Calcium: Get It From Food First, and Which Form and Timing Actually Get Absorbed

Summary

Get calcium from **food first**: dietary calcium arrives slowly and carries no cardiovascular flag, whereas the only (genuinely contested) cardiovascular signal in the literature attaches to supplement *boluses*, so food is the prudent default and it comes bundled with protein, magnesium and vitamin K a pill lacks; if you do supplement to close a real gap, the rules are settled science, **carbonate needs stomach acid so take it with food** (citrate is the forgiving form for older people and acid-blocker users), **cap each dose at ~500 mg elemental and split larger totals**, and **you need vita