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Calcium citrate is better absorbed than calcium carbonate. Calcium in general is best absorbed when taken in conjunction with Vitamin D, because without it, it would be a wasted absorption. It is fat soluble and works in mineral metabolism and bone growth.

Calcium is beneficial in many areas. Calcium helps to repair bones, helps nerve function, muscle contractions, blood clotting, and also helps heart problems. It is also helpful in managing the secretion of insulin and hormones. Research says that Calcium may also be helpful in preventing Osteoporosis.

If you have a calcium deficiency, you may notice symptoms such as insomnia, tetany (a metabolic disorder, strong premenstrual cramps, and hypertension. When a deficiency is present the body will draw from the teeth and the bones to try and maintain normal body functions.

Here is a reason in the long list of reasons why one should not smoke. Smoking has been shown to reduce bone mass. It also increases the risk of the smoker to have broken bones.

People on high salt diets, who consume excessive caffeine and alcohol, and those with low body weight experience low calcium absorption. A diet that is high in fiber intake combined with low levels of vitamin D, also decreases the rate at which calcium is absorbed.

Calcium deficiency can also lead to such things as Osteopenia, osteomalacia, rickets and bone (skeletal) deformities. Hypertension, types of kidney stones, periodontal diseases and miscarriages, are also among the many signs of or results of deficiency.

Calcium can be found in cheese and other dairy products. Some vegetables are also a good source of Calcium. There are supplements available to help provide added support, or replace the mineral when it is not readily in one’s diet.

Information on Calcium citrate – What are Calcium supplements?

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. However, despite this fact, most adults across the world really need to take a calcium supplement, since many studies have proven that many individual only take around half of what is needed of this crucial mineral daily. This is a problem that need to be addressed and can be by looking out for a calcium supplement, however, you need to learn about which calcium is best and why you shouldn’t just get the first and cheapest calcium supplement you find. This will not help you out much at all.

Around 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in our bones and teeth. The other 1% of this crucial mineral is circulated in our blood flow. If not enough of this mineral is consumed to maintain blood calcium levels, the body will simply take what it needs from the bones and teeth in order to carry out vital functions within your body. Because of this, in the long run, the bones and teeth will become fragile from having its calcium content stolen, and this as you can probably work out, can lead to some serious problems. Osteoporosis can occur. Moreover, calcium deficiency is also linked with hypertension and palpitations of the heart.

Our information on calcium citrate – How can a Calcium Supplement benefit you?

The mineral calcium supports the body’s tissues, bones, cells, and it also has the ability to let nerves communicate with one another. The mineral helps the human body in healing properly from wounds, promotes proper functioning of the heart, aids in blot clotting, and helps nutrients throughout the body and across cell membranes. Therefore, the mineral is vitally important and should be in all our diets if we want to be healthy.

Consuming enough of calcium has also been shown to help lower ones blood pressure, and has been said to help control heartburn due to the minerals role in smoothing out digestion and neutralizing ones stomach acids.

Further information on Calcium Citrate – benefits and precautions

So what have we learned here? Calcium really does do the body as good as the tv commercials say. Maintaining appropriate levels in your blood provides is yet another reason why you should not smoke or quit if you do. Every so often, it is probably a good idea for you to have yourself checked out.

Calcium is very important for children to support healthy bone growth and development. For adults, calcium could help prevent or reduce the symptoms of osteoporosis. As with anything, check with your doctor before making any changes in your diet or vitamin/supplement. Look into whether there are any reasons for you to not take calcium, such as a negative interaction with other medications you may be taking.

Those who suffer from conditions like kidney stones or kidney disease should not supplement with a calcium supplement, as they could end up aggravating the condition.

Information on calcium citrate – Our Personal Opinion

We always suggest that most people interested in maintaining or improving their health should look into taking a calcium supplement, this is because many adults have been shown in studies to be lacking sufficient amounts of this mineral, and due to the many important roles this mineral plays in your health.

We realize however, many people still like to get their mineral content from food alone, for those still more inclined to get your calcium from food, some excellent food sources are: broccoli, almonds, sardines, and collard greens.

One problem with foods today: due to modern farming methods, over the last several decades and more, the nutrient value of fruits and vegetables has rapidly declined including that of calcium. For the above reason, we believe that one should not rely solely on foods for their nutrition content.

Our Tips For Choosing A Calcium Citrate Supplement

1. The mineral calcium in many supplements can come in several forms. Many people do not realize this fact. One of the most common forms produced in supplements is calcium carbonate. We always advise that most people avoid this form and choose a supplement with calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate can cause gas or constipation in some people, while the citrate form of calcium generally will not due to its absorption ability.

