Iron and calcium not taken together y?
As it was put to me, both calcium and iron utilize the same uptake receptors. When taken together calcium wins and pushes the iron aside and the iron does not get absorbed. Rule of thumb because of that is to take iron at least two hours after any type of calcium (supplement, milk, dairy products, etc...).
Makes me wonder why so many of the multivitamins have both iron and calcium in them. Doesn't make sense to me.
As it was put to me, both calcium and iron utilize the same uptake receptors. When taken together calcium wins and pushes the iron aside and the iron does not get absorbed. Rule of thumb because of that is to take iron at least two hours after any type of calcium (supplement, milk, dairy products, etc...).
Makes me wonder why so many of the multivitamins have both iron and calcium in them. Doesn't make sense to me.
On the multis, I suspect that it is part marketing - so they can call themselves "complete" - and part that their doses are low enough that they don't completely crowd each other out. The Costco multis that I have here only have 200mg of calcium, which is about 1/3 of the typical amount that we can absorb at one time (though they list 18mg or 100% RDA of iron.) The other factor in this is that the forms that they use probably aren't the more absorbable forms (like calcium carbonate rather than citrate) so it probably isn't such a big deal, particularly if you consider that whatever calcium and iron in the multi is "lost" and take those as needed on your own schedule.
1st support group/seminar - 8/03 (has it been that long?)
Wife's DS - 5/05 w Dr. Robert Rabkin VSG on 5/9/11 by Dr. John Rabkin
