Calcium Carbonate

Perhaps you do not get enough Calcium in your diet.  Calcium Carbonate is the most common Calcium Supplement.  It is the cheapest. It may upset your stomach, give you a bloated feeling, or make you constipated.

Calcium Carbonate tablets require lots of stomach acid to dissolve.  You must take them with a full meal for them to be digested and absorbed fully.

If you take medications for acid reflux disease such as Pepcid, Prilosec, or Nexium, you will NOT be able to dissolve and absorb Calcium Carbonate tablets properly.  They will pass right through you without benefit.

Over age 50 you have less acid in your stomach and MAY have difficulty digesting Calcium Carbonate tablets.  Persons with GERD, Heartburn, Lactose Intolerance, Gluten Intolerance, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, and Celiac Disease all may have problems.

If you cannot properly digest Calcium Carbonate, you should take Calcium Citrate. Remember that you also need Vitamin D and Magnesium in order to properly absorb calcium.

Jay Ginther, MD

2008 / Revised January 2011

Categorised in: Bone Health, Nutrition