Calcium is essential for the excellent health and development of your baby. Your baby needs calcium since it can’t produce calcium on its own. This mineral is vital for building healthy bones and teeth. Infants and toddlers who require large amounts of calcium, absorb about 60 percent through their digestive system, from the calcium obtained through their diets.
Calcium absorption decreases with age and from the age of 35, and upwards the human body tends to lose more calcium than absorbing it. The calcium that your child absorbs from childhood up to the age of 20 is essential for the integrity of your kid’s calcium stores. It’s critical to maintain a positive calcium balance even after this growth period, through healthy lifestyles, nutrition, and best calcium supplement if needed.
The RDA of calcium for babies from 0-6 months is 200mg. And for babies from 7-12 months is 260 mg. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children who are 1-3 years old get 700mg. Bone mass accretion of your baby during its first year of life is equal to or greater than that achieved at any other stage of life, including adolescence.
Unfortunately, most children get much less than their recommended daily requirements of calcium. This factor makes it essential to think about calcium as you plan your child’ diet.
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Who needs the best calcium supplement?
Infants and babies who exhibit low levels of calcium (hypocalcemia) in their blood require the best calcium supplement. Neonatal hypocalcemia occurs in infants just after birth. It happens within first two days after birth. Late hypocalcemia occurs between the fifth to 10th days of life. Drinking cow’s milk or formula with too much phosphate may be the cause.
The symptoms of neonatal hypocalcemia include poor feeding, jitteriness, and apnea or slowed breathing, seizures, tachycardia, faster than a regular heartbeat. Doctor’s diagnose it by testing an infant’s blood for total calcium level or ionized calcium level. Treatment involves intravenous supplementation of calcium, followed by several days of oral calcium supplements for babies.
What is calcium?
Calcium a mineral found in your body is naturally present in some foods, added to others and even available in dietary supplements. Calcium is essential for muscle function, vascular contraction and vasodilation, intracellular signaling, hormonal secretion, and nerve transmission. All these features require just one percent of calcium.
The remaining 99 percent of calcium is stored in your bones, and teeth where it supports their structure and function. Your body uses your bone tissue as a reservoir of calcium, to maintain the constant level of calcium in the blood, muscles and intracellular fluids.
Your bones may seem like hard and lifeless structures, but they are a living tissue. Your body continuously breaks down old bones through a process called resorption and deposit new bone. Bones are made of collagen and non-collagen proteins and gets fortified with calcium.
If you don’t take enough calcium in your diet, your body extracts calcium from the bones, resulting in loss of bone strength and mass. This condition leads to thin, fragile bones and results in osteoporosis. Vitamin D, calcium, vitamin K2, and magnesium are needed for healthy bone growth.
Vitamin D, magnesium, phosphate and vitamin K2 are essential for your bones. The skeletal calcium balance is maintained by vitamin D which promotes calcium absorption in your intestines. The minerals calcium and phosphate depend upon Vitamin D for bone formation. Magnesium helps to build a stable bone matrix. The calcium you absorb gets cemented by vitamin K2 into your bone matrix. This vitamin prevents the deposition of calcium on the inside of your blood vessels which causes atherosclerosis.
Several nutrients especially vitamin D, helps the body to absorb it. Your baby’s blood transports the calcium that is not needed for other body processes to the bones. Here the blood adds it to the bone mass and is stored for when it is required for the rest of the body.
Calcium deficiency causes some severe problems in babies. Osteopenia, fractures, and rickets due to nutrient deficiencies can occur during infancy, particularly in preterm infants. The causes for calcium deficiency in babies include low oxygen availability during childbirth. If you have diabetes, then it is likely that your infant will have lower levels of calcium in his body. Medications like Gentamicin can reduce calcium levels in your baby’s body and even lead to hypocalcemia.
If you feed your baby phosphorous rich formula milk or cow’s milk, it can lead to hypocalcemia. Since vitamin D enhances calcium absorption in the body, its deficiency may promote low calcium levels. DiGeorge Syndrome (DGS), a defect in chromosome no. 22 of 23 can cause low calcium levels.
