Nutrition For Kids: Calcium

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. In fact, there is more calcium in the body, than all of the other minerals combined.  If nothing else, this should reinforce how essential calcium is for us to understand! The good thing is, calcium is found in so many healthy foods, like nuts, seeds, broccoli, yogurt, and more (note: it's a myth that the best calcium comes from cows milk!)  Just do a quick google search to find some other great food based sources of calcium.  

But even if you eat enough calcium, there are several processes that the body needs to go through in order to assimilate that calcium and make it "work."  First, we need to be able to digest the calcium. Then, we need to make sure we have enough Vitamin D to get that calcium from our  guts to our blood. Thirdly, we need to have enough fatty acids (polyunsaturated type) to get that calcium from the blood into the tissues.  So, essentially, it's a complicated mineral.

But here's why I keep it on hand in my "health cabinet" all year round for immune support.  Calcium lactate, especially the product from Standard Process, is easily assimilated with just 1 step, into the only form of calcium (calcium bicarbonate) that our body can use.  The more commonly found in drug stores, calcium carbonate, takes about 12 steps to become calcium bicarbonate in the body (that's a lot of extra work!)

Calcium Lactate from Standard Process is easier to digest because it also includes magnesium citrate, which makes the product more acidic, thus easier to digest. (calcium must be digested in an acidic environment. Listen in to the video for more details about digestion of calcium and why you should take it on an empty stomach!)

I use calcium lactate whenever I have a fever or my child gets a fever. It boosts the body's immune response. In fact, take it at the first sign of a cold, and you may even keep that cold at bay!   If you or your child is prone to getting sick, they may be deficient in calcium (or any of the steps to utilize it mentioned above). 

I also use calcium lactate when I will be in the sun for long periods of time. When there is enough calcium in the skin, the skin can withstand more stress from the sun (ie: sunburn). 

If your child can swallow, there are Calcium Lactate tablets.  But if your child is too young to swallow a tablet, it also comes in a powder that can be mixed in food or water. 

Now, I do not recommend calcium supplementation on a daily basis, especially for kids. But I do recommend keeping it on hand for a purpose.  That purpose would be for times when the immune system is compromised or sluggish, sun exposure, etc.  So, use it when you need to use it, not when you don't.  

If you would like more information or to order any of the products in the Kids Nutrition Series, please send me an email to [email protected] and I would love to chat with you to see if this is something that would benefit your family.

(Message me if you would like to order any kid friendly nutrition, as Standard Process can only be sold legally through a qualified healthcare professional.)

Previous Kids Nutrition Series Topics:

Check out all of the previous Kids Nutrition Topics/blog posts found here in the Kids Nutrition page. (immune support, brain support, congestion support, sore throat support, skin support, multivitamin support, and more!)