You’ve probably been hearing about the importance of calcium for years, right? The body uses calcium for multiple functions. It’s also crucial for maintaining strong, healthy bones. So obviously, it’s a good idea to give your body and bones a steady supply of calcium. But what’s the best source of calcium?
New Chapter, the Vermont-based sustainable supplement company, are fans of finding the highest quality ingredients that your body can recognize and use just like food. According to New Chapter, the best way to consume calcium is from plants – not rocks. Here’s why:
What is calcium?
First, keep in mind that your body already gets some calcium from food. For example, there’s calcium in dairy products, dark greens, fortified cereal or juice, and fish with bones (such as canned salmon). But most people aren’t getting enough calcium on the daily. One way to meet your needs is to adopt a good supplement regimen to ensure a dose of well-rounded nutrition, whether or not you track calcium intake.
What’s wrong with rocks?
Most calcium supplements deliver calcium carbonate, a type of calcium with a comparatively high concentration of the element. Fun fact: Many calcium carbonate supplements are derived from limestone. This simple, rock-based calcium has a flat, basic architecture and lacks many other bone-supportive nutrients. Plus, rocks don’t really sound like natural food for the body, do they? Fortunately, there is another option: calcium from plants!
Plant-based calcium benefits
Plant-based calcium still delivers calcium carbonate, but it’s quite different than limestone. Plant calcium is porous and complex rather than solid as a rock. The calcium lives as part of a whole matrix of minerals organized in a natural honeycomb structure. (Under a microscope, the structure actually looks a bit like bone structure!)
Plant-based calcium is a whole food the body can easily recognize and use. The calcium-rich red marine algae in New Chapter’s bone strength supplement supports bone health holistically, along with magnesium, and 70 important trace minerals (including strontium and silica).
Is plant-based calcium sustainable?
New Chapter is a Certified B Corporation, meaning they meet the highest standards for social and environmental impact. When it comes to sustainability and third-party certifications, plant calcium can be Non-GMO Project verified, certified kosher, certified gluten free, and even certified USDA organic. It’s also possible to source plant calcium sustainably. For instance, red marine algae (Lithothamnion) grows wild along the coast of Iceland. It is allowed to mature naturally, then sustainably harvested from its marine habitat. Young, living plants are left untouched, preserving the coastal ecosystem.
In short, plant calcium means no limestone, no pesticides, no dairy and no animal bone. Just pure, responsibly sourced plant ingredients that deliver bone-strengthening calcium your body can recognize as food.
How to improve calcium absorption
One more important note about calcium – it needs a little help from its friends to get where it needs to go in the body. Look for plant-based formulas with added vitamins D3 and K2 that help your body maximize absorption of the calcium and direct it to the bones where it’s supposed to be.
Bone Strength Take Care is designed with an exclusive blend of vitamins K2 and D3 designed to help your body absorb calcium properly and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.*†
Vitamin K2 helps direct calcium to your bones where you need it, and functions to help maintain artery health.† New Chapter’s fermented vitamin D3 helps the body to use calcium to promote normal bone mineralization. †
Think of calcium as the bricks, and vitamins K2 and D3 as the mortar. It’s ideal to have them together in one convenient, easy-to-take tablet made from plants.
*Adequate calcium throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
†These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.