Congenital hypothyroidism can act as a trigger for hypocalcemia. If you have low Vitamin D or low calcium levels, your baby is more likely to contract calcium deficiency. The premature babies are often susceptible to hypocalcemia. Calcium must be obtained from food sources or the best calcium supplement for babies. It’s important to check whether the calcium supplement has vitamin D, to ensure enhanced absorption.
Rickets a bone disorder is characterized by soft bones and skeletal deformities. It can arise from a deficiency of vitamin D or calcium, or from low levels of both nutrients. The lack of vitamin D is a constant culprit in the development of rickets. If you keep your baby protected from sun exposure or if your baby cannot or do not eat dairy products, calcium deficiencies might occur.
If you suspect that your baby has a deficiency in calcium or vitamin D, consult a pediatrician and get his blood tested for these two nutrients. Make sure your child gets at least the minimum recommended amount of each nutrient every day by providing a diet high in both vitamin D and calcium or through the best calcium supplement. Expose your baby to sunshine every day for a few minutes; it ensures adequate levels of vitamin D production in your baby.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you should not introduce solid foods to your baby, until six months of age. For the first 4 to 6 months of your child’s life, feed him only breast milk or infant formula. Thankfully both of them supply more than enough vitamins and minerals, including calcium to meet your baby’s growing needs.
If you’re a lactating mom, then be sure to have enough calcium in your diet. You can obtain extra needed calcium from food sources and best calcium supplement. Research studies say that low levels of calcium may cause bone loss in gums and teeth.
“But this research indicates that nursing mothers should be especially conscious of having enough Calcium in their diet. While breast milk is critical to their baby’s bone development, mothers should be sure to have enough calcium, or risk bone loss in her mouth, which can worsen periodontal diseases. Given that a thorough periodontal evaluation should be done as soon as a woman finds out that she is pregnant, monitoring periodontal tissues, including more frequent cleanings during pregnancy and continuing until 3 months after delivery, will help assure periodontal health,” says Dr. Preston D. Miller, DDS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology.
What are the health benefits of calcium?
Calcium plays a wide range of biological roles. The most critical task of calcium is to strengthen your bones. Calcium also plays a crucial role in regulating the appropriate functioning of the body muscles such as muscle relaxation and muscle contraction. Calcium is associated with regularizing the normal operation of the heart. Calcium has also been recognized to play a significant role in the transmission of nerve impulses, the activity of the various body enzymes and prevention of periodontal disease.
Strengthens bones
Calcium is involved in the growth and maintenance of bones. 90% of your bone mass develops before 20 years of age, and half of that bone mass gets produced from 11-15 years of age. To have healthy bones, children and adolescents need to consume enough calcium to build up the bone mass that they will need throughout their lives.
Without enough calcium present in your body, bones are in danger of becoming weak and pliable. Therefore the bones may be more prone to fractures and breaks. To provide a robust skeletal bone framework, give calcium to your kids mainly from natural foods sources and also from some best calcium supplement.
Reduces postpartum depression
Postpartum depression also called postnatal depression, is a kind of mood disorder that links up with childbirth. It can affect both genders. Symptoms may include anxiety, extreme sadness, low energy, crying episodes, changes in sleeping or eating patterns and irritability. Onset is typically between one week and one month following childbirth. The condition can also negatively affect the person’s child.
According to a study published in NEJM Journal Watch, because of the high occurrence of postpartum depression and its long-term effects on infants, researchers have investigated strategies for managing this disorder, most of which have involved treating acute episodes of depression after the onset of symptoms.
Researchers randomized women, starting at 11 and 21 weeks gestation, to receive placebo or 2000 mg of elemental calcium (calcium carbonate tablets) in daily divided doses. At 12 weeks postpartum the investigators evaluated 247 women and found a significantly lower prevalence of postpartum depression in calcium-treated women than in placebo recipients. These data suggest that the best calcium supplement has a positive preventive effect on postpartum depression.
