milk vs. calcium supplement?

[youngman]

I asked this question in two other forums, didn't get a good answer. i am asking it again.

why do they say that it is better to drink milk than taking calcium supplement?

milk has also added Vitamin D. and vit D in the supplement and milk are both lipid soluable.

so what is the difference? i can't understand.

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[cooldreams]

I asked this question in two other forums, didn't get a good answer. i am asking it again.

why do they say that it is better to drink milk than taking calcium supplement?

milk has also added Vitamin D. and vit D in the supplement and milk are both lipid soluable.

so what is the difference? i can't understand.

maybe a better question now to ask would be who "they" are?

many ppl think it is better to take natural substances than specific drugs. while this may be the case in some instances it is not in all....

 

[youngman]

well, i read a textbook, it claims that it is better to drink milk because supplements may not be pure, and may be contaminated, etc.

on the other hand, vitamin D is not water soluable, so it will accumulate in the body. no one has set a limit on how much milk one can drink per day. but if one drinks a lot, it is obvious that vitamin D will accumulate in the body, it could get to a toxic level.

that is the part that i don't understand.

 

[jdpharmd?]

I asked this question in two other forums, didn't get a good answer. i am asking it again.

why do they say that it is better to drink milk than taking calcium supplement?

milk has also added Vitamin D. and vit D in the supplement and milk are both lipid soluable.

so what is the difference? i can't understand.

Relative bioavailability of calcium-rich dietary sources in the elderly.

Martini L, Wood RJ.

Mineral Bioavailability Laboratory, Jean Mayer US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, Boston.

BACKGROUND: The recent increase in the dietary calcium recommendation from 800 to 1200 mg/d for persons aged > 51 y has made it important to identify alternative high-calcium dietary sources that the elderly can use in meeting their calcium requirement. OBJECTIVE: We determined the bioavailability of calcium from 3 different sources: orange juice fortified with calcium-citrate malate, skim milk, and a calcium carbonate supplement. DESIGN: Twelve subjects [9 women and 3 men with a mean (+/- SEM) age of 70 +/- 3 and 76 +/- 6 y, respectively] consumed low-calcium (300 mg/d) and high-calcium (1300 mg/d) diets for three 1-wk periods each during a 6-wk crossover study. The acute biochemical response to calcium from each of the 3 sources was assessed during a 4-h period after the initial breakfast meal of the high-calcium diet. RESULTS: Postprandial suppression of serum parathyroid hormone did not differ significantly between the test meals containing calcium-fortified orange juice, the calcium carbonate supplement, and milk. This finding suggests that the calcium bioavailability from the 3 sources was equivalent. During the 1-wk high-calcium diet periods, fasting serum calcium increased by 3% (P < 0.0001), serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D decreased by 20% (P < 0.0001), and a biomarker of bone resorption (serum N-telopeptide collagen cross-links) decreased by 14% (P < 0.02) compared with the low-calcium diet period. However, no differences among the supplemental calcium sources were found in these calcium-responsive measures or fasting serum parathyroid hormone concentration. CONCLUSIONS: In elderly subjects, the calcium bioavailability of the 3 high-calcium dietary sources tested was equivalent, during both the acute postprandial and longer-term periods.

PMID: 12450902 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


The vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium. "People" usually say that getting vitamins/minerals from foods is better than from supplements. In part, I think that it can be attributed to healthy people getting nutrients from healthy foods (and being "healthy). It's not quite the same as subsisting on a diet of bacon, and then taking 15 vitamins/minerals.

 

[jdpharmd?]

on the other hand, vitamin D is not water soluable, so it will accumulate in the body. no one has set a limit on how much milk one can drink per day. but if one drinks a lot, it is obvious that vitamin D will accumulate in the body, it could get to a toxic level.

that is the part that i don't understand.

Vitamin D- Tolerable Upper Limit: 2,000 IU/day. Milk usually has ~300-400iu. I guess there is some hoopla that the TEL is too low, but crazy vitamin people say that about everything.

 

[bananaface]

Oyster shell calcium generally contains alot of heavy metals, so calcium citrate is alot better to use as a supplement.

I agree with JD that "people" aka nutritionists , have long encouraged people to modify their diets in lieu of taking supplements. If you have a need to increase calcium intake, it's really your choice as to whether you prefer to use a supplement or foods. Whichever is more likely to work for you is the better choice in my eyes.

BTW milk is no more pure than anything else. It comes out of a cow, for crying out loud!

 

[Lexian]

BTW milk is no more pure than anything else. It comes out of a cow, for crying out loud!

I'd have to agree with this, especially in this day and age when people worry about what we're adding to certain animals to make them produce more. I may be wrong, but don't they add certain steroids to cause the cows to produce more milk? If so, those steroids or their byproducts would probably somehow make their way into the cow's milk production as well where it could be consumed by us.

 

[youngman]

that is a good point. maybe it is the diary industry's trick to make us drink more milk.

from what i have read so far from this thread, i think that there is no difference b/w drinking milk and taking Calcium supplement for Calcium intake.

so in a way, if a person drinks too much milk, it can also be harmful due to overstored vitamin D.

I'd have to agree with this, especially in this day and age when people worry about what we're adding to certain animals to make them produce more. I may be wrong, but don't they add certain steroids to cause the cows to produce more milk? If so, those steroids or their byproducts would probably somehow make their way into the cow's milk production as well where it could be consumed by us.

