Calcium and...
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Medicines
Some prescription medicines can be affected by calcium. Check with your doctor or Boots pharmacist before taking supplements that contain it.
Some antacids (for indigestion and stomach ulcers) and laxatives can reduce the amount of calcium that your body can absorb. If you are concerned, ask your Boots pharmacist for advice.
Children
Children need calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Ensuring an adequate intake of calcium in early life is considered important for maintaining healthy bones in the future.
Dieting
Calcium is needed for the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It is particularly important in women up to the age of around 25, and after the menopause. Dieters should not avoid calcium-rich foods, such as milk, butter and cheese, but you may prefer to consider low-fat or semi-skimmed varieties as these are still good sources of calcium.
Later years
Calcium is needed to maintain healthy bones. One effect of ageing is that our bodies become less efficient at absorbing calcium from the diet. It is a good idea to increase your consumption of calcium-rich foods, even if you have always included them as part of your normal diet.
Menopause
Calcium helps to maintain healthy bones. After about the age of 35, your bone mass gradually starts to decrease. When oestrogen levels fall, this process speeds up, so it is important that you maintain an adequate intake of calcium as you get older.
Vegetarians
Calcium is essential for the maintenance of strong, healthy bones. Vegans do not get calcium from the best-known sources – dairy products – and so need to ensure that they get an adequate supply from alternative sources.
Calcium intake is particularly important for young vegetarians and vegans. As much of the calcium in our adult skeleton is provided by our diet when we’re young (roughly from age eight to 17), an adequate intake of calcium during teenage years is vital for strong, healthy bones later in life.
Supplements
Calcium is contained in products in the following forms:
- Capsule
- Tablet
- Effevescent
- Chewable tablet.
As recommended intakes can vary according to age, always follow the instructions on the pack carefully.
If you take more than one supplement containing calcium, check that the % RDAs for calcium do not add up to more than 100%. If you are unsure about how much calcium you are taking, check with your Boots pharmacist.
Research and reports are always appearing in newspapers and on the TV and radio. If you read or hear something about calcium that concerns you, ask your Boots pharmacist.
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This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.
