Do you have to take vitamin D with calcium supplements? Should I even bother?

Question

I take a calcium suppliment that has magnesium and zinc along with many other vitamins. I have also read on MSNBC that calcium actually has had no effect on bone health for women. Should I even bother taking the suppliment?

Answer 1

Without a doubt, the best source of vitamins and minerals are in the foods we eat. You will not find a better source of calcium and vitamin D than in milk. Most of the calcium in supplements is not absorbed by the body, but passes straight through. Calcium is by it's nature very hard and very hard to digest, so by the time your body breaks it down into something that it can use from a tablet or pill, it is pretty much through your system. They do not hurt and give you some small benefit, but you would be better off drinking a glass of 2% milk every day.

Answer 2

I sure don't know why anyone would say calcium doesn't do any good for us. Calcium is really important for the bones, especially now as ladies aren't ingesting as many or as much milk products. The vitamin D is normally already added to the calcium and says so on the bottle. Get a calcium with the D already added, they're very easy to find.

Answer 3

If the calcium supplement does not already contain Vitamin D, then you should take it, too.

Calcium IS effective for women's bone health but you do need Vitamin D to absorb it.

Don't stop taking it!