Let’s face it: The only way most of us are going to get enough calcium each day is to take supplements. There are many to choose from. How do you know which one is right for you?

First check the label. If your calcium supplement doesn’t contain *Vitamin D and *magnesium, it’s not worth the time it takes to swallow it. Next look at how much Vitamin D it has compared to the amount of Calcium. As a minimum, the number of IU of *Vitamin D should come close to equaling the number of milligrams of *calcium. Exceeding it, is ok. Next look for *magnesium. As a minimum, the number of milligrams of magnesium should be half that as the number of milligrams of calcium. (Tip: If your *calcium causes constipation, look for a calcium supplement with as many milligrams of *magnesium as *calcium.)

*Calcium and *Vitamin D are great partners. *Vitamin D is necessary to help your bones hold onto their *calcium and to help keep the amount of calcium in your blood normal. These two have a sidekick: *Magnesium. This mineral is important to help with the absorption of calcium and to help you use *Vitamin D properly. Studies have also shown proper amounts of *magnesium will help prevent a common side effect of calcium supplements…constipation.