What is the difference between calcium tablets at different prices?

2023-12-27

Consumers who often buy calcium tablets will find that some calcium tablets cost a few yuan a bottle, while others cost hundreds of yuan a bottle. What is the difference between calcium tablets with such a big price difference?

You can see calcium tablets with various ingredients in supermarkets, pharmacies or online. No matter how cool the packaging is, there are only three categories: organic calcium, inorganic calcium and chelated calcium.

Inorganic calcium: Inorganic calcium mainly includes calcium carbonate, calcium chloride and calcium phosphate. The biggest feature of inorganic calcium is that it is cheap and has high calcium content, but its digestion requires a large amount of gastric acid. Therefore, people with poor gastric function, stomach problems, or friends who suffer from nausea and discomfort due to long-term gastric acidity should avoid choosing it.
Organic calcium: Organic calcium includes calcium citrate, calcium acetate, calcium lactate, calcium gluconate, calcium citrate, etc. The absorption of organic calcium does not require the participation of gastric acid. Although the content is not as good as inorganic calcium, it is easier to be absorbed by the body.
Compound amino acid chelated calcium: Compound amino acid chelated calcium: a compound preparation composed of amino acid chelated calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, vanadium, silicon, boron, calcium hydrogen phosphate, calcium ascorbate, vitamin D3, etc.

Whether it is cheap calcium tablets or high-priced calcium tablets, their core ingredients are the same, and there is no obvious difference in the effect of calcium supplementation. When everyone chooses calcium supplements, they don’t need to pay too much attention to its chemical form. Generally speaking, the body's absorption rate of calcium decreases with age. Under normal circumstances, ordinary calcium tablets are enough.

Is the higher the calcium content of calcium tablets, the better?

Let me start with the answer: Of course not. Some high-priced calcium tablets will say that they have "high calcium content and better calcium supplementation effect", for example, each tablet contains 600 mg of calcium. But in fact, the higher the dose of calcium tablets, the absorption rate may decrease.

Studies have pointed out that the absorption rate of supplements is highest at 500 mg or less, and the body can absorb about 36% of a 300 mg calcium dose and 28% of a 1,000 mg dose.

On the other hand, taking too much calcium tablets can be harmful. Excessive calcium supplementation may not only cause muscle relaxation, constipation, nausea and other discomforts, but may also interfere with the absorption of zinc and iron, causing zinc and iron deficiency. Severe excessive calcium intake can also cause hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria, leading to kidney stones, vascular calcification, and even renal failure.

Are imported calcium tablets really better?

Let’s talk about the answer first: In terms of calcium supplementation effect, the quality of imported calcium tablets is not necessarily better than that of domestic products.

Some high-priced calcium tablets will say that they are "foreign calcium supplement experts", "selected from the world's 50 best calcium sources", "calcium supplements produced according to international standards through strict purification processes" and so on. In fact, the key to affecting the quality of calcium tablets is whether the manufacturer cuts corners and has little to do with imports and domestic production.

As long as you purchase calcium tablets from the correct channels and pass the testing, the quality is guaranteed. In general, when we buy calcium tablets, we should choose the right ones instead of blindly pursuing expensive ones.