Protects cardiac muscles
Specialized muscle cells called cardiomyocytes make up your heart muscle. These cells work automatically without missing a single beat. Adequate amounts of calcium in your diet helps in proper relaxation and contraction of heart muscles. It also maintains correct pressure in your arteries. The mineral calcium is critical in triggering timely and robust contractions in the cardiac tissue to circulating blood throughout your body.
Defends against cancer
Research studies say, there is a highly significant link between calcium and vitamin D intake and a reduced risk of death from at least fifteen types of cancers. The colon, breast, gastric, renal, endometrial, and ovarian cancer studies show a significant negative relationship between oral intake of calcium and cancer occurrence.
According to a study Jan. 17 issue of the Journal of the NationalCancerInstitute, Calcium protects high-risk people from developing the polyps which lead to colorectal cancer. It has a lasting benefit even if calcium supplementation ends.
Reduces Premenstrual Depression
If you suffer from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), calcium may be the most critical nutrient for you. Whether you get calcium from food or best calcium supplement or a combination of both, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the right amount. PMS symptoms include depression irritability, fatigue, abdominal cramps, breast tenderness, and headaches.
Researchers analyzed data collected over ten years from nurses 27-44 years old who participated in a long-term health study that included more than 1,000 women with PMS. “We found women with high intakes of both calcium and vitamin D did have significantly reduced PMS risk,” University of Massachusetts researcher Elizabeth R. Bertone-Johnson, ScD, tells WebMD.
Helps in weight loss
Calcium plays a crucial role in body weight regulation, especially in fat metabolism. It also helps to lower your cholesterol. In a study, researchers noticed that people having high cholesterol levels of 240 to 260 reduced their total cholesterol by six percent when they took in an extra 1,800 mg of calcium per day. The best part is that the bad cholesterol that leads to coronary artery disease dropped by 11 percent.
Research studies have shown that calcium modulates the inflammatory response to increase weight loss. A recent study found that an increase in dietary calcium intake together with a regular protein intake enhanced energy excretion and fecal fat by about 350 calories per day.This observation may help explain why a high-calcium diet produces weight loss. It also suggests that interaction with dietary protein level may be necessary.
Several studies have shown that calcium plays a crucial role in body weight regulation, especially in fat metabolism (with possible effects on fat oxidation, lipolysis, lipogenesis, and appetite suppression and energy expenditure) and the best calcium supplement is useful for those looking to decrease weight and body fat.
Calcium reduces risk of type 2 diabetes
Calcium and vitamin D may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in people with pre-diabetes. Researchers found that pre-diabetes participants who consumed vitamin D (700 IU a day) and calcium (500 mg a day) for three years had a small-scale rise in fasting blood glucose in comparison with those who took a placebo pill.
“Vitamin D and calcium may have direct effects on the pancreatic beta cells to enhance insulin secretion, “There may also be beneficial effects on insulin resistance, but the mechanisms are not clear,” says Anastassios Pittas, M.D., assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
Prevents periodontal disease
Periodontal disease or gum disease is caused by plaque, the sticky film of bacteria that is always forming on our teeth. It is a significant cause of tooth loss in adults. Because gum disease is usually painless, you may not know you have it. Advanced gum disease is called periodontitis. It may lead to the loss of tissue and jawbone that support your teeth which can increase in severity over time. In such a case, your teeth will feel loose and start moving around in your mouth.
Calcium protects your teeth by keeping your jaw bone sturdy and healthy throughout your life. This action ensures tight fitting teeth which prevent growth and propagation of bacteria. Thus, before your teeth and gums start to give you any trouble, be sure to maintain a calcium-rich diet.
What are the precautions of calcium supplements?
Before using any best calcium supplement tell your doctor about any allergies you have. The calcium product may contain inactive ingredients that cause allergic reactions and other problems. Talk to your doctor if you suffer from kidney disease, little or no stomach acid, pancreatic disease, lung disease, heart disease, malabsorption syndrome.
Some sugar-free formulations of calcium supplements may have aspartame. If you have phenylketonuria or any other condition, then act accordingly to the advice of your doctor. Inform your doctor about your pregnancy, before taking calcium supplements. This medication passes into breast milk. So consult your doctor before breastfeeding.
