Re: Calcium and iron -- strange bedfellows? (did that get your attention?)

[Guest guest]

<<<<This is the information i have for you regarding

the iron/Calcium debate. First of all, Calcium is not absorbed at

all without the help of Vitamin D, so do take a calcium supplement

that as well contains vitamin D. Calcium absorption has nothing to

do with magnesium, only parathyroid hormone, a hormone produced by

our bodies to regulate calcium levels. It is important to take a

Magnesium supplement though, b/c a lot of the foods you are probably

eating do not contain much Mag and we need around 300-400 mg a day.

(unless you are eating a lot of seafood or spinach or nuts, then

you're ok)>>>>

Hi, Steve: Thanks for asking about this -- pretty informative answer. Yes,

the citrates I take have vit D (and I think citrical always has, no matter

what the formula?).

<<<<As far as Ca/Fe, Calcium does inhibit iron absrp when taken with

food, no matter what type of Calcium it is (carbonate, citrate,

phosphate and chloride). It has been found that Ca Carb does not

inhibit iron when taken without food, but all inhibit its absorption

when taken with food. therefore, it is best to take your calcium and

iron separately.

But, I DON'T take my calcium with food when I take it with iron -- it is on

an empty stomach. You mean that calcium is best absorbed with food wheras

iron isn't ... so taking them together is ok interms of them not interacting

badly but not in terms of maximizing each's absorption separately???

I take one dose of citrate with my evening meal and then another with iron

(on an empty stomach) around bedtime. Ditto for when I wake up in the am. (I

wait at least an hour before eating anything).

<<<<<Calcium carbonate is the most concentrated calcium supplement and has

about twice as much elemental calcium by weight as calcium citrate.

Therefore, it requires fewer or smaller tablets to achieve a given

dose of elemental calcium. But there is not a lot of information

available as to which one would be best to take out of all of them.

I would have to do a little more research to find that out. >>>>>>

Yes, I thought this was true -- I only had to take one carbonate pill three

times a day wheras the citrate is two horse pills three times a day! Holy

Cow!

I'll let everyone know how my 12 month calcium and iron levels are... So far,

they have been fine with this regimine (and I really, really like it ---

Although I suppose I could switch one of the calcium doses to a meal.... I

just like being able to have caffine throughout the day if I want and not

worry about it inhibiting absorption). I also read that calcium is best

absorbed in the evening (not sure why), so that's why I take it mainly in the

early/late evening and early morning...

all the best,

lap ds with gallbladder removal

January 25, 2001

10 months post-op and still feelin 'fabu

preop: 307 lbs/bmi 45

now: 198 lbs/size sweet 16

[Guest guest]

<<

*I* don't mean anything. I was just quoting what the dietitian wrote

to me. I found the language quoted above to be a bit unclear. So I

am not sure about the answer to your question. But, my take was not

that calcium was best absorbed when taken with food.

>>

Steve: I know you were quoting the nutritionist --- I was asking whether you

thought she meant that calcium should be taken with food and iron should be

taken on an empty stomach so they shouldn't be taken together? You quoted

the nutritionist as saying that calcium and iron shouldn't be taken together

because calcium can inhibit iron when taken with food. I mentioned that I

don't take food when I take the calcium with my iron pills...

So, since the caltrate is NOT counterindictive with iron itself, why did she

suggest that they be taken separately unless she was trying to say that

calcium must be taken with food but iron cannot????

The statement above that was unclear to me, too -- that's why I asked for

clarification (from you - perhaps I should have asked for clarification on

her comments).

all the best,

[Guest guest]

At 5:49 PM -0500 12/3/01, ruisha@... wrote:

>

>...

><<<<As far as Ca/Fe, Calcium does inhibit iron absrp when taken with

>food, no matter what type of Calcium it is (carbonate, citrate,

>phosphate and chloride). It has been found that Ca Carb does not

>inhibit iron when taken without food, but all inhibit its absorption

>when taken with food. therefore, it is best to take your calcium and

>iron separately.

>

>But, I DON'T take my calcium with food when I take it with iron -- it is on

>an empty stomach. You mean that calcium is best absorbed with food wheras

>iron isn't ... so taking them together is ok interms of them not interacting

>badly but not in terms of maximizing each's absorption separately???

,

*I* don't mean anything. I was just quoting what the dietitian wrote

to me. I found the language quoted above to be a bit unclear. So I

am not sure about the answer to your question. But, my take was not

that calcium was best absorbed when taken with food.

--Steve

--

[Guest guest]

I've gotten the impression (after reading the two calcium " articles, "

for which I posted websites) that calcium is best taken with food,

primarily to reduce the incidence of kidney stone formation. Also

read that it may be best to take calcium at night (circadian rhythms

and bone building) with food. Don't take any kind of calcium with

iron, because to some degree, as the experts in these articles have

testified, " calcium is calcium. "

> >

> >...

> ><<<<As far as Ca/Fe, Calcium does inhibit iron absrp when taken

with

> >food, no matter what type of Calcium it is (carbonate, citrate,

> >phosphate and chloride). It has been found that Ca Carb does not

> >inhibit iron when taken without food, but all inhibit its

absorption

> >when taken with food. therefore, it is best to take your calcium

and

> >iron separately.

> >

> >But, I DON'T take my calcium with food when I take it with iron --

it is on

> >an empty stomach. You mean that calcium is best absorbed with

food wheras

> >iron isn't ... so taking them together is ok interms of them not

interacting

> >badly but not in terms of maximizing each's absorption

separately???

>

> ,

>

> *I* don't mean anything. I was just quoting what the dietitian

wrote

> to me. I found the language quoted above to be a bit unclear. So

I

> am not sure about the answer to your question. But, my take was

not

> that calcium was best absorbed when taken with food.

>

> --Steve

> --