calcium supp

[rugbymom]

Hi. I haven't been on here in forever. And, I really tried to search for this, but couldn't find any answer. I'm sure it's on here somewhere...But, will someone tell me again please!

My son is dairy/soy free. I need a calcium supplement for 100% of his daily needs (he's 2.5). Through diet is not an option. The nutritionist told us one, but it has soy in it. What do you guys use? The nutritionist said he needs 500mg.

[rugbymom]

Doesn't anybody use a calcium supplement?

[changingseasons]

Yes, just no one is one here at 4am (my time).

We use TwinLab calcium citrate. The calcium is natural (mined lime- the rock, not the fruit) and the citric acid is from fermented beet sugar. (It's been over a year since I checked on these ingredients though, so you might want to double check.)

To supp DD, I would just open a capsule and pour it in our waffle batter.

[Therese's Mommy]

I use the one from Kirkman Labs for my dd. Here is the link. She has been totally fine with it and she is allergic to dairy and soy (among other things).

[Koalamom]

Subbing!

We use nettles infusion for calcium as of lately.

[rugbymom]

It won't harm the supplement to cook with it?!!!!!!!!! This is great news!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!

[kjbrown92]

Just curious, why isn't through diet an option?
I have MaxiHealth Chewable Calcium Complex which has sucrose, fructose, vegetable stearine, natural vanilla flavor, Enzymax (bromelain, lipase, amylase, protease). "This product contains no animal products, wheat, corn, salt, milk, yeast, artificial preservatives, flavorings or colorings." We don't use it for some reason - maybe the fructose is from corn? Can't remember.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by rugbymom

It won't harm the supplement to cook with it?!!!!!!!!! This is great news!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU!

Not all supplements are ok to cook with, but calcium is fine as far as I know.

[mamafish9]

Just a reminder to supp lots of magnesium if you are going to be supping that much calcium...

[gigismom]

don't want to steer this off too much but i have often wondered if ds or i need a calcium supp also. we are also dairy free (i realize that the bioavailability of calcium from dairy is over rated anyway) and feel like our diet contains many other calcium rich foods. still i wonder if he, and i having been nursing for a loooong time, are really getting enough. i also supp him with mag and don't want to mess that up as i am not really sure that i am currently giving him enough mag anyway. anyone have any thoughts? is calcium supplementation really necessary or is this just a fear in me that has been created by the "make sure to drink your milk" culture we live in?

peace

jen

[rugbymom]

I said not through diet, because he doesn't really eat so well. We are going to a food psychologist soon, so hopefully we'll get some help there.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by changingseasons

Not all supplements are ok to cook with, but calcium is fine as far as I know.

Yes just learned that potassium is heat sensitive, decreases like 50% I think.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by gigismom

don't want to steer this off too much but i have often wondered if ds or i need a calcium supp also. we are also dairy free (i realize that the bioavailability of calcium from dairy is over rated anyway) and feel like our diet contains many other calcium rich foods. still i wonder if he, and i having been nursing for a loooong time, are really getting enough. i also supp him with mag and don't want to mess that up as i am not really sure that i am currently giving him enough mag anyway. anyone have any thoughts? is calcium supplementation really necessary or is this just a fear in me that has been created by the "make sure to drink your milk" culture we live in?

peace

jen

I question is I get enough calcium rich foods, so here is good test to take and see how you rate. I don't agree 100% with the site but it is a good start.
http://whfoods.org/foodadvisor.php

I have found that after cutting dairy out due to allergies, the calcium foods we rely on now have lots more magnesium than milk, so we are needing less magnesium even though we are getting lots of calcium. Still I am paranoid and think about a nice piece of cheese all the time. Not sure if I will ever be content being dairy free.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by rugbymom

I said not through diet, because he doesn't really eat so well. We are going to a food psychologist soon, so hopefully we'll get some help there.

What about things like smoothies. Nettles in smoothies as the liquid is delicious. My 3 yr old devours it. Or you could use bone broth in foods for minerals.

[rugbymom]

I know about the bone broth and nettles thingy, but liquids are one of the reasons we are going to the food psychologist. My son drinks almost nothing, won't take anything off a spoon or eat anything too crunchy. Kinda limits healthy eating.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by rugbymom

I know about the bone broth and nettles thingy, but liquids are one of the reasons we are going to the food psychologist. My son drinks almost nothing, won't take anything off a spoon or eat anything too crunchy. Kinda limits healthy eating.

Wow, sounds tough. Hope it goes well.
Is your LO nursing?

[mamafish9]

That was my son, for a long time. It got better when we got all his food reactions gone, and increased his magnesium. But he's 3 now, and still won't eat anything but yogurt off a spoon. I mostly still feed him with my fingers (for mushy stuff - the rest he self feeds).

Can your son do eggs? I hid all manner of food in egg "fritters" - an egg, handful of safe flour, a little salt, and then some veggies (pureed or squished), beans worked this way too, sometimes a little bacon, avocado... Fry it up in a little pancake, cut into squares, and he'd happily self feed. For a while, he had a fritter every day, it was the only way I could get a lot of things into him - he "knew" the texture, so I could vary the ingredients without triggering his sensory issues. And the egg + flour base was solid enough for his comfort, without being too hard.

[tanyalynn]

I use either Perque Bone Guard Forte (it's not always available online, naturamart has some right now but they seem to run out periodically, but it's a multi-mineral supp with a broad range of minerals and even a few fat soluble vits like K2). It's a hard tablet, I would whizz it up in a coffeebean grinder and then mix it into things--I never tried cooking it though.

Another choice would be one of Thorne's multi-mineral supps, the names I remember are citramins and biomins, available lots of places online, and I think they have almost as much magnesium as calcium. They are capsules that open easily, I mix them into a lot of things, but clearly you'd be more limited in how you can incorporate them.

[rugbymom]

I guess I'll do a little research on magnesium to make sure he's getting enough. And, check out all the calcium supplements you guys suggested.

He is not nursing. In fact, he quit nursing at 10 months when he quit eating all together. That's when I figured out he had food allergies. It looks like he may have Hirshprung's (where there are no nerve endings in your bowels, so you don't know you have to poo), though, so that might have something to do with all our problems. We'll find out for sure the end of May.

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by rugbymom

I guess I'll do a little research on magnesium to make sure he's getting enough. And, check out all the calcium supplements you guys suggested.

He is not nursing. In fact, he quit nursing at 10 months when he quit eating all together. That's when I figured out he had food allergies. It looks like he may have Hirshprung's (where there are no nerve endings in your bowels, so you don't know you have to poo), though, so that might have something to do with all our problems. We'll find out for sure the end of May.

My sister has Hirshprungs. Interesting, as that isn't very common.