Calcium

• What other names is Calcium known by?
• What is Calcium?
• Is Calcium effective?
• How does Calcium work?
• Are there safety concerns?
• Are there any interactions with medications?
• Dosing considerations for Calcium.

What other names is Calcium known by?

Acétate de Calcium, Aspartate de Calcium, Bone Meal, Calcio, Calcium Acetate, Calcium Aspartate, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Chelate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Citrate Malate, Calcium D-Gluconate, Calcium Disuccinate, Calcium Gluconate, Calcium Glycerophosphate, Calcium Hydrogen Phosphate, Calcium Hydroxyapatite, Calcium Lactate, Calcium Lactogluconate, Calcium Orotate, Calcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Carbonate de Calcium, Chélate de Calcium, Chlorure de Calcium, Citrate de Calcium, Citrate Malate de Calcium, Coquilles d'Huîtres Moulues, Coquilles d'œuf, Dicalcium Phosphate, Di-Calcium Phosphate, Dolomite, Egg Shell Calcium, Gluconate de Calcium, Glycérophosphate de Calcium, Heated Oyster Shell-Seaweed Calcium, Hydroxyapatite, Lactate de Calcium, Lactogluconate de Calcium, MCHA, MCHC, Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite, Orotate de Calcium, Ossein Hydroxyapatite, Oyster Shell, Oyster Shell Calcium, Phosphate de Calcium, Phosphate de Calcium Hydrogène, Phosphate de di-Calcium, Phosphate Tricalcium, Poudre d'os, Sulfate de Calcium, Tricalcium Phosphate.

What is Calcium?

Calcium is a mineral that is an essential part of bones and teeth. The heart, nerves, and blood clotting systems also need calcium to work.

Is Calcium effective?

Taking calcium can slow bone loss in women after menopause and in elderly men. This can reduce the risk of breaking bones.

Calcium can also decrease the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), especially mood swings, bloating, food cravings, and pain.

There is also some evidence that calcium might lower the risk of getting colon cancer, especially among people who have already had small, noncancerous intestinal growths called "polyps."

Calcium also seems to be able to lower high blood pressure, especially in people with kidney disease or in pregnant women.

Taking calcium does not seem to be effective, however, in preventing bone loss in breast-feeding women, or after kidney or bone marrow transplants.

Effective for...

• Raising calcium levels in people who have low calcium.
• Preventing low calcium levels.
• Use as an antacid as calcium carbonate.
• Reducing phosphate levels in people with kidney disease.

Likely Effective for...

• Preventing bone loss caused by insufficient calcium in the diet. This can reduce the risk of breaking bones.
• Reducing bone loss in people taking drugs called corticosteroids.
• Treating osteoporosis (weak bones).
• Reducing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), especially mood swings, bloating, food cravings, and pain.
• Increasing fetal bone density in pregnant women with low calcium intake.
• Reducing thyroid hormone levels in people with kidney failure.

Possibly Effective for...

• Preventing colorectal cancer.
• High blood pressure.
• Reducing tooth loss in elderly people.
• Pre-eclampsia.
• High cholesterol.
• Preventing fluoride poisoning in children when taken with vitamin C and D.
• Preventing stroke.
• Reducing weight and body fat while dieting.

Possibly Ineffective for...

• Preventing breast cancer.
• Reducing lead levels in breast-feeding women.

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

• Preventing seizures, preventing falls, metabolic syndrome, cancer, pregnancy-related leg cramps, diabetes, Lyme disease, and other conditions.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).