One should note that, calcium citrate is the best absorbed form of calcium supplement, other than coral calcium, and calcium citrate does not require additional stomach acid. Calcium carbonate, however, must be taken with a meal to give you the excess stomach acid needed to increase absorption of this crucial mineral.

2. Always buy your nutritional supplements from pharmaceutical GMP compliant facilities, such places comply with the most strictest manufacturing standards. This is very important because nutritional supplements have become largely unregulated in the U.S., and consumers of health products, only have a 1 in 5 chance of buying a product that contains the amount of ingredients stated on the products label..

3. Calcium cannot be absorbed unless taken with Vitamin D and magnesium as we discussed above in our article. Because of this, we advise that you take your calcium supplement as part of a more synergistic comprehensive formula. This is much better for you than taking calcium as a stand alone product.

4. Be sure the calcium product does not contain any fillers or additives (examples include: sugar, starch, gluten, silica (sand!) or any artificial colors or flavors of any kind. This is detrimental to your health.

By: John Gibb

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If you see me shopping, you may be puzzled by one thing I do on a regular basis…read nutrition labels prior to purchase. I’ve been known to spend ten minutes choosing exactly which product will do what I want in the healthiest fashion. That means I read the labels, compare the options and sometimes decide it’s safer to make it myself from scratch.

I do this for two reasons. One is to make sure it’s going to fit into our dietary needs. If the calorie count is too high and there isn’t a good reason for that, I often put it back on the shelf. The other is to be sure it’s going to fit our medical needs. Is it something we’re allergic to? How about fat content? If the answer doesn’t fit these needs, I don’t buy it.

It took a while for me to begin to understand both the nutrition label and the ingredients list. I don’t claim to know what all of those chemicals are, but if the list of chemicals is longer than the list of actual food ingredients, I’m pretty sure I don’t want it. One sort of ingredient I do check for are sulfites and metabisulfites. These can cause me a severe asthma attack on the first bite.

Now for the nutrition label itself. The first two things on it are the serving size and calories per serving. You need to check these, even if it seems logical that what you are buying is one serving. Many times that is not the case. Take a 20 oz soda. The information on it is for a single serving, but there are nearly three servings in the bottle. That can cause your entire day’s calorie count to be off a significant amount.

Next to the calorie count is the total calories from fat. This number refers to how many of those total calories are associated with one of the many types of dietary fat. It can be confusing, because the next set of numbers indicate how much of each type of fat in the product. Some fats are better for you than others. If it is high in mono or poly unsaturated fat, it is much better than saturate and trans fats.

Cholesterol is a type of fat also, but it is listed separately, and usually by type if there is more than one type present. HDL cholesterol is the healthy kind, while LDL is not. It’s a good idea for everyone to watch these numbers, but if you have cardiovascular disease, it’s imperative.

Under the fats and cholesterol is how much sodium is in the product. Sodium can be read as salt, but that isn’t always the case. There are other types of sodium, and all of them can be problematic, especially if you have high blood pressure or kidney disease.

Carbohydrates can be good or bad, depending on what type they are. Simple carbs, like sugar, are likely to cause more problems than complex carbs, like those found in whole grains. To make it easier to understand, dietary fiber and the sugar content is listed next. The higher the fiber and lower the sugar, the better. Protein counts can be very important. If you have gout or kidney disease, you may be on a low protein diet.

Nutrients are mentioned last on the general nutrition label. It’s done by percentage of the recommended daily allowance based on a 2000 calorie diet, so the percentages may be off slightly depending on how much you actually consume. There may also be footnotes with the percentages of the fats, etc. based on a 2000 and/or 2500 calorie diet.

As you can see, these labels provide valuable information for the informed shopper. The next time you are at the market, have a glance at the labels on your favorite foods and see where they stack up nutritionally. Who knows, you may be doing the same routine I use at the market…

By: Mary Bodel

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Whenever we take any food or nourishing liquids, our body digests and absorbs the simple but essential minerals, vitamins, fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fats and water from these food or nourishing liquids and converts it into the bloodstream and energy that help our body to grow and keep it healthy.

The nutrition value is more important for any individual’s health. The food or liquids whenever we take it affect our body and health as well both. So it is very important that we should be more aware of the foods or liquids whatever we take in our daily life. A large number of diseases occur only due to wrong diet. Some certain diet may itself cause some disease or alter the course of a known disorder such as diabetes, heart or kidney disease.

