Already a member? Sign in
What - Inspire is a place where you can connect with people who share your health concerns and find information and advice in groups sponsored by organizations you know and trust.
Why - As a member you can use Inspire to let friends and family know how you're doing, contact others who share your health concerns, receive personalized updates and information about participating in surveys and clinical trials, and more.
How - Joining Inspire is completely free and usually takes less than a minute. Join now!
In another discussion (weighted vests), I found comments that we should take calcium and magnesium SEPARATELY. I was led to believe from various sources that we should take them together. This has led to confusion. Are there experts out there with the latest research, who can give us good advice please? Help!
Thanks, Lynne
My understanding, both from what I've read and from my OB/GYN, is you should take them TOGETHER, but your magnesium should be about half of your calcium intake. In other words, if you're taking 1500 mg of calcium, you'll need to take 750 mg of magnesium.
What you want to avoid is taking calcium and strontium at the same time because they are absorbed through the same pathways and will cancel each other out.
You'll get all kinds of conflicting advice. The one piece most professionals seem to agree on is that you shouldn't take more than 500mg of calcium at any given time. It can't be absorbed. Divide your dosage. Another hint: magnesium can, if you take blood pressure meds, lower your blood pressure more than expected. You should take it at night before you go to sleep. That way you'll not be likely to faint and fall. It also helps prevent cramping in the legs and feet. How's that for confusing you further?
In a previous discussion I said that my calcium supplement has both calcium and magnesium. Someone (Maurolina-sp?) responded and said that they would negate each other and that drug companies just put a lot of stuff in supplements so that people will buy them. After that, I emailed the maker of my supplement and THEY responded that calcium and magnesium SHOULD be taken together in ratios of about 2:1, just like lilrayosun says. I will continue to take my supplement as I believe it is made by a well known, reputable company. My naturopath also recommends taking them together, for what it's worth.
Thanks for clearing that one up! Phew.
Add to the discussion