Calcium is well known by everybody but what Calcium Lactate is? The Calcium Lactate is E327. Aw! It should be a kind of dangerous additive! Not at all. Get to know it a little bit better and you will see that you also use it in your everyday life and it is good for your body as well.
You will know from our article why and for what exactly Calcium Lactate is good:
- What is Calcium Lactate?
- Areas of usage of Calcium Lactate
- Why is Calcium important for our body?
- Methods for compensating Calcium
What is Calcium Lactate?
The Calcium Lactate is the Calcium salt of lactic acid. It can be found naturally but basically, it is generated during the fermentation process caused by bacteria. It is generated artificially by fermentation of starch or treacle. Regarding its physical appearance Calcium Lactate is a white granulated powder that is odourless and dissolves in water.
Completely safe, it does not cause complaints even in a longer time, and it is proven that it has no carcinogenic effect
Areas of usage of Calcium Lactate
Food industry:
- Calcium source which used for foods and drinks enriched with Calcium.
- Stabilizing agent in jellies and chewing gums.
- It stabilizes vegetables and fruits (pectin in the peel react with it), therefore it is to use during storing with preference.
- It can be used as a meat industry additive as well.
- It is a perfect acidity regulator in for example emulsifying salts.
- It works as a buffer and rising agent during the baking of bakery products.
- It makes the stability of foam better so it is used by the dairy industry with preference.
- It helps to prevent tooth decay in sugar-free products.
Pharmaceutical industry:
- It is the raw material of food supplements as an important Calcium source.
- It can be used as a nutrient with medical control.
Agriculture:
- Fishes and birds use it as a supplementary Calcium source.
- It is a perfect fodder additive.
Why is Calcium important for our body?
Everyone knows that Calcium is a component of bones. If we would like strong bones, we must be careful about getting the proper amount of Calcium. But Calcium is not important just for bones. It has an outstanding role in stimulating the muscles, controlling hormones, transfer nerve impulses. Therefore, if the Calcium level is too low our body reacts with muscle cramps, muscle aches and in some cases sensory disorders. Calcium controls also the process of the contraction and relaxation of blood vessels too. If the body does not get enough Calcium supply, it gets from the bones to maintain the other functions of the body. In the lack of proper amount of Calcium osteoporosis develops.
We cover our daily Calcium intake from dairy products, this bean, almonds, sesame seeds, broccoli, vegetables for soups or oranges are great Calcium sources too. If we do not consume dairy products because of something (like allergy, vegan diet) low Calcium level often develops. In these cases, we have to take care of getting Calcium from artificial sources.
Methods for compensate Calcium
We can use Calcium pills, effervescent tablets, or liquid Calcium as a supplementary way besides the natural Calcium intake. The raw material of food supplements containing Calcium is very often Calcium Lactate. The Calcium Lactate is a so-called chelate-Calcium supplement which means that Calcium is combined with an organic acid. Its advantage is that it is absorbed more easily its disadvantage is that it is a more expensive raw material and contains less elementary Calcium like Calcium-carbonate or Calcium-citrate.
A further advantage of Calcium Lactate is that it does not depend on pH so the Calcium compensation is not needed to suit meals and it does not cause stomach and intestine problems. The recommended Calcium intake for adults is 1000 mg so we should consider this when we plan the amount of the Calcium compensation. Our body cannot absorb more than 500 mg from Calcium Lactate at the same time so the Calcium compensation should be divided into 2-3 parts of a day. Calcium absorption is better if we combine it with vitamin D therefore in Calcium compensation medicines we can find both of them.
So Calcium Lactate is not just a great alternative for completing the daily Calcium amount but it has an outstanding role in the food and pharmaceutical industry because of its versatile usage.
