Are you in special diet program? There are a lot of reasons why a person decided to conduct a special diet program, not only weight loss diet program but some people decided to change their lifestyle into the better one by only consuming specific foods. Avoiding junk food is the first step a person should do when it comes to a better and healthier lifestyle.
However, everyone has different metabolism, that’s many specialist will recommend supplements as the alternative solution for those who are suffering from some deficiencies due to less food consumed. Supplement is the recommended solution to provide nutrients required by body system without the need to obtain it directly from regular food. For example, you are allergic to milk, so you take calcium supplement as the replacement of calcium that you cannot obtained from milk.
However, since you have acute problem with anemia, your doctor has prescribed you iron supplement to boost the production of red blood cell in your body system. Well, do you know that calcium could interfere the iron absorption in your body? Discuss this matter with your doctor and meanwhile learning a bit about side effects of taking iron and calcium together is also important:
Side Effects of Taking Iron and Calcium Together
- Calcium Interference the Iron Absorption
It is true that both calcium and iron are two important properties required in your body. Calcium has important role in keeping your bones strong and your muscle health while iron has prominent role in producing the adequate amount of red blood cell. However, taking them together will cause some issues in your mechanism because the nature of calcium which will interfere the iron absorption, so in the end the iron supplement you have consumed will have no effect at all and it could endanger your body because the lack of iron could cause serious health problems like acute anemia, fatigue, slow cognitive in children and reducing immune system.
- During Pregnancy taking Calcium and Iron together Could Endanger the Fetus
If calcium and iron are taken together at the same time while a woman is pregnant, the side effects are not only harming the mother but also the fetus. It is because the requirements of both iron and calcium during pregnancy will be higher than usual and the lack of one of those properties could endanger the fetus development, especially in the early stage and the ability of calcium that could interfere the iron absorption will cause a mother will suffer anemia. Well, perhaps anemia is a common health problem but if a mother suffers it during pregnancy, anemia could be a dangerous health problem that causes abnormality in the development of the fetus and in the worst but possible case a baby will be born with a very serious birth defect.
- Affecting Children’s Social Development
In children the effect could cause a serious problem in their early years, the lack of iron caused by calcium interference could cause them having a slower cognitive system and interfere their ability in developing their social activity. Those two will have significant effect in their performance at school, not only in classes but also outside classes.
Safe tips
So, what people should do in this situation while they need both iron and calcium supplement but they cannot take them both together?
- Take Them Together but Not in the Same Time
It is true that calcium and iron supplement cannot be taken at the same time but it doesn’t mean that you cannot consume them. It is still possible to consume them as long as you provide adequate time apart for both properties to be absorbed optimally before taking the other. Simple example, you could take your iron supplement during day time, so your body system has time to absorb it, and then you could take your calcium supplement when you’re about to reach your bed time.
- Consulting Your Doctor about the Dosage is a Must
If compared to calcium and iron you consumed directly from foods, calcium and iron supplements have higher dosage. It is true that everybody needs both iron and calcium but the amount required by the body system is different from one to another. No matter how complete information you got from the label of the supplement you have purchased, making sure that your body meets the enough amount is prominent or everything is just useless.
Nowadays, supplement is one of those products that have taken over health industry, there are a lot of options of supplement products that offered in the marketplace, some are required prescription but more could be purchased freely. Taking supplement as your daily health solution is not without risk, consulting your need with the specialist is important and routine check up to make sure that the effect of supplement you consumed have met your needs should be done seriously.