What calcium supplement is best for me?

So, you’ve realized that you just aren’t getting enough calcium in your diet. What about calcium supplements? There are many different kinds and types–which one is right for you?

• Calcium carbonate is found in many calcium supplements on the market (Tums, Oscal, Caltrate, Viactiv) and contains the most calcium per pill, but is best taken with meals.
• Calcium citrate is a better absorped type of calcium but each pill typically contains less calcium than a carbonate version, so you have to take more of them; you can take these with meals or on an empty stomach.
• Other forms of calcium supplements are not very well absorbed or do not contain much calcium (think coral calcium). Therefore, if you are going to choose a calcium supplement, choose citrate or carbonate.

Always look for the US Pharmacopeia (USP) seal on your calcium supplement. This tells you that what’s on the label is indeed in the bottle in the reported amounts, and that it has been made under “good manufacturing processes”. After all, dietary supplements do not have to be proven to be safe or effective BEFORE they are put on the market (which is different than medicines which have to be proven safe and effective before they are approved).

Additionally, there is no standardization of the supplement product, so one batch of the supplement made may contain different amounts than another batch. This is not the case with medicines that you take–each pill MUST have the same ingredient as every other of that kind of pill.

So, just remember, when choosing a calcium supplement, take note of:

1. the source of calcium (citrate, carbonate)
2. how much calcium is in each pill
3. whether it contains the USP seal

Of note, from drugstore.com:

• 1 oscal = $0.14
• 1 chewable viactiv = $0.13
• Tums = $0.03
• 2 citracal (to get the amount of calcium equal to calcium carbonate) = $0.22

An additional resource is The Website for the Office of Dietary Supplements.

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