Best Calcium Supplements? A Calcium Supplement Comparison
Posted: Saturday, September 09, 2006
by Dean Neuls
AlgaeCal
Caltrate, CalMax, PremCal, Coral Calcium, Calcium Carbonate, and Calcium Citrate)
With so many calcium supplements to choose from, how are you to know which are the best calcium supplements for you? Below is a comparison between AlgaeCal Plus and the leading calcium supplements on the market. (Caltrate, CalMax, PremCal, Coral Calcium, Calcium Carbonate, and Calcium Citrate)
All popular calcium supplements are inorganic or laboratory-made with the exception of AlgaeCal. Most calcium supplements contain neither trace minerals nor the clinically proven bone building vitamin combination of D3, K2 and Strontium.
Caltrate Caltrate is a very inexpensive calcium carbonate product usually sold with vitamin D2, the synthetic form of vitamin D which has been proven in clinical studies to be less effective than the natural vitamin D3 form (1a). It is in a tablet form rather than gelatin capsules, and tablets are a less bio-available delivery system (2a). The tableting requires many additives of questionable value such as “cellulose, crospovidone, FD and C blue No. 2, red No. 40, and yellow No. 6, Magnesium Stearate, polysorbate, povidone, sodium croscarmellose, starch, sucrose, titanium dioxide, triacetin".
Caltrate contains none of the other clinically proven bone building ingredients such as trace minerals, magnesium, Vitamin K2, and Strontium. Also, the calcium form does not compare to organic, whole food, plant-sourced AlgaeCal. The price is very low, but it seems you are getting what you pay for – the lowest quality ingredients possible in the least bio-available form (tablet) along with a long list of additives.
CalMax CalMax is laboratory-made Calcium Gluconate together with Magnesium and Vitamin C in an effervescent powder form. This product misses the mark for bone growth because it contains none of the other clinically proven bone building ingredients such as trace minerals, vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and Strontium. Also, the calcium form does not compare to organic, whole food, plant-sourced AlgaeCal
PremCal PremCal is inorganic calcium carbonate from limestone rock with an insignificant amount of Magnesium. It is available in three strengths of vitamin D to accommodate varying levels of sun exposure. This product has been positioned primarily for fighting PMS. PremCal misses the mark for bone growth because it contains none of the other clinically proven bone building ingredients such as trace minerals, Vitamin K2, and Strontium. Also, the calcium form does not compare to organic, whole food, plant-sourced AlgaeCal.
Coral Calcium Coral Calcium comes from above-sea fossilized deposits, or below-sea dredging operations which vacuum the coral sands, mainly from Okinawa, Japan. Coral Calcium was popularized in 2003 by a television infomercial which was later removed by the FTC/FDA for false and unsubstantiated advertising claims. The product was not in question so much as the exaggerated claims of disease healing that were made.
Coral calcium is significantly different from AlgaeCal. To start with, coral is an animal and AlgaeCal is from a plant. Coral Calcium is heat treated to remove heavy metals, so all organic material is destroyed. AlgaeCal is live harvested and cold processed so it retains nutritional value. In fact AlgaeCal contains much higher magnesium plus it has 12 times more trace minerals per gram than coral calcium. Coral Calcium is offered in combination with many different ingredients, but never with vitamin K2 or Strontium, two of the best clinically proven bone health builders. No credible clinical studies have been done on coral calcium showing any therapeutic benefit. AlgaeCal has a significant clinical trial showing excellent results.
Calcium Carbonate Calcium Carbonate is the most common source of calcium on store shelves today, claiming about 70% of the market share. It is cheap and readily available, and has been used with moderate success in many clinical studies, mainly for slowing bone loss in post-menopausal women rather than growing new bone to any significant degree as we are accomplishing in the AlgaeCal Bone Health Program.
Calcium Carbonate products miss the mark for bone growth because they typically contain few of the other clinically proven bone building ingredients such as trace minerals, vitamin D, magnesium, Vitamin K2, and Strontium. Also, the calcium form does not compare to organic, whole food, plant-sourced AlgaeCal.
Calcium Citrate Calcium Citrate is Calcium chelated (chemically bound) to Citric Acid in order to offer slightly higher bio-availability than it’s main competitor, Calcium Carbonate. It is generally more expensive than Calcium Carbonate but really misses the mark for bone growth because it generally contains few or none of the other clinically proven bone building ingredients such as trace minerals, vitamin D, Vitamin K2, and Strontium. Also, laboratory-made calcium citrate does not compare to organic, whole food, plant-sourced AlgaeCal.
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References
1a. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2006 Jan;98(1):72-7. Epub 2005 Oct 20 Differential Effects of Vitamin D Analogues on bone formation and resorption
2a. Heaney RP. Factors influencing the measurement of bioavailability, taking calcium as a model. J Nutr. 2001 Apr;131(4 Suppl):1344S-8S
Is there any other company out there other than AlgaeCal that makes a product that is a plant source of calcium? I just ran across AlgaeCal and am considering switching to this product, however, I am concerned that the amount of Calcium per capsule is only 180 mg ... for me to get the 1500 mg of calcium daily (which is what my doctor said I need to do), I would need to take nearly 9 capsules per day. And yet my doctor told me I needed to also get 800 IU of D daily, yet each capsule of AlgaeCal contains 400 IU, so more than 2 capsules and I'm ingesting way more D than is necessary. Yikes! This is a real bummer, as so far, AlgaeCal seems to be one of the best sources for "good" calcium. Any input?I just got my bone density scan back after being on 4 AlgaeCal Plus and 3 Strotium Boost for one year (July 3, 2007-July 3, 2008). My left hip went from -2.6 to -2.4. The left femoral neck went from -3.2 to -2.9. The increase in bone density was 2.8%. My lumbar spine went from -2.7 to -2.3. My L3 vertebral body went from -3.0 to -2.6. My L4 vertebral body went from -3.4 to -2.7. The increase in composite bone mineral density was 5.8%. My left forearm went from -2.8 to -2.7. Then increase in the bone mineral density was 0.5%. I am so happy about this. I was allergic to Fosomax, Actonel and Boneva. Every year I got worse until this year. I am so thankful to the Lord for allowing me to find Algaecal.Oops, I meant to say I have been on (and am still on) 4 AlgaeCal Plus and 3 Strontium Boost a day, and have been on this for one year. I take the Strontium in the morning first thing. Then an hour later I take my 2 Algaecal. Then an hour later, I take my vitamin. I always keep them apart by at least one hour so that they do not fight for the cell surface. Then at dinner time I take the other two Algaecal.
Your doctor may have said you need 1500 mg of calcium per day, but that does include what you eat. The average American gets 600 mg of calcium per day...if you were to take the daily recommended serving for AlgaeCal you would be getting 720 mg of calcium. Not to mention the other very important minerals and vitamins that are in AlgaeCal Plus. The fact that you would be getting 1600 IU of vitamin D3 from a daily serving of AlgaeCal Plus is a good thing. There are several studies indicating that the RDI of 400 IU is way too low and that there are many benefits to an increased intake of vitamin d. Any doctor that says you only need a whack of calcium is wrong! You need a well balanced amount of minerals for optimal health.