Pregnant women taking calcium tablets or water will be better?

During pregnancy, the need for calcium supplements of pregnant women is much higher than that of the average person. Medicines and dietary supplements containing the necessary calcium content usually exist in two forms: tablet form and liquid form. So should pregnant women take calcium tablets or liquid form is better? Answer with Solife right away!

1. What is calcium tablets?

Calcium tablets are actually a product line to help supplement the amount of calcium needed by the body, compressed into tablets, convenient for each use.

Advantages of this form of calcium:

• There are many types for pregnant women to choose from: Capsules, tablets, effervescent tablets…
• Supplement calcium content just enough in each tablet, make up for calcium deficiency during pregnancy and after childbirth.
• The composition not only contains calcium but also contains many other ingredients such as vitamin D, vitamin K, phosphorus… to help both mother and baby stay healthy.
• Easy to store and use.

However, taking calcium supplements has a low absorption capacity, often making it difficult for the stomach to digest food, causing constipation.

2. Why do pregnant women need calcium supplements?

The reason why pregnant women need adequate calcium is because this mineral plays an important role in the health of both mother and baby. Specifically:

For pregnant women, being provided with the necessary amount of calcium every day helps the mother have a safe and stable pregnancy.

Calcium also has the effect of keeping blood, supporting the nerves to work effectively, preventing complications such as: pre-eclampsia, cramps, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes …. In addition, it also helps to improve loss of appetite, reduce numbness, itching in the fingers and effectively prevent osteoporosis.

For the fetus, during pregnancy, the baby absorbs calcium from the mother to form the skeleton, teeth and ensure the functioning of muscles, heart, nerves…. Adequate calcium supplementation for the mother helps the fetus avoid birth defects and some potential risks such as growth retardation, premature birth, low birth weight, calcium deficiency, etc.

The addition of calcium from food, calcium liquid or calcium tablets for pregnant women all bring practical benefits.

3. Is it better for pregnant women to take calcium tablets or water?

No one can deny the importance of calcium during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Calcium is commonly found in many different foods. However, this content is not enough compared to the actual needs of pregnant women. The solution is given to supplement calcium preparations in liquid, tablet or powder form. Should calcium supplements for pregnant women in tablet or liquid form be better?

Liquid calcium has the advantage of being easily soluble, easier for the body to absorb than other forms. Besides, it also supports good control of stomach acid. However, the disadvantage is that it is more difficult to take than the tablet form, pregnant women with morning sickness are easy to feel nauseated, prone to gastric reflux.

Contrary to liquid calcium, calcium tablets are more convenient in use and storage. This form of calcium is very suitable for pregnant women or morning sickness, not afraid of nausea and discomfort. However, the disadvantage is that the absorption efficiency is less because most of them are inorganic calcium.

Thus, liquid calcium supports the digestion of food and controls gastric juice very well. And calcium tablets are suitable for people who often suffer from gastric reflux, morning sickness, convenient in use.

There are many opinions that liquid calcium is better absorbed than tablet form. However, in fact, the ability to absorb calcium of each person depends on the body and health status of each person. Therefore, using any form of calcium for pregnant women depends on the needs and absorption capacity of each person, it is impossible to say for sure which type will be better.

Read more: Guidelines for calcium supplementation for women in the postpartum period

4. What should pregnant women pay attention to when supplementing with calcium?

Calcium tablets or liquid form will have certain advantages and disadvantages. The most important thing is to supplement properly and keep a few things in mind:

• Supplementing with the right dose: Excess or deficiency of calcium can lead to side effects of the body, usually from 1200 to 1400mg during pregnancy.
• Time: The most appropriate time to supplement calcium is early in the morning, helping to increase its ability to transport into the bones for absorption.
• Choose quality products: You can choose tablet or liquid form depending on the needs and absorption capacity of each person. Should choose reputable stores, genuine distributors to ensure safety during use.
• Use only filtered water to take calcium tablets. Do not combine calcium with orange juice, green tea, soft drinks or carbonated drinks… because they can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

• Pregnant women can use calcium from the first month of pregnancy and gradually increase the amount each month. Besides, do not forget to combine a nutrient-rich diet with gentle exercise for the best health during pregnancy.

Read more: Instructions on how to supplement calcium and important notes

Conclusion

Above are all of Solife answers to the question of whether taking calcium tablets or water will be better for both mother and baby. In fact, this depends on the needs and absorption capacity of each person. Please timely supplement calcium with essential nutrients to have a healthy pregnancy for both mother and baby.

Trần Hoàng Uyên

Trần Hoàng Uyên (Senior Manager Pharmaceutical company) là chuyên gia cấp cao với nhiều năm kinh nghiệm trong lĩnh vực dược phẩm. Tốt nghiệp cử nhân chuyên ngành Quản lý dược I tại Trường Đại học Y dược TP. Hồ Chí Minh và hiện đang công tác tại công ty dược phẩm. Với hơn 10 năm kinh nghiệm làm việc trong ngành dược, chị Hoàng Uyên là chuyên gia cộng tác tham vấn y khoa cho danh mục blog cũng như các nội dung liên quan trên Solife. (Tran Hoang Uyen (Senior Manager Pharmaceutical company) is a senior specialist with many years of experience in the Pharmaceutical field. She graduated Bachelor of Pharmacy Management I at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City and is currently working for a pharmaceutical company. With more than 10 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical industry, Ms. Hoang Uyen is a medical consultant collaborator for content on Solife's website.)