Calcium supplements - which one?
#343637 - 03/25/09 09:51 AM
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Vix
Reged: 03/25/09
Posts: 2
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I'm a 37-year-old female and need to take a calcium supplement. So far I can't decide which brand to buy after carefully reading the ingredient labels and discovering that they contain sucrose. My IBS gut is sensitive to fake sugars like sucralose and aspartame/phenylalanine. I'm concerned that sucrose will irritate my stomach and make me sick. Thoughts, ideas and suggestions recommended. Thanks!
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Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose and is commonly known as table sugar. Table sugar does NOT trigger IBS and is NOT an artificial sweetener. With that said, you don't need the sugar in the supplement so if you can find one with the sugar that's okay too.
I would make sure you are taking the right form of Calcium to avoid exacerbated IBS symptoms. Calcium, magnesium, and iron all require special consideration as well. Calcium can have a constipating effect, which can be helpful or hurtful depending on your symptoms. Magnesium can have a laxative effect, and this too can either aid or exacerbate IBS, depending on the individual. For many folks with IBS, it's best to make sure that your mineral supplement is not giving you a megadose of either one of these ingredients, but simply a balance of the two. Calcium carbonate contains just calcium and no magnesium, and is a good choice if you always tend towards diarrhea. If you're IBS-C (prone to constipation), try calcium citrate instead, which contains magnesium. With either form of calcium, there should be Vitamin D included in the supplement as well for the best possible absorption. It's a good idea to take only 500 mg. of calcium per dose, as your body may not be able to absorb more than this all at once.
You can read more about vitamins at this link http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/faq.asp#vitamin.
Best,
Erin
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Erin Dudley, MS, CN
Certified Nutritionist
Heather's Tummy Care / Heather & Company for IBS, LLC
IBS Education, Support, & Products
Toll Free: 866 640 4942 Direct: 206 264 8069 Fx: 206 264 8072
80 S. Washington St. #304, Seattle, WA 98104 USA
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This email is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Any application of the recommendations in this email is at the reader's discretion. Heather Van Vorous and Heather & Company for IBS, LLC are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this email and/or any web site(s) linked to/from it. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this email
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IBS-C, Gas, Bloating, HURTING!
I'm married and it's so wonderful!
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Thanks so much for your detailed response, Erin! I'm not sure how I missed that sucrose is just another name for table sugar. Duh! I guess that's what I get for merely scanning Wikipedia's information! My eyes read something about "chemical synthesis" and I automatically thought, "Oh, it's another faux sugar. Pass!" It would be nice if manufacturers used plain language on their labels. You know, just say it's sugar instead of sucrose. It gets confusing! Again, thank you for your reply. I appreciated the feedback. I'm ready to go out and buy some calcium now, armed with your information. If only cold medicine makers would substitute sucralose and aspartame for real sugar, my joy would be complete.
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I am so glad that helped you! Those labels are so confusing and they use terms that purposefully confuse us.
I wish you all the best,
Erin
--------------------
Erin Dudley, MS, CN
Certified Nutritionist
Heather's Tummy Care / Heather & Company for IBS, LLC
IBS Education, Support, & Products
Toll Free: 866 640 4942 Direct: 206 264 8069 Fx: 206 264 8072
80 S. Washington St. #304, Seattle, WA 98104 USA
Patient Support Site: HelpForIBS.com
Wholesale Accounts: HeathersTummyCare.com
Co-Packing Services
Join Heather's IBS Newsletter Here
Join us on Facebook!
Join us on MySpace!
LEGAL DISCLAIMER - This email is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Any application of the recommendations in this email is at the reader's discretion. Heather Van Vorous and Heather & Company for IBS, LLC are not liable for any direct or indirect claim, loss or damage resulting from use of this email and/or any web site(s) linked to/from it. Readers should consult their own physicians concerning the recommendations in this email
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