Why Nutrition is important for us?

As we know that food and water is necessary to build up our body and keep it healthy. Every good food and liquid contains some important nutrition like proteins, carbohydrate, fats, some vitamins, minerals and water. These all play different role to keep our body healthy and build new cells in our body.

These are the important nutrition and their role in our body:

Protein:

Protein helps our body to build muscles and strong immune system. Basically proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. There are 22 different types of amino acid and our body needs all these amino acid to function properly. Protein is abundant type of nutrient in our body that builds new tissues and repairs all damaged cells in our body. It also helps in formation of hormones and enzymes which play variety of roles in our body such as metabolism and sexual development. There are many types of protein that play different types of important role in our body. For example collagen is a protein and it gives the strength, elasticity and composition of our hair and skin. Some of the good protein sources are lentils, low-fat dairy products, tofu, nuts, seeds, peas, tempeh. Some common foods such as whole grain bread, potatoes, corn and pasta also have protein. Soya protein is the most essential and strong protein and it is equal to any animal origin protein.

Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates give us energy. This is an ideal source of energy for the body because carbohydrates converted more readily into glucose. It helps our body to supply the energy for the formation of cellular constituent. Carbohydrates are made up of three compounds Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen formed by plants. There are four types of carbohydrates are important – Sugar, Starches, Fiber and Gums. If carbohydrates taken regularly it doesn’t cause any weight gain, unless like other food group. There are two types of carbohydrates – Complex and Simple. Efficiency of carbohydrates can cause the production of ketones in the body, it can results into a condition known as ketosis. The good examples of carbohydrates are breads, potatoes, pasta, soda, chips, candies/sweets, cookies/biscuits, puddings, cakes, sugar, bananas etc.

Fats:

Fat provides us extra energy. It is a nutrient and a particular amount of fat is necessary for our body. It doesn’t always make us fat. It play role to insulate our bodies by giving us protection from sudden changes in temperature and also protects our vital organs. Fats consists of a wide group of compounds are soluble in organic solvents and insoluble in water. Fats provide 9 calories per gram. When dietary fat is digested, fatty acids are produced. It is also important for healthy skin and blood pressure regulation.

There are two types of fats Saturated (solid at room temperature) and Unsaturated (liquid at room temperature). To obtain an adequate amount of linoleic acid, one of the few fatty acids the body cannot produce on itself. Any adult needs one tablespoon of unsaturated fat daily. Saturated fats mainly occur in dairy products like butter, cream, cheese and some chocolates. The source of unsaturated fats are soybean, sunflower and corn oils.

Vitamins:

A vitamin is an organic compound, it regulate our body processes and plays an important role to make our body function properly. The term vitamin was derived from ‘vitamine’, a combination word from Vital and Amine. Today a chemical compound is called a vitamin. Our body needs vitamins as substances to grow and develop normally. There are 13 vitamins necessary for our body. Some of them are A, B, C, D, E, K, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12. In our daily life we get all most all these vitamins form foods whatever we take. Our body can also produce vitamins D and K.

Each vitamin plays specific jobs. Any particular low levels of vitamins cause deficiency disease. For example, if we don’t get enough vitamin D it can cause rickets. Deficiency of vitamin ‘A’ can cause Night Blindness.

If we eat a balanced diet we get enough essential vitamin automatically form our daily food or liquid. We don’t even need to take any particular vitamin separately. Only in some cases we need to take a daily multivitamin for optimal health.

Minerals:

Minerals regulate our body processes and also make body tissues. Minerals make our body work properly same as vitamin play the role but it doesn’t prevent weight loss. Although we get it form our daily foods, so we don’t need to take it separately. Minerals boost our immune system. Some important minerals are Chloride, Calcium, Copper, Chromium, Fluoride, Iron and Iodine. These types of minerals can be found from our daily food or liquid supplement like salt, soy sauce, milk, vegetable oils, whole grains, cheese, nuts etc

Water gives cells shape and acts as a medium where body processes can occur. It is the well known yet most important nutrient our body needs. It is also the most abundant type of liquid found in our body contributing 70% of our total mass. It helps to dissolve and carry the essential nutrients to all parts of the body. It is also needed to help maintain the body temperature and aids to carry away the body’s waste products.

Water:

In human body there are 70% of total mass is covered by water. Water gives cells shape and acts as a medium where body processes can occur. It is very necessary nutrient than available all nutrients. It is also the most abundant type of liquid found in human body. Water help maintain the body temperature and aids to carry away the body’s waste products.

