Calcium: Why do you need Calcium? This mineral is famous as a bone protector, but it plays other important roles, too, helping your nerve cells communicate, your muscles contract, and your blood clot. It also appears to lower blood pressure and help prevent colon cancer and premenstrual syndrome.
Supplements made of calcium carbonate are easy to find and inexpensive, but they should always be taken with food for best absorption. Another common form, calcium citrate, can be taken anytime. You should take calcium at bedtime with magnesium because they work together to relax your muscles and help you fall asleep. You need 500 to 1,000 mg a day. If you take calcium carbonate, take it with food; you can take calcium citrate any time. Avoid taking over 500 mg of calcium at once; you can only absorb a certain amount at a time.
Recent studies suggest that the risk of advanced prostate cancer is higher in men that take 2,000 mg or more of calcium per day. So, you should probably limit your Calcium intake from food and supplements to 1,000 to 1,200 mg daily.
Chromium: This mineral helps the hormone insulin work more efficiently, making it an especially important nutrient for people who have type 2 Diabetes or are at risk for it. Insulin usually helps lower blood sugar levels, but if you have type2 Diabetes, your insulin is less effective. In fact, some cases of type z diabetes are triggered by a chromium deficiency.
Chromium's effect on insulin may also help you lose weight. Studies show that it can help you hold on to muscle while shedding fat but don’t expect the results in a jiffy. Chromium picolinate is thought to be its best form. Most people need 50 to 200 mcg daily. If you have diabetes or a pre-diabetic condition, take 200 mcg two or three times a day. For best absorption, take chromium in a separate supplement (ignore the amount in your multivitamin), and take it at a different time than your multi. If you take diabetes medication, talk to your doctor; chromium may reduce your need for these medications.
Copper: This mineral helps transport oxygen through your body, maintains hair color, and is used to make hormones. If you're supplementing with zinc, it's especially important to take copper; zinc interferes with your body's ability to absorb copper. You need just a bit of copper, 1 to 2 mg daily, the amount in most multivitamins.