06-03-2013, 01:11 AM
(05-03-2013, 10:59 PM)doodlebug2055 Wrote: ...Question about calcium. The manufacturer of PM recommends, as do several on this forum, taking a calcium supplement along with PM to increase it's effectiveness. Would Tums brand antacid (calcium carbonate) suffice? I have several bottles of that I'd like to use up. Also regarding milk, is it for it's calming properties in the stomach, building blocks for the breasts or both that it is often recommended?
Most calcium supplements are calcium carbonate which is really inefficient and not very well absorbed, but it is inexpensive. Just keep in mind that any calcium carbonate, including Tums, is only 40% elemental calcium. When they talk about the RDA of calcium, they mean elemental calcium. Thus, 1000 mg of calcium carbonate is 400 mg of actual calcium.
I'm not sure why milk is recommended. It seems some use yogurt. Some use protein shakes in addition to everything else. Cow's milk really isn't that healthy for humans, but the dairy council has greased the palms of the FDA and the Department of Agriculture and made sure milk is the recommended source of everything it can be used for in the diet.