What brand of calcium?

poet_kelly
on 3/17/14 6:45 am - OH

I’ve talked to a lot of people about what brand of calcium they take, and notice a lot of people taking calcium carbonate or tricalcium phosphate, which we cannot absorb after gastric bypass because we no longer have enough stomach acid. By the way, some people that haven’t had gastric bypass don’t absorb those forms of calcium well, either. For instance, people on medications to reduce stomach acid, like meds for ulcers or acid reflux, won’t be able to absorb them. As people get older, they produce less stomach acid, so older people won’t absorb those well, either.

Anyway, I thought I’d make a list of calcium citrate supplements that we CAN absorb, followed by a list of calcium supplements we CANNOT absorb.

Calcium CITRATE Supplements (stuff we CAN absorb)

Citracal Maximum (315 mg per pill)
Citracal Petites (200 mg per pill)
Citracal Regular (250 mg per pill)
Citracal Plus Magnesium (250 mg per pill)
Bariatric Advantage chewable calcium citrate (several different options)
Bariatric Advantage calcium crystals (put in any drink)
Celebrate chewable calcium citrate (several different options)
Calcet Creamy Bites from Celebrate (500 mg – yummy!)
Celebrate ENS drink mix (with or without protein)
Upcal D (powder, put in any drink)
Building Blocks chewable calcium citrate
Opurity (from the makers of Unjury) chewable calcium citrate
Spring Valley calcium citrate (chewable and tablets)
Lifetime Liquid Calcium Magnesium Citrate (600 mg per ounce)
Tropical Oasis Liquid Calcium Citrate (about 500 mg per ounce)
Vitalady calcium citrate
Soloray calcium citrate (various doses)
Twin Labs Bariatric Support calcium citrate wafers
Generic versions available at most stores that sell vitamins

Calcium CARBONATE Supplements (stuff we CANNOT absorb)

Citracal Slow Release (has a combination of carbonate and citrate; more carbonate than citrate)
Citracal Plus Bone Density Builder (has a combination of carbonate and citrate; more carbonate than citrate)
Viactiv
Adora calcium chews
Caltrate
Os-Cal chewable calcium
Tums
Bariatric Fusions all-in-one vitamins (contains some calcium citrate but some calcium carbonate)

Tricalcium Phosphate Supplements (stuff we CANNOT absorb)

Citracal gummies
Vitafusion gummies
Wellesse (80% calcium citrate, 20% tricalcium phosphate, so we will only absorb 80% of it)

Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.