We see that nutrition plays a very important role in our lives, each food and liquid contains its own nutrition value which is very necessary in our life. It could help to extend or decrease our life span as well as define our degree or livelihood. It helps in our mental and physical development as well. We must should aware about the food and liquid what we take regularly. Popper food in our daily life leads to a lifetime habit toward a healthy extended life.

By: Kirti Gupta

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Iron is of great importance in human nutrition for healthy blood and vitality. Though it is considered as a trace element, it is responsible for oxygen transport and cellular respiration.
Iron is found in the body

1) as iron porphyrins in haemoglobin, myoglobin

2) as iron enzymes in catalase, cytochrome and peroxidases.

3) as non-iron porphyrins in transferring, ferritin and haemosiderin. The iron content of the body is controlled by its absorption and not by excretion.

The total daily iron loss of an adult is less than 1 mg. During menstruation, the average loss is further 1 mg per day. It is excreted only in traces in urine, bile and faeces. The urinary loss is about 0.2 mg per day and adult. Iron loss occurs due to loss of blood in haemorrhage, loss integumental tissues, during menstrual period, and pregnance/labour. When red blood cells are broken down, the liberated iron is not excreted, but is reutilized in the formation of new red cells.

Whole blood contains about 45-50 mg of iron per 100 ml. All the red cells contain a total quantity of about 3 gm of iron. The rest of the body contains another 1-3 gm of iron. Iron is present in blood in two forms;1) as Plasma iron in the transport form-transferrin. It is in traces (0.10 mg per 100 ml) and keeps fluctuating inversely with decreased/increased rate of red cell information in aplastic/pernicious anaemias respectively.2) as Haemoglobin Iron which is about 50 mg of inorganic iron per 100 ml of blood, that accounts for 92-98% of total iron in blood.

Recommended Daily Allowance: The RDA of 1.0 mg/kg for infants, 20 mg for children, 25 mg for boys, 35 mg for girls, 24 mg for adult men, 32 mg during lactation is suggested. Normal diet provides required need. Adolescent boys/girls, and women during pregnancy and lactation need more of it. Infant lack in it as milk is deficient in Iorn, and foetal liver storage finishes in first 3 months. The body does not produce iorn; it absorbs iron from the food one eats. So the diet is a crucial factor.

Overload of iron occurs when the body can’t get rid of the mineral properly. Iron deficiency brings tiredness, but fatigue is also a common symptom to too much iron. Unchecked it can be responsible for diseases like arthritis. Too much of Iron will give you nausea, cause abdominal pain, constipation, and a damage to liver and heart. It can be toxic in excess, and can lead to cancer (due to cell damage), and heart attack, especially if your LDL level is high. This happens because iron with the help of oxygen oxidizes LDL (already in high level) to clog the arteries. Antioxidants play a role in preventing the disease. Since the need differs with age and gender, always check for iron in multivitamin tablet you take, and look for required mg of ferrous fumarate/sulphate, which is better absorbed.

Dietary Sources: All wholegrain cereals, pulses, legumes, jaggery, fish, and animal foods like egg, liver, meat etc. (except milk, butter), and vegetables like dry lotus stem, cauliflower greens, turnip greens, lentils, peas, green leafy ones and fruits like black currants, water melons, raisins, dried dates are good sources of Iron. The assimilation of iron in the body requires enzymes and gastric acids, for which iron-containing fruits which has own enzymes and acids be encouraged specially for elderly people. The bioavailability of iron in plant foods is low owing to the presence of phytates and oxalates, which interfere with iron absorption. Significant amounts of iron may be derived from cooking in iron vessels.

The iron in the diet is of two types. Heme iron present in red meat, fish and poultry is absorbed better (15-20%) and non-heme iron found in cereals, vegetables, dals, nuts and eggs (1.5%) is said to be absorbed poorly. One needs a lot of vitamin C to counter this. Just add a few drops of lime on leafy vegetables or a glass of orange juice after a meal. The surplus Heme iron when stored in body is more harmful (with higher risk of heart attacks) than a non-Heme iron.

Whole-wheat flour chapatti is better than white flour bread or rice based diet for iron nourishment. Additives in soft drinks are known to be inhibitors or iron absorption. When tea is taken with a meal, it may depress the absorption of iron by as much as 75%. The body has to use its natural resources in trying to throw out the low quality of processed, junk/fast food, cold drinks that we keep consuming. Don’t take iron along with a calcium supplement as it interferes with iron absorption. Know more about Iron Daily Requirements and its Sources

By: Dr John Anne

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Nowadays, almost all of the products that are purchased like food and drinks have labels containing necessary nutrition information. The necessary nutrition facts include servings per container, serving size, calories per serving, calories from fat, total fat, polyunsaturated fat, potassium, sodium, cholesterol content, dietary fibres, carbohydrates, protein content and sugars.