What is the best calcium supplement for babies?
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The Honest Company Calcium & Vitamin D3 Gummy, 60 Count
Overview:
These calcium gummies contain 78% organic ingredients certified by USDA. The Honest Company Calcium contains only natural flavors and no genetically modified products. It is made without gelatin and includes vegetarian approved fruit pectin base for gummy deliciousness. This best calcium supplement for babies has got gluten-free certification from the Gluten-Free Certified Organization.
This product is an excellent source of calcium and Vitamin D3 to help support healthy bones and teeth. It comes in a variety of flavors such as strawberry, orange and banana and your kids are sure to love it. “Finally found a vitamin with just calcium and D3 (cholecalciferol) as our pediatrician recommended…. I like that it doesn’t have artificial, unneeded ingredients and that these are GMO-free. My kids love the taste, too,” writes Heather, a verified Amazon purchase reviewer.
Pros
- Contains calcium and vitamin D3
- USDA Certified
- No GMOs
- Certified gluten-free
- Comes in variety of natural flavors
Cons
- Too sugary taste
Natural Dynamix Calcium and Vitamin D Chewable Cuties
Overview:
Gummy cuties contain calcium and vitamin D. They are made with the highest quality ingredients. This best calcium supplement for babies includes 200 mg of calcium and 200 IU of Vitamin D per serving.
“My kiddo likes the way these taste. And we can’t believe it, but in less than three months of using them, he has grown amazingly taller- and he’s always been a super short kid, so we are all thrilled! And he’s finally lost his first teeth in that time too- he needed this calcium- will continue to use this,” writes Happy to help a verified purchase customer.
Pros
- Contains Vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption
- Gluten free
- Great Taste
- Includes natural color
- Preservative-free
Cons
- Some kids don’t like taste
Lil Critters Calcium Gummy Bears with Vitamin D3, 150 Count
Overview:
This best calcium supplement provides calcium along with vitamin D3. Lil Critters contain only naturally sourced flavors such as black cherry, orange, and strawberry. “I have picky eaters that don’t always eat all the calcium-rich foods that they should. I’ve found this to be a great supplement for them. They are yummy tasting too! I can’t find them locally anymore, so I’m always sure to stay stocked up from Amazon” says Vaults a verified purchase customer.
Pros
- Made of natural-sourced flavors
- One serving of Lil Critters contains equivalent to 5oz milk
- Great taste
Cons
- Gummies are hard
- Some kids don’t like taste
Salaam Nutritionals Halal Calcium+Vitamin D Gummies
Overview:
Calcium+ Vitamin D gummies include all natural products. It contains no artificial, preservatives, flavors or colors. This best calcium supplement is free from gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanut and tree nuts. This best calcium supplement is halal, gelatin free, pectin, and made in the USA. This brand of calcium contains gummies for both adult and children.
“Great product! My nine-year-old daughter cannot have any dairy and has to take a daily calcium supplement. We have struggled to find something that provides the amount of calcium she needs, doesn’t come in a chalky tablet form and doesn’t contain the other food allergens she has. When I came across these, I thought we would give them a try. Now, we have no issues getting her to take her calcium supplement”, says L. Hudson, a verified purchase customer.
Pros
- Contains calcium and vitamin D
- Free from dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, peanut and tree nuts
- No artificial flavor, preservatives or color
- Halal and gelatin free
Cons
- Gummies are large
- Some kids don’t like taste
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Our choice for the best calcium supplement for babies
On comparing the close contenders for the best calcium supplement, we found The Honest Company Calcium & Vitamin D3 Gummy to be the best calcium supplement. This best calcium supplement contains calcium and vitamin D3 to support your kids’ skeletal growth.
This product contains organic ingredients that are certified by USDA. It is Non-GMO suitable for most diets including gluten free and vegetarian. These calcium gummies do not contain gelatin and come in a variety of natural flavors. With all these positive factors you get it at a very reasonable price.
Overall in our opinion, we consider The Honest Company Calcium as the best calcium supplement.
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