ConsumerLab.com recently reviewed several calcium supplements for quality issues, including labeled amount, ability to break apart for absorption, and purity. Supplements are not routinely tested by the FDA or other federal or state agencies for quality before they are sold to the public.
Four of the calcium products tested did not meet quality standards. They included…….
Trader Joe’s Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D – Pill did not pass the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) disintegration test. Pills should completely break apart within 30 minutes, but after an additional 30 minutes, these tablets were still mainly whole. As a result, the ingredients might not be released into the body. In addition, the product had 172.5% of the listed vitamin D, though the calcium amount was accurate. Consumer Lab said “overage” is okay in supplements due to shelf life, though this amount was excessive.
Melaleuca Vitality Calcium Complete – Pill did not pass the USP disintegration test. After an additional 25 minutes, the pills did break apart.
Pure Essence Labs Ionic-Fizz Super D-K Calcium Plus – Pill contained about 1 mcg of lead per scoop. Consumer Lab points out that lead contamination is a concern with dietary supplements, especially those that contain herbal ingredients or minerals.
Viactiv Calcium Plus D – While these chocolate chews contained the listed amounts of calcium and vitamin K, they contained 182.2% of the listed amount of vitamin D3. The product stated it provided 500 Iu of vitamin D per chew, while they actually had 911 IU.
It was noted that calcium works when you have a sufficient level of vitamin D in your body – therefore many of the products tested included vitamin D.