Heeding my friend's advice...

Being in my early 30's, I started this week wondering what I could gain from learning about the health issues of "midlife". Menopause and osteoporosis seem like a lifetime away for me!;)
I read the book, looked at the supplemental articles and websites, and even found some new and funny stuff to post, but I still felt pretty disconnected.
Ironically this week a friend of mine(a 30-something OBGYN herself) was quoted in a Dallas Morning News article about osteoporosis and calcium supplementation. Though I teased her about being a "media darling", I was grateful for the coincidence that seemed to finally connect me to the topic of the week.
I had overlooked the obvious. What I do now can and will affect what I am later. It seems simple, but with the daily load of responsibilities I have, often living in the moment(or day)is all I can manage!;) Thanks to my friend, I learned a few things about calcium and vowed to set myself up to be more consistent with ALL of my supplements. It will be like giving my future self a gift.... the valuable gift of better health!
I have shared the article below for you:


Calcium is calcium: choosing the right source for you

02:28 PM CDT on Monday, July 6, 2009
By MARY JACOBS / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

So, your doctor says you need to start taking calcium supplements to help prevent osteoporosis . You're standing in the aisle at the drug store, and you're feeling ... bewildered.

So many choices: calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate or calcium citrate; in capsules, chews or tablets; in assorted fruit flavors, caramel or chocolate, peppermint or wintergreen. You can opt for a big, cheap bottle of Tums or a pricier tablet made with oyster shells. You can choose a tasty, Tootsie Roll-like confection or a plain old pill.

Which one is best?

First thing you need to know: "Calcium is calcium," says endocrinologist Dr. Heidi Chamberlain Shea at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas. "Whether you get it from oyster shells or another source doesn't matter."

What matters is the amount of elemental calcium in the supplement, which is listed in milligrams on the bottle. For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, that'll be upward of 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day. (You can get your calcium from foods, but most people don't get enough, Shea says.)

Calcium comes in combination with one other ingredient, typically carbonate, gluconate or citrate, which essentially serves as a stabilizer. The other ingredient is inactive but could affect how you tolerate the supplement you choose (which can vary from individual to individual) and how well you absorb the calcium. For example, one study suggested menopausal women absorb the calcium in calcium citrate better than other forms.

You can't easily determine how well you are absorbing calcium, but you can take steps to improve the chances of good absorption.

For one thing, consider a supplement containing vitamin D.

"We now know that you need vitamin D to absorb calcium properly," said Shea. If you don't drink milk or spend any time in the sun, this is key.

Another pointer to improve absorption: Don't take all your calcium at once.

"The more calcium you take in a single dose, the more the absorption rate goes down," said Dr. Monica Diaz, an obstetrician-gynecologist in private practice and a staff member at Medical City Hospital Dallas. "You want to divide your dosage over the day to increase your absorption." She recommends twice a day.

Other pointers: Most products recommend that you take calcium with food and an 8-ounce glass of water. (That can also minimize common side effects such as nausea, bloating and constipation.) Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about timing your calcium intake with other prescription medicines, which can also affect absorption. (In general, you will want to avoid taking calcium within one to two hours of taking other medication by mouth.) If you smoke or drink a lot of alcohol or caffeine, that can hinder absorption, too.

Experiment with different forms to see which you tolerate well. Shea says patients who are gluten-sensitive seem to do better with liquid forms of calcium supplementation, for example.

Finally, don't wait till you're old to start thinking about your calcium intake, according to Diaz. Bone up while you're young, and that'll protect you when the bone loss begins.

Mary Jacobs is a Dallas freelance writer.