Reminder about calcium
Just wanted to post a little reminder about calcium. The ASMBS says we need 1500-2000 mg calcium per day and recommends calcium citrate. The two most common kinds of calcium found in supplements are calcium citrate and calcium carbonate. Tums, Viactiv and Caltrate are all calcium carbonate and we don’t absorb that well at all. We absorb about 4% of the calcium in it so you’d need to take about 60 Viactivs every day to get enough calcium. No, that’s not a typo. Optisource also contains calcium carbonate and Bariatric Fusion has a mixture of calcium carbonate and calcium citrate.
Citracal and generic forms of Citracal contain calcium citrate, which is what we need. It’s hard to find chewable calcium citrate in stores but Celebrate and Bariatric Advantage both make them and you can order online. Upcal D, which is a powder you can mix in a drink, is also calcium citrate. You can find liquid forms as well.
Tricalcium phosphate is another kind of calcium found in some supplements and it is also not absorbed well at all. That’s what’s in Flintstones. Wellesse, a liquid calcium supplement, contains a mixture of tricalcium phosphate and calcium citrate, so you’ll only absorb some of the calcium in there.
Make sure you take your calcium in doses of 500-600 mg and take them at least two hours apart. Read the label carefully to see what the serving size is. Like, Citrical petites have 400 mg per serving but a serving is TWO pills.
Take them two hours away from your iron.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
First... I LOVE the new Avatar, you are so beautiful.
Second, listen to Kelly! (And the other vitamin Gurus on this site like VitaLady and Andrea, etc). Calcium CITRATE is so vital to anyone who has had RNY because we cannot DIGEST any other kind...Well you only get about 5-10% out of carbonate, so as Kelly said...You'd have to have about a 30-60 Tums or VIactive per day .
Read the BACK label of whatever Calcium supplement you get and make SURE it says Calcium (as Calcium CITRATE).
Brands I like to use (that are inexpensive and work great)
1) Citracal (Again read the back and make sure it is the one with calcium Citrate)
2) Most stores make a STORE BRAND version of "Citrical" just make sure it is calcium citrate.
3) Citrical PLUS magnesium also helps if you get constipation or hard stools.
4) Calcet Creamy Bites. Ok, these can be expensive and do have like 5 calories per serving, but they are soooooooo sinfully delicious AND do not taste at all like any "medicine" they taste exactly like a fudge chocolate or (my favorite) the Lemon bite tastes like Lemon Cheese cake... OMG!
Because they are kinda pricey, I only use 1 of these a day and then 3 of the Citrical+
As always Kelly, thank you so much for sharing your time and knowledge, you are awesome my friend!
Warmly,
Jackie
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
For those who take the calcet creamy bites, you do NOT have to refridgerate them... But, I have noticed in the summer if you refridge a couple (or even freeze a few) they make AWESOME hot weather, refreshing treats! (Think of like a frozen snickers or candy bar)..Yum!
Warmly,
Jackie
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
