Best Calcium Supplement

Best calcium supplement choices depend on your particular needs. Are you looking for the most effective brand or one that is inexpensive or easy to take? Some people and doctors believe all calcium is the same and consider inexpensive antacids to be the best calcium supplement. Others choose brands with multiple features, although a given brand may not be the top performer in any one feature.

Best Calcium Supplement Based On  Physical Properties
On MayoClinc.com, the best calcium question was addressed based on the amount of calcium per tablet.

“How do I know which calcium supplements provide the most calcium?  There are so many different kinds -- carbonate, citrate, lactate, gluconate.

According Katerine Zeratsky, R.D. L.D:

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 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.”

Zeratsky’s best calcium supplement answer raises some interesting points.  First, the number of calcium forms now available extends beyond the carbonate, citrate, lactate or gluconate options. Other calcium forms include hydroxyappatite, from cow bone, orotate and a combination of oxide and hydroxide, the patented form found in AdvaCAL.

Best Calcium Supplement Based on Bone Performance
Review the published research if your best calcium decision is based on bone benefit.  Many bone health experts focus on bone density changes or fracture reduction, both well chronicled.  Two recent meta-analyses were published in leading medical journals.  One examined bone density changes from calcium intake; the other reviewed fracture reduction risk. In total, 49 different studies, involving 8 different forms of calcium were analyzed.  AdvaCAL calcium had impressive results among the studies in both meta analyses. 

AdvaCAL meets the rigid United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), the same standard used by pharmaceuticals.  Its capsules are small and easy to swallow, supply 100% of the recommended daily calcium intake, are highly soluble and dye and preservative free. It also doesn’t create stomach gas.  That is why many consumers and doctors choose AdvaCAL as their best calcium supplement.