Calcium Calcium is the most common mineral found in the body (National Institutes of Health 2011, para. 1).

This is perhaps a reflection of its prevalence in the environment where it easily found in common substances such as limestone and marble (Braun & Cohen, 2010). In foods and supplements calcium exists in the form of a salt and must be released before it is able to be absorbed in the body. The rate of calcium absorption in the body is considered to be relatively inefficient when compared to other minerals. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), vitamin D and calcitonin have the important of job of regulating calcium absorption and homeostasis (Braun & Cohen, 2010). According to Braun & Cohen (2010) 76% of women in Melbourne between the ages of 20-92 consume less than the recommended daily intake of calcium. With these statistics it is seen that calcium deficiency is a problem that needs to be addressed before long term consequences occur. Calcium supplements are traditionally used to treat these deficiencies. The following is a discussion on the different web resources and information regarding calcium supplements. There is a vast amount of information and resources regarding calcium supplements. The most informative of the resources that I will discuss was no doubt from the government organisation of The Office of Dietary Supplements located in The National Institutes of Health (NIH). Upon reading the page it very recognizable as a reputable source with all statements made being referenced and an extensive reference list with textbooks and peer-reviewed journals located on the bottom of the page. Although the non-commercial resource of Wikipedia also references all statements, it is an open source, allowing anybody to write information whether they have been trained and educated or not. This leaves Wikipedia, although extensive on many subjects, as a very unreliable source of information. Both the NIH and Wikipedia also stated the date of publication or the last day the page was edited. The commercial resource of Blackmore was not referenced at all regarding any information about their calcium supplements and the benefits they provided. It also did not state the date of publication for the particular page. All three pages agree on usefulness of calcium supplements in the treatment and prevention of various conditions such as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease resulting in low bone mineral density (BMD) (Tyler et al, 2009). The NIH agrees with Wichman (2002) on how calcium supplements when used in conjunction with vitamin D can reduce the chance of fracture and falls from osteoporosis and increase BMD. The NIH had the most extensive information on osteoporosis and had significantly more information than Wikipedia and Blackmore who simply stated that calcium supplements can help treat osteoporosis. Contraindication and risk information varied among the pages. While the NIH and Wikipedia listed recommended daily dosage levels, Blackmore did not. The levels recommended were within the levels also recommended by Tyler et al (2009). The only figure Blackmore produced on the page being reviewed was the dosage level of the particular tablet they were attempting to sell. Interestingly, the NIH, Blackmore and Wikipedia all disagree to certain degrees about the role of calcium supplements increasing the risk of renal calculi. The NIH states that excess calcium from supplements and not foods may increase risk which complies with Curhan et al (1997). Wikipedia refutes this and states new research high-calcium diets can lower the risk of renal calculi as said by Wichman (2002). Meanwhile Blackmore simply states taking the supplement can cause renal calculi to reoccur if the consumer has had renal calculi before. This situation highlights the varying

information located on the internet considering the NIH and Wikipedia pages were published only a week apart from each other. Perhaps one of the reasons for the differing amounts of information given is due to different target audiences, where the NIH is written for trained individuals and interested members of the public while Wikipedia and Blackmores target audience is written for those who perhaps do not have any training in the field and want simplified information. However this should not distract from the fact that the NIH was by far the superior resource. For academic and educational learning, it is advised for them to use government or peer-reviewed information which are more reputable than open sourced or commercial information. Reference List Blackmore, Cal-D, Blackmore, viewed 11 August 2011, <http://www.blackmores.com.au/products/cal-d?gclid=CLOJv5idxqoCFYJKpgodqUhs0w> Braun, L & Cohen, N. 2010, Herbs & Natural Supplements: An Evidence Based Guide, 3rd edn, Elesevier, Sydney Curhan, G, Willett, W, Speizar, F, Spiegelman, D & Stampfer, D. 1997, Comparison of Dietary Calcium with Supplemental Calcium and Other Nutrients as Factors Affecting the Risk for Kidney Stones in Women, Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 126, no.7, pp. 497-504 National Institutes of Health. 2011, Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Calcium. American Government, viewed 11 August 2011, <http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/calcium/> Wikipedia. 2011, Calcium Nutrition, Wikipedia, viewed August 11 2011, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium#Nutrition> Tyler, C, Zyzanski, S, Berkley, M & Panaite, B. 2009, Calcium Supplement Use by African American Women, Journal of the National Medical Association, vol. 101, no. 6, pp. 588-592 Wichman, K. 2002, Calcium Supplements for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis, Canadian Pharmacists Journal, vol. 135, no. 8, pp. 42-43