Side Effects of Calcium Supplementation

The ideal intake of calcium for women is 600–1,200 mg a day. For pregnant, lactating and menopausal women (ICMR, 2010), the amount is 1,200 mg. It is a possibility that the required amount of calcium is not getting fulfilled by your daily diet. And, as the bones start losing calcium after the age of 30 years, your normal diet may not be enough to fully replenish the calcium needs of the body. There are tolerable upper limits for nutrients (TULON), which means the maximum level of total chronic daily intake of a nutrient (from all sources) judged to be unlikely to pose a risk of adverse health effects to humans.

TULON for calcium in women is as follows:

Calcium intake that is higher than the TULON can cause side effects. Belching or gas is some of the minor side-effects that are caused by calcium. It is recommended to avoid high doses of calcium, if a person has kidney problem. Calcium can interfere with absorption of some prescription medicines like antibiotics, thyroid replacement therapy and others. Calcium should be taken with a gap of 4 hours, if other medications are being prescribed to a person. Also, consultation with a doctor is recommended if you are on prescribed medicines or have any medical condition.

Ostocalcium recommends supplementing the regular diet with 2 Ostocalcium chewable tablets, which provide 250 mg of calcium. Ostocalcium has been specially formulated to supplement your calcium needs with the daily diet, and it is unlikely to exceed the TULON for calcium.

To help you to track how much calcium your diet provides in a day, Ostocalcium has released an application. To know about the consumption of calcium in a day, all you need to do is fill in the details of your day’s dietary intake.