Calcium is essential for keeping us healthy and without it, you may find that you have poor oral health, fatigue, muscle pain, numbness, and much more. Non-vegans typically get calcium from dairy products such as milk, and yogurt, but vegans can get it from leafy greens, fresh fruit, and beans. That being said, to ensure you’re getting the right amount of calcium, supplementing your diet with a vegan calcium supplement is a great idea.
Best vegan calcium supplement picks
Some vegans may not get enough calcium in their diet. Typically, vegans get 750 mg of calcium per day, which is a lot lower than the recommended 1000 –1200 mg per day. It’s not just needed for bone health, but it’s also important for your teeth and overall mental capabilities and energy levels too.
To prevent unpleasant side effects such as brittle bones or osteoporosis, you might want to consider taking a vegan calcium supplement. With that in mind, we’ve listed our top five vegan calcium supplements, so you can have a look here and pick the best one for you.
Taking a more detailed look into these calcium supplements
This is a top pick when it comes to vegan calcium supplements. It’s totally natural and is derived from sustainable Icelandic red marine algae. It provides 38% of the daily recommended allowance for calcium. This means that you shouldn’t just take this, but you should use this in conjunction with a healthy diet. There is also magnesium and other trace minerals too though there is no Vitamin D. However, you may go through a bottle quickly as a daily serving is two capsules. And, it’s not the cheapest supplement out there.
This is a natural, food-based calcium supplement. It’s also organic. There is 800 mg of calcium per serving and this is made from algae-based calcium. It’s a little more rounded than some of the other calcium supplements and also contains Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and magnesium. Adding the K2 is a great way to improve how effective both Vitamin D and calcium are for your overall health. It’s also got a plant calcium blend of various fruits and vegetables for better bone health. You do need three tablets per serving, so the 180-tablet bottle doesn’t last that long.
The red algae calcium used in this supplement is sourced from Iceland. It has 1000 mg of calcium per serving making it one of the more concentrated vegan calcium supplements. It’s also got Vitamins D3, and K2, and 72 trace minerals. The tablets are dairy and gluten-free as well as being very easy to take. You can swallow them, or crush them into your smoothies or yogurt if swallowing is difficult. You can even split the tablet as the serving size is so high. The downside is that most of the nutrients found here are at the upper end of the scale for recommended daily allowance, so you need to be careful about going over that daily limit.
This is an excellent option when it comes to bioavailability. It combines calcium citrate with Vitamin D3 and this really helps to improve the absorption rate and also to increase bone health support. It contains 630 mg of calcium, which is about 48% of the recommended daily intake in the US. The main downside for some is that these pills are really big, which makes swallowing them very hard.
Unusually, this supplement is available as gummies, which aren’t that common. It’s great for those that prefer a chew rather than a tablet that needs to be swallowed. It’s got plant-based calcium, but it also has Vitamins D3 and K2 as well. All ingredients are organic. But, each serving size has a low dose of calcium, which is not ideal if you want this to last.
How much calcium do I need?
The amount of calcium you need will depend on how old you are. However, generally, for adults, it is recommended to take 700 mg of calcium every day. This is higher for men than it is for women.
What are the different types of calcium supplements?
There are four different types of calcium and these calcium compounds can be used in calcium supplements. Each compound has a different amount of the mineral calcium.
For instance, calcium carbonate has 40% elemental calcium while calcium citrate has 21%. Calcium lactate has 13% and calcium gluconate has just 9%.
The most commonly found calcium compounds in supplements are calcium carbonate (it’s also the cheaper form). But, in terms of better absorption rates, then calcium citrate is vastly better.
Can vegans take calcium supplements?
Yes, even though most calcium is animal derived, there are now vegan calcium supplements available. These are typically derived from algae. Importantly, if you have a proper diet plan, you won’t need to take calcium supplements as a vegan. It is possible to get the right amount of calcium in a careful diet.
What are the best natural calcium sources for vegans?
If you don’t want to take supplements, then you will need to adjust your diet to ensure you’re getting enough calcium naturally. There are a number of vegan foods rich in calcium.
For instance, leafy greens. In particular, kale, broccoli, okra, spring greens, pak choi, and Swiss chard all have high levels of calcium. Fresh fruit such as kiwis, blackberries, rhubarb, and oranges also contain good amounts of calcium.
Beans and pulses have high levels of calcium in comparison to fruits. But they’re not as high on the absorbability scale. Nevertheless, eating soya beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans will give you a good boost.
Nuts and seeds, breads, and dried herbs also give you calcium at various levels.
What should you look for in a vegan calcium supplement?
While you should take a vegan calcium supplement to prevent calcium deficiency, not all supplements are the same. As such, here are a few things to consider before selecting which supplement to use.
You should check to see which form of calcium is in the tablet. This is because some forms are better absorbed than others.
You need to check the amount of calcium for each serving. You want to make sure that you are getting the required amount of calcium. Too much calcium can also weaken bones, create kidney stones, and even affect your heart health.
Smaller doses are actually more easily absorbed by your body. With this in mind, it’s actually more beneficial to take supplements with 600 mg or less of calcium.
Finally, you should look at the other vitamins and minerals in the supplement. The best vegan calcium supplements contain Vitamin D3 as well, as this actually aids calcium absorption.
What are the side effects of calcium supplements?
Taking calcium supplements can increase the risk of constipation or diarrhea. Additionally, it can cause abdominal pain. Typically, it is calcium carbonate that is more commonly associated with intestinal side effects and, alongside constipation, it can also cause bloating and flatulence.
How did we choose these products?
When we looked through all these products, we made sure that we selected a range of options. All the vegan calcium supplements listed here are indeed vegan and made with naturally sourced marine algae.
We also looked at the dosage level providing a range of different options to suit different needs. And, we also chose supplements with different additional nutrients.
Summary
Calcium is an important mineral for keeping our bodies healthy and happy particularly when it comes to bone health. Vegans can definitely get the required amount of calcium through the correct diet, but a vegan calcium supplement is easier.
Vegan brands use natural, sustainable sources for all their ingredients. And we’ve listed the top calcium supplements available to vegans right here.