Labels: Calcium Citrate, as Calcium Citrate, elemental calcium????

Good post. Nothing in life is easy when it stands to make a buck. Learning my Vits. and minerals was one of the hardest things for me. I want to stay proactive and keep on the know but it seems like nothing stays the same including the way they bottle the vits. and stores stop selling a brand you are use to. Oh, just a small price to pay for our DS. Karen  

I could be wrong here, but I have always been told to take 1500 to 2000 mg a day of calcium citrate. No one ever said anything about elemental calcium. I was taking 1500 of calcium citrate after by GB surgery 4 years ago. After my DS, I added some and now take 8 a day 2 at a time,  4 times a day, for 2,000 mg of calcium citrate. Nothing is mentioned of the elemental calcium. BTW, my calcium level is really good.

Great post Annette!

It is important to know how much actual calcium you are getting in.  I had the same problem with Nature's Science and you would think after 4 years of reading labels, I would know better..lol

elemental = actual calcium

This may help a little.  From the Mayo Clinic site:

The key factor to consider when buying calcium supplements is the amount of elemental calcium the supplements contain. The term "elemental calcium" refers to the amount of calcium in a supplement that's available for your body to absorb. Don't be deceived by the total weight of each tablet, which is simply the weight of the calcium plus whatever it's bound to — such as carbonate, citrate, lactate or gluconate.

If the amount of elemental calcium isn't clearly listed on the label, check the Nutrition Facts label. The amount of elemental calcium will be listed in milligrams (mg) according to "serving size" — generally one or two tablets. The Nutrition Facts label also lists the Percent Daily Value (% Daily Value), which indicates how much one serving provides toward the average daily recommended amount of a given nutrient for most people. For calcium, the % Daily Value is 1,000 mg of elemental calcium. Remember, however, your needs for calcium may vary according to recommendations from your doctor or dietitian.

When choosing calcium supplements, it's also helpful to note how much calcium is in the serving size listed on the label. This will help you determine the number of tablets you must take to meet your individual needs for calcium. Also look for "USP" or "CL" on the label. Supplements that bear The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) or ConsumerLab (CL) abbreviations meet voluntary industry standards for quality, purity, and tablet disintegration or dissolution.

I bookmarked your post for future use.

Michele

Yeah well they may get good results but I am not into taking that amount of pills.  I bought one bottle from her and on the same day 2 bottles from another site... what a dumbass, I am!  Well, I am taking 20 a day til they are gone.  I can't afford not to right now..The good news is @20 a day they will be gone soon.

I hate it when I have a major brain fart!

Where do you get free shipping?

Michele

Do I understand you to say, Michele, that you are taking 20 calcium citrate every day?  How do you find timee to get them all in 2 hours apart ?  are you taking 4 at a time 5 times a day? 

Here I thought I was doing good by taking citrical (albeit the Walmart Brand) 4 times a day, 2 tabs each....

what could happen if you were to take too much Calcium?

Yep, 4 at a time, which gives me only 438gms of actual calcium.  I won't buy this brand again just because of this.  I usually take something like Citrical which gives me 630 mg with 2 pills, so you see why it is so important to read the labels and find out how much actual calcium you are getting in.

I switched because the Equate brand and Citrical both give me a lot of gas, (something in the fillers, I think). 

With the brand that makes me take 20 there is no chance I am getting in TOO much calcium.

Michele

The only thing I would say is that there ARE ways to know if you've got calcium issues without ever breaking a bone. Is this not why we have out Vit D, Calcium, and PTH tested regularly (annually at a MINIMUM)? And for anyone more than 2 years out, I would think DEXA scans would be in order.