There is an estimated 10 million people in the United States alone that have osteoporosis. For those who are unaware, osteoporosis is when bones become weaker and therefore, more likely to break. Many factors come into play as to what causes osteoporosis, some of which you can control and others which you can’t – one, there’s a greater chance of getting it if you’re a woman proven by the fact that more than 80% of the estimated 10 million are women. Second, family history plays a role as well as there is a significantly higher chance of getting the disease if it runs in your family. And third, age, since the older you get, the greater your risk of getting osteoporosis. Factors you can control that may increase your chances of being diagnosed with osteoporosis include smoking, drinking too much alcohol, low calcium and vitamin D intake, and the use of some medication.

When bones become weak and brittle because of osteoporosis, it becomes extremely easy for the bone(s) to break. It’s not a systemic disease and weak bones are usually found in the ribs, wrists, vertebrae, or the head of the femur. A simple fall can result in fractures or even worse, completely broken bones which can sometimes lead to other health concerns, so people who have been diagnosed must be very careful not to fall.

Osteoporosis can be treated or controlled with a combination of exercise, medications, increased calcium intake, and an overall healthy lifestyle. Calcium plays a large and very important role in treatment and retaining bone strength for those who have been diagnosed. Your bones house all of the calcium and when your body isn’t getting enough, it will take it from your bones thereby making you weaker. An average middle-aged person.

But sometimes a natural intake of calcium isn’t enough and your doctor may recommend calcium supplements to assist you. A seven-year study on the effects of algae-derived calcium was conducted and the results were recently published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. To summarize, the study, which was based on AlgaeCal, showed that a daily supplement of algae-derived calcium increased the bone mineral density of age-related bone loss in otherwise healthy women. Another study was conducted by Eurofins and Product Safety Laboratories in New Jersey to determine the toxicity of adverse effects of consuming algae-based calcium on a regular basis. The study showed absolutely no significant toxicities.

Calcium supplements that derive the mineral from marine algae, or seaweed, has proven to be much more health and body friendly than the usual calcium supplements which are derived from limestone, or rock. A study done by Harvard Medical School and the University of Connecticut compared AlgaeCal to calcium citrate and calcium carbonate, and found that the algae-based option outperformed calcium citrate by 400% and calcium carbonate by 300% when it came to producing new bone building cells.

Conclusively, it seems that algae-derived calcium increases bone density, has little to no adverse effects, and outperformed other calcium alternatives when it came to producing bone building cells.