  A calcium supplement becomes important to prevent this. 
  
How do I choose a calcium supplement?
The Socle Brand of Calcium (Cal-D and Chewable Calcium) is the only brand that identifies a dietary calcium equivalent (DCE) whereas one pill of Socle Calcium is equal to one serving of dietary calcium.  This is important because the DCE makes it easy to adjust to your diet, ensuring you get the right amount without overdosing.

There are many types of calcium products on the market.  Choosing the right type is very important for reasons of absorption and tolerability.  For example, calcium is available as calcium phosphate, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, and others.  Understanding the differences between these is important to ensure the right type is being used.  This is important for both preventing as well as treating osteoporosis.  The Socle Brand addresses these issues of absorption and tolerability.  It also takes the frustration out of going to the store and trying to make a decision with all the different choices available.  The Socle product is ideal for many reasons because of the emphasis on science and absorption that other companies ignore.

There are close to 30 different calcium salts on the market.  The only two that are fit for human consumption as a calcium supplement are carbonate and citrate.  The choice between these two is footnoted in the table below.  Citracal only makes calcium citrate; therefore, they want you to be convinced to purchase their product.  Caltrate only makes calcium carbonate; therefore, they want you to be convinced to purchase their product.  Neither company, nor any of the others, educates the consumer on issues of absorption influenced by the calcium salt, calcium threshold, status of stomach acidity, tolerability, or adjusting calcium supplement use according to dietary intake to prevent excess dosing.  

Calcium Facts
•    Vitamin D is required to be present in the intestine at the time of calcium ingestion for absorption.  You cannot take Vitamin D in the morning and expect to absorb a calcium product later in the afternoon.  
•    The calcium threshold in the intestine does not allow absorption beyond 400 mg (up to 500 mg in some studies) at a time.  Companies that market calcium in “one convenient daily dose” of 1000 mg are misleading patients and consumers.  You can only absorb 400 mg reliably in a single dose which is why calcium needs to be spread out over the day.  
•    Calcium in the presence of magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, or iron affects absorption of all these important minerals.
•    Hypercalcemia (excess dosing of calcium) can lead to constipation, gas, irritability, confusion, delerium, cardiac arrhythmias, muscle cramping, and coma.  This is why it is important to be sure you get the right dose.  Not enough or too much can lead to health problems.
•    DO NOT take calcium in carbonate form if you:
     1.  ...are over age 65, due to reduction in gastric acidity from gastric atrophy, a normal consequence of aging.  As the stomach lining atrophies from aging, the hydrochloric acid-producing cells decline.  Calcium in the form of the carbonate salt requires normal stomach acid for absorption.
      2.  ...are taking acid reducing medication (Zantac, Pepcid, Prilosec, Nexium, Aciphex, Prevacid, Protonix).  These medicines work by suppressing the acid in the stomach to help persons with stomach ulcers or acid reflux.  However, because of their acid-reducing affect, they will not allow adequate absorption of calcium in the carbonate form.
      3.  ...have had prior kidney stones due to urinary precipitation of  
      calcium carbonate.  If you had a kidney stone in the past, it is only a matter of time before this recurs if you incorrectly choose calcium carbonate to supplement your diet.

None of the products in the table listed below provides the patient/consumer with any of these important facts.  You can see how Socle truly does make sense and is devoted to helping you make the right decisions about your health!

Don’t forget, kids need calcium too!

To learn more about calcium benefits check out Harvard University's informational site.

Comparison of Calcium Salts
Dietary Calcium