 

[mbrindley]

On the cow issue-Im an ag girl (former ag major) and there are certain meds and growth promoters that all production livestock are fed. Many of the "extras" dairy cows are fed are for the cow's well being (dewormers, ingestable vaccines, etc) and most aren't detecable in milk. The big hoopla over growth hormones in dairy cattle can be applied to any commercially produced food-for-human comsumption, even crops like corn and wheat, but still there has never been any SCIENTIFIC proof that these are harmful to anyone, including the animals.

On the dispute over milk or pill-I tend to agree that people need to take whatever their doc suggests and they feel is right for them. I have both high cholestrol and osteopenia. To reduce my cholestrol intake, I should limit milk (im already drinking that white water stuff they call milk), but I can only take so many chalky pills to keep my cal/day above 1250. There is always a toss up. People need to do what can keep them healthy, and not enough people do that.

 

[Lexian]

On the cow issue-Im an ag girl (former ag major) and there are certain meds and growth promoters that all production livestock are fed. Many of the "extras" dairy cows are fed are for the cow's well being (dewormers, ingestable vaccines, etc) and most aren't detecable in milk. The big hoopla over growth hormones in dairy cattle can be applied to any commercially produced food-for-human comsumption, even crops like corn and wheat, but still there has never been any SCIENTIFIC proof that these are harmful to anyone, including the animals.

Yeah, I think the issue with crops and other plants is the use of genetic manipulation right? Changing things so that certain fruits and vegetables are hardier or more difficult to bruise and are resistant to certain insects. You're right, I don't think there is any evidence currently shows any ill effects from consuming these products, but the means to find any useful correlation between these products and measurable/detectable effects in humans could take another 10-20 years. If there were any effects (and I'm not saying there are), they would not be immediate. Still, some people say that these modified fruits and vegetables have a definite taste difference at the very least. I have several friends that will swear that while modified tomatoes look ripe and are bruise free (i.e. they look good in the store), they do not taste the same as organically grown tomatoes. I don't taste too much of a difference though.

 

[bananaface]

If you want to get calcium by drinking milk, but are worried about having too much Vitamin D in your diet, you can always drink milk that is not specially fortified. Unless you get inadequate exposure to sunlght or have some other risk factor, you are unlikely to have a deficiency in vitamin D. And, if you haven't got a deficiency, you don't really need a supplement.

My earlier point was simply that we can't expect that food is pure and clean just because it is food. And, cows are not good models of sanitation.

 

[jemc2000]

My earlier point was simply that we can't expect that food is pure and clean just because it is food. And, cows are not good models of sanitation.

Especially considering that milk is basically cow sweat with some added proteins. Humans are the only species that drink the milk from another species and also the only species to drink milk past the age of weaning.

 

[youngman]

that is another good point.

is it necessary to drink milk at all? considering many people don't even have the enzymes to digest. that seems to be a medical problem, when in reality, it should be considered totally normal.

the diary industry must have spent quite some money to brainwash people to believe that it is necessary to drink milk all the time.

Especially considering that milk is basically cow sweat with some added proteins. Humans are the only species that drink the milk from another species and also the only species to drink milk past the age of weaning.

 

[bananaface]

It's not necessary. But it sure tastes good on my cereal. And, cheese is my best friend.

 

[the2ndwish]

From my understanding, dietary calcium is always the best because it is natural. To increase absorption, vitamin D is often added to diary products. If you cannot digest milk, spinach is high in calcium (1 cup = 245mg) and so are sardines (8 medium ones = 354mg). Other sources are broccoli and soybeans.

Supplements come in many forms:
Calcium carbonate (Tums, Os-cal 500, Caltrate 600)
Calcium phosphate (Posture)
Calcium citrate (Citrical)
Calcium lactate
Calcium gluconate

Calcium Carbonate delivers the greatest amount of calcium (40%), however, it causes constipation.
Calcium Citrate is best absorbed by the body (21%) and causes less constipation.
Calcium phosphate is not commonly found.
Calcium lactate and gluconate deliver the lease amount of calcium.

Coral Calcium is expensive and may contain lead.
Supplements with dolomite or bone meal contain lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium.

Daily Calcium Recommendations
19-50 years of age: 1000mg (with 200IU of Vit D)
postmenopausal on hormone/estrogen replacement: 1000mg (400IU Vit D)
postmenopausal NOT on hormone/estrogen replacement: 1500mg (400IU Vit D)
>51: 1200mg (400IU Vit D)
>70: 1500mg (600IU Vit D)


Sorry! I know this is a lot of information but I hope it answers your question!



*Information based on Osteoporosis Lecture by Dr. Edith Mirzakhanian (PharmD) at the University of Southern California, October 20, 2004.

 

[MALA]

Just a question and I'm not sure if any of you have encountered this at work or on rotation. I think calcium - especially for women is essential, however, calcium supplements make me nauseous. I tried taking them after a full meal, I tried taking that Viactiv chocolate chewable after a full meal- same thing- nausea. Is there there any supplement out there that you can recommend that would not cause this symptom? I wonder what's in it that is causing this reaction?

 

[bananaface]

I have been told that calcuim citrate is easier on the stomach than calcium carbonate, although I am not sure what the basis for the difference is. I can look more when I get home from work. Have you ever tried calcium citrate?

*edit* Does anybody have any better reason than calcium citrate is readily soluble and calcium carbonate isn't?

 

[MALA]

I have been told that calcuim citrate is easier on the stomach than calcium carbonate, although I am not sure what the basis for the difference is. I can look more when I get home from work. Have you ever tried calcium citrate?

I never realized that there was a difference when I look on the vitamin shelves. I'll try calcium citrate and see if it still does the same thing. Thanks banana.