The 7 Best Calcium Supplements for Pregnancy, According to a Dietitian

Are Calcium Supplements Beneficial for Pregnancy?

Health experts suggest meeting calcium needs from food can be done. Caldwell says, “People should really consider focusing on calcium-rich foods before purchasing a calcium supplement, as they likely don't need it.” Your diet will also naturally provide other nutrients, like vitamin K, vitamin D, and magnesium to help the body absorb and use calcium, so focusing first on whole food consumption during pregnancy is best.

It’s also interesting to note that in pregnancy, many people experience anuptick of cravingsfor calcium-rich foods, like dairy, which may be the body’s way of hinting to get more of this nutrient.

Yet, eating a variety and enough during pregnancy comes with its own set of unexpected challenges, and some people may find that a supplement could be useful. If you are vegan or vegetarian, struggle with food aversions and/or nausea, or have a history of low bone density you may need to consider a calcium supplement. Dr. Fox says, “Fortunately, calcium deficiency usually does not harm the fetus because the fetus tends to take all the calcium he or she needs from the maternal calcium stores. However, this is why it is important for the mother to have adequate calcium intake in pregnancy. If she doesn’t, her stores get depleted even faster than usual because of the fetal calcium requirements.”

Fox says, “There is data suggesting that calcium deficiency may be a risk factor for the development of preeclampsia later in pregnancy.”Preeclampsia and eclampsiaare serious conditions in pregnancy that cause high blood pressure and protein in the urine, and they can lead to a significant percentage of maternal deaths. Research has shown that in the presence of low calcium intake through diet, and especially for women who have strong risk factors for preeclampsia, supplementing with a high dose (> 1,000 mg) of calcium reduces high blood pressure and development of preeclampsia, and potential for preterm birth as well.

Who May Not Benefit From Calcium Supplements for Pregnancy

Our experts agree that if you consume enough calcium through your diet, then you likely do not need to supplement. In fact, the benefit of calcium supplementation for preeclampsia was really only seen when baseline calcium intakes were very low (300-900 mg).

Dr. Fox also mentions that if you are consuming calcium inthe form of Tumsfor reflux relief, then you likely don’t need an additional calcium supplement either.

How We Select Supplements

Our team works hard to be transparent about why we recommend certain supplements; you can read more about ourdietary supplement methodology here.

We support supplements that are evidence-based and rooted in science. We value certain product attributes that we find to be associated with the highest quality products. We prioritize products that are third-party tested and certified by one of three independent, third-party certifiers: USP, NSF, or ConsumerLab.com.

It's important to note that theFDAdoes not review dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness before they go to market. Our team of experts has created a detailed, science-backed methodology to choose the supplements we recommend.

We talked to the following experts for what to consider for calcium supplements during pregnancy:

• McKenzie Caldwell, MPH, RDN, LDN, Owner of Feed Your Zest Nutrition and Wellness LLC
• Jessy Heckroth, RD, Owner of Beyond Nutrition Co specializing in hormone health, fertility, and pregnancy
• Dr. Nathan Fox, board certified Obstetrician/Gynecologist with the subspecialty certification in Maternal Fetal Medicine

What to Look For in Calcium Supplements For Pregnancy

Third-Party Testing

Supplements that are third-party tested are sent to a lab where they are tested to ensure they contain what they say they contain and are not contaminated with specific high-risk, common contaminants. However, it’s important to note:

• Third-party testing does not test to see if a product is effective or safe for everyone, and it does not ensure the supplement will not interact with other supplements or medications.
• 并不是所有的第三方测试都是平等的。我s not uncommon for supplement companies to pay labs for certificates after conducting minimal to no testing.
• The third-party certifications we can trust are ConsumerLab.com, NSF, and USP. However, these certifications are difficult to obtain and/or expensive for manufacturers, so many companies choose not to get their products tested by one of these three organizations.
• Sometimes products tested by these three companies are more expensive to try to offset the cost they pay for certification.
• Just because a supplement is not tested by one of these three companies, it does not mean it’s a bad product. We recommend doing some research on the reputability of the manufacturer and calling up the manufacturer and their testing lab to determine their protocols and decide if you feel comfortable consuming the supplement.

Form

Calcium is available in various forms, with some being more effective and desirable than others.The most commonly available forms include:

• Calcium carbonate is generally the most common form and is the least expensive, but it can also cause gastrointestinal upset, such as bloating, gas, and constipation.
• Malate and citrate are more effective at raising calcium levels compared to carbonate, but it’s important to consume these two forms with a meal. They do require stomach acid to be best absorbed.

Ingredients & Potential Interactions

我s essential to carefully read the ingredient list and nutrition facts panel of a supplement to know which ingredients and how much of each ingredient is included, relative to the recommended daily value of that ingredient. Please bring the supplement label to a healthcare provider to review the different ingredients contained in the supplement and any potential interactions between these ingredients and other supplements and medications you are taking.

Jessy Heckroth RDN, says, “Firstly, be aware that calcium and iron compete for absorption. To optimize absorption of both nutrients, it is recommended to avoid consuming foods high in both nutrients simultaneously or supplementing with them at the same time.”

Calcium relies on vitamin D for absorption, so you may see calcium supplements containing vitamin D as well. Similarly, Vitamin K and magnesium also help promote calcium deposition in bone and might be packaged into a calcium supplement.

重要的是要知道钙补充剂can interfere with the absorption of thyroid hormones, so for pregnant persons also taking levothyroxine (Synthroid) there would need to be a time gap between taking these two pills.

As mentioned previously, if you frequently take antacids, such as Tums, exercise caution when supplementing with extra calcium.

When choosing a supplement, it’s important to get it from a trusted source that upholds standards of efficacy and purity, and calcium is no exception. One of the biggest concerns with calcium supplements is related to the quantity of the mineral actually contained in the pill or powder. A product label may say it contains a certain amount of calcium, but in fact it falls short. Another concern is that many sources of calcium also contain heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and cadmium. Choosing your supplement from a trusted source is imperative, especially for persons who are pregnant.

Dosage

According to current recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, theRecommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for calciumfor 19-50 year olds during pregnancy is 1,000 mg.

How Much is Too Much?

The established Tolerable Upper Intake Levels(ULs) for calcium is that it should not exceed 2500 mg for 19-50 year olds during pregnancy.

Although rare, hypercalcemia (high serum calcium) or hypercalciuria (high urine calcium) can lead to poor muscle tone, renal insufficiency, constipation, nausea, weight loss, fatigue, polyuria, heart arrhythmias, and a higher risk of death from heart disease.

Why Trust Verywell Family

Casey Seidenis a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist based in New York City. Casey works at Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates, the premier maternal-fetal medicine practice in Manhattan, where she provides nutrition therapy and counseling to women with high-risk pregnancies. She is also the founder of Casey Seiden Nutrition, a virtual private practice specializing in a non-diet approach to diabetes care and women’s health.