Everyone wants to have beautiful, and most importantly, he althy teeth. To make it so, parents force their kids to drink milk, eat cottage cheese and semolina, and advertising forces viewers to take dietary supplements that contain calcium for teeth and bones (the chemical sign of the element Ca). Of course, milk and cottage cheese are very useful. There is also some truth in advertising of dietary supplements, but not all of them are equally valuable in replenishing the body with the necessary macro- and microelements. Find out which of the calcium preparations on the pharmaceutical market are useful and which are useless, our article suggests.
Why do we need calcium
Let's repeat the common truth: calcium is necessary for teeth and bones, like air for breathing. It is relatively abundant in the earth's crust, as much as 3.38% of the total mass, but it is so chemically active that it practically does not exist in its pure form. It is mainly found in various compounds (gypsum, marble, lime). Some people enjoy chewing on chalk, which is made up ofcalcium carbonate and various chemical additives that do not have the most beneficial effects on the body. Therefore, it is wiser to use medications with calcium, and use chalk for household needs.
Why does the body need calcium, everyone knows - it strengthens bones and teeth, because in these tissues it is the main building material. But not everyone knows that calcium is needed for the proper contraction of the heart muscles, the production of hormones, maintaining the osmotic pressure of the blood and the regulation of its coagulability. Here is the desired chemical element.
Why is there a calcium deficiency in the teeth?
Additional calcium for teeth and bones in the form of vitamins and dietary supplements, despite the calls of advertising, is not always needed and not for everyone. Exchange processes are constantly taking place in the human body. In bone tissues, they are carried out extremely slowly. Teeth and bones, containing 99% of all calcium in the body, can be called a kind of "pantry" of this element. There is little of it in the blood, but the metabolism there is very fast, and the calcium that a person consumes with food is used. If it is enough, all processes proceed smoothly. If this macronutrient begins to be lacking, the brain gives the command to take it from the "pantries", that is, teeth and bones, which is why they are gradually destroyed. That's when the need arises for the purchase of special drugs. Causes of calcium deficiency can be as follows:
- poor nutrition;
- lack of vitamin D, without which Ca cannot be absorbed;
- some diseases(pancreatitis, thyroid and kidney problems, bowel disease, allergies, candidiasis and others);
- taking diuretics;
- taking laxatives (long term);
- pregnancy;
- stress;
- alcohol abuse;
- smoking.
Natural sources of calcium
Many doctors believe: if a properly eating person does not have the above he alth problems, he does not need additional calcium for his teeth and for the body in general. This macronutrient is found in foods such as poppy (it holds the record, it contains 1460 mg of Ca in 100 grams), sesame, almonds, hazelnuts, parsley, rose hips, milk, whey. But in cottage cheese Ca is only 80 mg per 100 grams, but it has a lot of protein. Some foods help wash out calcium. These are all fats and sweets. There are also products that prevent its absorption. These are spinach, currants, sorrel, chicken, fruits and vegetables that contain a lot of fiber. Therefore, in order for the calcium received by the body not to be lost and absorbed completely, it is impossible to combine, for example, milk and a sweet bun, and all preparations containing the Ca element must be drunk between meals.
Norms of calcium and other important elements
Throughout life, a person needs a lot of vitamins, macro- and microelements, and for each age the norms differ. This must be taken into account when choosing calcium preparations for teeth. It is important to remember that pure calcium is not absorbed. This requires vitamin D3. Excepthelp with absorption of calcium in the intestines, D3 helps regulate its amount in the blood, promotes proper bone growth and healing of their fractures. A person gets D3 from various foods, plus it is produced by exposure to the sun. Other vitamins (A, C, E, B) and trace elements also help calcium to absorb and perform its functions in the body.
| Age (years) | 0-1 | 1-3 | 3-10 | 10-25 | 25-55 | After 55 | Pregnant |
| Ca (mg) | 270 | 500 | 800 | 1000-1200 | 800-1000 | 1200 | 1200-1500 |
| D3 (µg) | 10 | 10 | 2, 5-3 | 2, 5 | 2, 5 | 2, 5 | 2, 5 |
Need for other vitamins:
- A - Infant 0.5mg, Adolescent 1mg, Adult 2mg, Pregnancy 2.5mg.
- E - 8 to 10 mg, but those who do not eat meat, the norm is higher - from 16 to 20 mg.
- C - from 70 to 100 mg, for pregnant women up to 150 mg.
- B1 – 1.6 to 2.5 mg.
- B2 – 1.3 to 2.4 mg.
- B3 - 5 mg, for pregnant women up to 10 mg.
- B5 – 6 to 8 mcg.
- B6 – 1.7 to 2.2 mg
- B8 – from 1 to 1.5 y.
- B12 - 3 mcg, for pregnant women 4 mcg.
Balanced compositionAll substances necessary for the body are available only in natural products. They also contain the best calcium for teeth. Its lack in the initial stages can be suspected by the following signs:
- irritability, insomnia;
- muscle cramps, nervous tic;
- poor immunity;
- high blood pressure;
- hair loss in large quantities.
And symptoms such as brittle bones and dental problems do not appear immediately. Therefore, all people, even those who are doing well with their teeth, should eat he althy vitamin and calcium-containing foods every day.
"Folk" drugs
According to the generally accepted opinion, the source of calcium can be:
- eggshell;
- chalk;
- lime.
