Excerpted
from a lecture by K. Steven Whiting Ph.D., Director, Institute
of Nutritional Science. Reproduced by permission.
Calcium, one of the best known of all essential minerals, is also one of the most difficult for the body to absorb. Most calcium supplements are only 15 to 20 percent absorbable due to improper pH, compressed tableting and lack of essential trace minerals to facilitate uptake and absorption.
In order for the body to absorb calcium and magnesium back to bone tissue, thereby preventing such conditions as osteoporosis, there must be specific trace minerals present at the same time as the calcium is ingested. Zinc, copper, manganese, and boron all assist in the absorption and retention of calcium at the cellular level, especially when it comes to bone tissue.
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