When Is the Best Time to Take Calcium Supplements—Morning or Night?
May 16, 2022
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Xu Ge
Introduction
The optimal time for calcium supplementation in the human body is right before bedtime. Blood calcium levels are generally higher during the day and lower at night. This nocturnal decline stimulates the secretion of parathyroid hormone, which further accelerates the release of bound calcium from bone tissue. Taking a calcium supplement once before bedtime increases blood calcium concentration. As blood calcium levels rise, the body temporarily refrains from drawing calcium from the bones.
The optimal time for calcium supplementation in humans is right before bedtime.
Serum calcium levels are not a reliable diagnostic indicator of calcium deficiency. Blood calcium is maintained in a dynamic equilibrium: calcium absorbed from food during the day is excreted via urine. During nighttime sleep, however, no food is ingested. If you wake up in the middle of the night to urinate, the calcium excreted in the urine originates from calcium mobilized from bone tissue. Similarly, the calcium detected in your first-morning urine also reflects calcium released from bone into the bloodstream. Excessive mobilization of calcium from bone can thus lead to calcium deficiency. Therefore, calcium supplementation is best timed just before going to sleep.
Serum calcium levels typically peak during the day and decline at night. This nocturnal dip stimulates parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion, which in turn accelerates the release of calcium from bone-bound reservoirs. Taking a calcium supplement right before bedtime elevates blood calcium concentration, thereby temporarily reducing the need to draw calcium from bone stores.