Additional facts on nutrition include mineral content which are solid homogeneous and inorganic substances that are found in nature. Vitamin-content is also an important part of each label.

Additional ingredients may also be included on the list. Most of these nutrition data are based on a 2,000-2,500 calorie diet.

Breaking the Common Notion

Scientific knowledge and nutrition are the bases for nutrition facts. Most consumers are confused over carbohydrates and calorie-content on foods. Some have the notion that carbohydrates cause weight gain when in fact, carbs are meant to fuel the body by powering up each cell. Carbohydrates are made up of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. Carbohydrates are found in foods such as vegetables, milk, honey, fruits, syrups, sugars, and grains.

Tips on Reading Labels

It would surprise you that reading food labels also involves basic computations such as subtraction, addition, multiplication and division. Knowing how to read labels on foods will enable you to make a knowledgeable decision as to whether or not a certain product would be beneficial for you.

It is always best to read food labels from top to bottom. The top portion often lists the amount which makes up a single serving. The next figure lists the total servings that are included in the package. Moving down the list, you would notice that you will see the exact amount of calories, fat, sodium and other nutrients. To the right of these nutrients, you would find the percentage of daily value that is required for these nutrients.

Not all of these percentages apply to you (or even to a majority of people) so don’t get too concerned over the percentages. What you should be looking for are the vitamins and minerals that the product contains.

When you are concerned about weight loss, you must be concerned about the number of calories that each product would contribute. The sodium content is the next thing that you should be worried about (eating too much sodium would make your body store extra fluid, thus, you will look bloated).

Understanding Daily Values

Daily values are an important part of the nutrition label. They are the best guide that you can have toward healthy eating and they can replace the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances. Daily values are listed for 2,000-2,500 calorie consumption each day. If you are required to eat less, then your personal daily value may be lower (if you are required to eat more, then your daily values should also be properly adjusted).

The percentage of daily value is a good tool to check a food’s nutrient content. According to the USFDA, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association, these are the nutrient daily values for 2,000 and 2,500 calorie consumptions:

Total fat
Less than 65 grams for 2,000 calorie diets
Less than 80 grams for 2,500 calorie diets

Saturated fat
Less than 20 grams
Less than 25 grams

Cholesterol
Less than 300 milligrams for both diets

Total carbohydrate
Less than 300 grams
Less than 375 grams

Sodium
Less than 2,400 milligrams for both calorie diets

Fibre
25 grams
30 grams

Understanding the contents of labels would be tantamount to knowing the value of nutrition that you would be consuming so take time to read the next time you purchase any type of food.

By: Benedict Yossarian

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In this day and age, many people are concerned with not only their health, but their looks as well. In the aesthetics-worshipping twenty first century, healthy skin is a definite desire among a large cross-section of the population. What few people know is that nutrition for healthy skin is the basis for achieving this desire. Healthy skin and good nutrition generally go hand in hand. While it is impossible to prevent the process of aging skin, healthy eating can lead you to a more glowing and healthy complexion.

One recommendation that plenty of doctors recommend would be to get enough water on a daily basis. Also, your health can be promoted by eating healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and fish. Another way to aid your skin and general well-being would be through the use of supplements. There are plenty of supplements out there, and while some do not necessarily do what they promise, there are more than enough that will help your health.

Vitamin A is one key ingredient to healthy skin. Used in many acne treatment oils, supplements of Vitamin A have been shown to help prevent acne and skin cancer. However, you must be careful not to overdose on this supplement as it can result in liver problems. Scientific studies have shown that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, yogurt, eggs, vegetable oils, whole grains, tea, and water results in less photo-aging and skin wrinkling then those who consume foods such as red meat, whole milk, butter, sugary products and potatoes.

Antioxidants can also be very helpful with regards to nutrition for healthy skin. Antioxidants can prevent damage done to cells by free radicals, which damage cell membranes. This can help to naturally protect your skin against the harmful effects of the sun. Basically, your best bet is to have a low-fat, healthy diet, while regularly taking healthy supplements and drinking plenty of water.

For more information on healthy supplements and nutritional information, check out…

By: John Gibb

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