Research by scientists has shown that chicken eggshells contain very "good" calcium for teeth. There it is about 90%, and all of it is perfectly absorbed. The remaining 10% account for 27 trace elements important for humans, including iodine, sulfur, iron, magnesium, sodium, molybdenum, potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. Doctors recommend taking eggshells as a dietary supplement for those diagnosed with calcium deficiency. The disadvantage of such a drug is the method of its preparation. The shell must not only be thoroughly washed, but also boiled, separated from the film and ground into powder.
Chalk and lime in their composition also contain a lot of Ca, but do not contain D3 and other vitamins at all, so all the calcium present there can be called "bad". Once in the gastrointestinal tract, it is not absorbed, but settles in the intestines, destroys the microflora there and does not allow any other products to be absorbed. As a result, a person gets constipation, flatulence, dysbacteriosis.
Calcium in medicines
The pharmaceutical industry produces several categories of dietary supplements containing calcium for teeth, vitamins and trace elements. Let's compare their composition by the percentage of the main substance Ca:
- calcium carbonate - 40%;
- calcium gluconate - 9%;
- calcium citrate - 21%;
- calcium lactate - 13%;
- calcium chloride - 10%;
- calcium glycerophosphate - 200 mg per tablet.
It is important to note that the human body not only "takes" the chemical element Ca, but also "gives it away". For example, when receiving 1000 mg of it, approximately 900 mg is excreted in the feces and urine. Therefore, you need to add new Sa daily.
Quick overview of calcium types
With an abundance of all kinds of therapeutic and prophylactic agents on the pharmaceutical market, buyers face the question of what kind of calcium for teeth to buy.
One of the best doctors call calcium lactate. It is well absorbed, does not irritate the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. It cannot be used by those who are lactose intolerant, suffering from thrombosis, atherosclerosis, who have bone metastases. Another disadvantage of the drug is that calcium lactate can cause heartburn.
Calcium citrate is highly absorbable, with virtually no side effects, but reduces the absorption of someantibiotics of the tetracycline group, quinols (among them ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin), bisphosphonates, estramustine, levothyroxine.
Calcium carbonate in the stomach reacts with the hydrochloric acid there, resulting in the formation of CO2. At the same time, a person is tormented by bloating, belching, colic. The advantage of calcium carbonate is its relative cheapness.
Calcium gluconate for teeth is the most common and cheapest. It is prescribed as a therapeutic and as a prophylactic drug. It is produced in solutions for intravenous administration and in tablets of 500 or 250 mg. Since there is very little pure calcium in them, and an adult must consume 15 grams of calcium gluconate daily, this will be 30 tablets (500 mg) and 60 tablets (250 mg)!
Calcium chloride is available exclusively as solutions for intravenous or oral administration. Injections with it are called "hot" because of the burning sensation they cause. They are quite painful, help lower blood pressure, and can provoke acidosis. Taking a mixture of calcium chloride causes irritation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Calcium glycerophosphate is well absorbed, but can cause vomiting, diarrhea, allergic rashes, however, this drug leaves two useful elements in the body at once - calcium and phosphorus.
Brief characteristics of drugs for adults
In every pharmacy there are quite a lot of medicines and prophylactic products, which contain calcium for teeth. Here are just a few ofthem:
-
"Calcium D3 Nycomed" contains in each tablet 500 mg of Ca and 200 IU of vitamin D3.
-
"Calcium D3 Nycomed Forte" contains 500 mg of calcium and 400 IU of D3.
Both drugs are prescribed as an additional source of calcium for the prevention and treatment of bone diseases and teeth, against brittle nails and hair loss. Available in fruit and mint flavored chewable tablets. Analogue - Complivit Calcium D3.
- Natekal D3 is also available as a chewable tablet. One contains Ca 600 mg, and vitamin D3 - 400 IU. This drug is convenient for people who need more calcium daily (pregnant women, the elderly, athletes).
- "Vitrum Calcium + D3" is available in tablets that need to be swallowed and washed down with water. Each Ca 500 mg, D3 200 IU. This drug regulates the exchange of not only calcium, but also phosphorus, compensates for the lack of Ca and D3.
Calcium for children's teeth
Babies can be given calcium supplements even before their teeth erupt. The reason is stunting, underweight, rickets. For children, calcium preparations are available in the form of tasty chewable tablets with various flavors, and for babies in the form of a powder from which to prepare a suspension.
Among the well-proven drugs are:
- "Complivit calcium D3". Comes with a measuring spoon to prepare the solution, take the exact amount of powder.
- "Multi-tabs". This preparation contains calcium plus a whole complex of vitamins necessary for a growing child's body. Issued separately for different ages (up to a year, up to four years, up to eleven).
- "Tiens". This is a drug in the form of a powder, from which you need to prepare a solution. The manufacturer recommends taking it with food.
Reviews
Many people take calcium as a prophylactic or treatment for their teeth. Reviews of the visible effect are generally positive. Many note an improvement in the condition of tooth enamel, nails (they stop exfoliating), and hair. Parents report that their children after taking calcium-containing preparations have improved the condition of their teeth, strengthened immunity, and improved posture.
As disadvantages, some respondents note abdominal pain after taking calcium-containing drugs, skin rashes, increased gas formation.
