Calcium is only absorbed in the blood stream from an ionized form of calcium. This ionized form is calcium bicarbonate. The different calcium’s on the market are most commonly in the form of calcium carbonate. Carbonate is much different in the body than bicarbonate and is pretty much limestone. Limestone takes about 12 steps in the body for it to turn into the absorbable, ionized form of calcium bicarbonate to be utilized. You cannot absorb calcium carbonate in the body to go to the bones and tissues unless it goes through all the steps. If the body gets too much calcium carbonate, sometimes it doesn’t know what to do with it. This is partly why people may be prone to getting calcium deposits in the skin, muscles, or organs. To avoid calcium deposits, it is important to take a calcium supplement with food since calcium is inherently alkaline, and to not take more than 500mg of calcium at a time.1
A better form a calcium to take, which takes only one step to turn into bicarbonate is calcium lactate. It is absorbed very quickly and can greatly benefit the muscles and tissues of the body promptly. Standard Process’s Calcium Lactate has 5 parts calcium lactate and one part magnesium. This gives the product a pH of 5.2 (on the acidic side) which makes it a lot more assimilated in the gut.
Anyone who is pregnant needs to supplement with calcium to support proper growth of the baby, as well as to maintain healthy and strong bones and teeth for the mother! I give Standard Process’s Calcium Lactate to all my pregnant patients and they have found great benefit in taking it!
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Yours in Health,
