|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutritional Supplements

Calcium Supplements & Joint Pain

Joint pain is a common symptom of a variety of medical conditions. Everything from arthritis and tendonitis to sprains, fractures and cartilage tears can cause it. The weakening of bones and calcium deposits where ligaments meet the bone can also cause joint pain, and both can be linked to the amount of calcium a person consumes.

  1. The Bone Bank

    • Thinking of your bones as a "bone bank" makes the importance of calcium easy to understand. When your body doesn't consume enough calcium, it begins to make "withdrawals" from the bone bank to make up for the shortage. Over a lifetime, your bones may become thin and weak and prone to breakage.

    Misconceptions

    • According to Doctoryourself.com, many people are surprised to learn that calcium deposits forming on the joints are not related to an overabundance of calcium in the body. People who form calcium deposits typically have a calcium deficiency.

      Never consume more than 2500 milligrams of calcium per day as it can cause health problems such as kidney stones, according to the New York State Department of Health.

    Size

    • According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, an adequate intake of calcium will increase with age. During the first six months of life, children need 210 milligrams (mg) per day. From the seventh month to the first year that amount increases to 270 mg. Toddlers require 500 mg per day and children ages four to eight require 800 mg per day. Pre-teens and teenagers need the most calcium, requiring 1300 mg per day. Adults should take 1000 mg per day until age 50 when this amount increases to 1200 mg.

    Elemental Calcium

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, elemental calcium is calcium that is absorbed by the body. The total weight of a calcium tablet does not affect the amount of supplemental calcium that enters your system. Thus, it is important to read the label and determine the total amount of elemental calcium in the product. The label will also list the daily percentage of recommended calcium you can expect to receive from a single dose. For example, a 350 mg calcium supplement that contains 200 mg of elemental calcium only has 200 mg of elemental calcium.

    Recommended Calcium Supplements

    • According to Healthcastle.com, Calcium Citrate is the best supplement. The product can be taken any time of the day and is safe to take on an empty stomach. Most calcium pills are calcium carbonate pills, which require extra stomach acid for proper absorption. In other words, they must be consumed with food.

Nutritional Supplements - Related Articles