Daily Calcium Intake Dilemma

[Sebastian]

I have troubles with this little concept. By daily dose of Calcium do they mean elemental Calcium or combined/total Calcium? Let's say I need 1000 mg (1 gr) of Calcium a day and take 2 tablets of Calcium Orotate. These two should provide for my daily Calcium dose but they also contain only 100 mg of elemental calcium. Is it enough? Should I theoretically take 20 pills to have 1000 mg of elemental Calcium?

[ghchealth]

You are correct about both the elemental recommendations as well as the amount of calcium contained in calcium orotate. Where this entire issue begins to get tricky is when you take the comparative absorption rates into consideration. Let us say, for instance, that you take 1000 mgs of elemental calcium in the form of calcium carbonate with an absorption rate of approximately 5-10%. Although you are taking 1000 mgs in, you are probably only absorbing 50-100 mgs of that total amount. In the case of calcium orotate, 1000 mgs of the total compound, approximately 100 mgs of elemental calcium, could be taken which should allow you to absorb 90-95 mgs. In reality, you are probably getting as much or more of the elemental calcium in the orotate form. To dig a little deeper, we must also consider cellular delivery and utilization in the body. Calcium orotate, according to Dr. Nieper, is delivered into the inside of the cell and particularly the mitochondrial membrane. This means that the calcium that is absorbed into the body is also used very well in the body. Many people do take more than the 1000 mgs of calcium orotate per day, but we would definitely not recommend taking 20 tablets. A dose in the range of 2000-3000 mgs per day is appropriate for someone over age 45.