How long does it take to take calcium? How harmful is too much calcium?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Nguyen Thi My - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec International General Hospital Da Nang.

Calcium is a very necessary mineral for the body, providing adequate calcium to support a healthy body, helping adults to avoid bone and joint diseases, especially when they are old. However, if calcium supplementation is excessive or improper, it will not promote its maximum effect and may be harmful to health.

Each age will need to supplement the amount of calcium needed for the body (according to the World Health Organization WHO) according to the following criteria:
Children 0 - 1 year old: Need 400mg - 600mg / day. Children 1 - 10 years old: Need 800 mg/day. Adults 11 - 24 years old: Need 1200 mg/day. Adults 24 - 50 years old: Need 800mg - 1000mg / day. Pregnant women, the elderly: Need 1200 mg - 1500 mg / day.

Normally, calcium will be provided through foods in daily meals. If there is not enough calcium in the diet, an external supplement is necessary. However, it should be noted that the supplement is right for the needs, if there is no shortage, there is no need to supplement, if it is too much, it may be harmful to the body.
According to some studies, the usual dose of calcium is from 500 to 600mg each time and from one to two times per day, depending on the needs of the user's body that the doctor will prescribe.

People with kidney failure, kidney stones, pregnant or lactating women, the elderly and weak, people with many combined diseases, people with heart rhythm disturbances, etc. must absolutely follow the instructions. Your doctor's advice on the use of calcium. On the other hand, in the process of using calcium to supplement the body, it is necessary to pay attention to the following points:
For people with calcium deficiency, when supplementing, it should be divided into several times a day so that the body can easily absorb and avoid the possibility of toxicity. To supplement calcium effectively and safely, when using calcium-rich foods or calcium pills, it is necessary to limit eating with acrid vegetables and fruits, whole grains because that will be the cause of limiting calcium absorption. and should be exposed to morning sunlight to help the body absorb calcium more efficiently. Calcium supplements only really work when taken in the morning or noon, especially should not be taken in the afternoon and evening because it will make it difficult to sleep. Should be taken about an hour after a meal and calcium should not be taken with all milk and milk products.

Excess calcium can inhibit the absorption of other substances such as iron and zinc, thereby putting the body at risk of deficiency of these two substances. On the other hand, excess calcium also causes overload for the kidneys, if continued to exceed the body's needs for a long time, it will increase the risk of ureteral and kidney stones.
Taking high doses of calcium may affect blood calcium levels, cause blood calcium disorders and heart rhythm disturbances. Excess calcium causes chronic kidney stones, shoulder calcification, arterial calcification,...
In fact, some people with osteoporosis, rickets or pregnant have arbitrarily taken calcium supplements. without the guidance of a doctor should lead to an overdose.
When taking an overdose, the body will appear symptoms such as thirst, increased urination, nausea, heart rhythm disturbances, ... When having the above symptoms, all calcium sources must be stopped, vitamin D and must see a doctor immediately for treatment.
In the body, the amount of calcium in the blood is always regulated. Therefore, there is very little change whether it is excess or deficiency, so if you want to know if you have calcium excess or deficiency, you should test your urine to measure calcium within 24 hours. If urinary calcium is above 300mg/24h (7.5mmol/24h), use should be discontinued immediately.
Calcium is a mineral that plays an extremely important role in the body, but it is not because of that that we abuse and use them too much. You should consult a doctor if there is a need for reasonable calcium supplements for the body.
Master. American doctor has more than 6 years of experience as an internal medicine doctor at Hue Central Hospital, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital; Tam Tri Da Nang Hospital; Danang Hospital. Currently, he is a General Internal Medicine Doctor at Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.