Puritans Pride CalMag citrate + Vitamin D

Puritans Pride CalMag citrate plus Vitamin D: What are the basic facts about this product?

1. Puritan's Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin D is a brand name product. The company was founded by Arthur Rudolph who was a pioneer in the supplement business. Headquarters are on Long Island in the State of New York, USA.

2. There are no published peer reviewed studies about this product. That is understandable since it contains a number of elements that have been studied and unless the company paid for a professional study at a university, few university or labs would examine a particular product.

I note that there are some products that have undergone formal study such as Advacal and AlgaeCal. In the case of Advacal, the studies of the particular form of calcium were being done by Dr. Fujita, the Japanese researcher, long before any product was developed. The product was created after his studies showed apparent efficacy of a particular formulation. With Algaecal the manufacturer has  financed a study by an independent laboratory.

3. Information given by the manufacturer: The supplement contains: Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) 25 IU 6%,Calcium 250 mg 25% (as Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Aspartate). Magnesium 125 mg 31% (as Magnesium Oxide, Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Aspartate)

DIRECTIONS: For adults, take one (1) capsule four times daily, preferably with meals. Many minerals can affect the absorption of particular medications. Do not take this product within 2 hours of taking medications. As a reminder, discuss the supplements and medications you take with your health care providers and follow their advice.

Other Ingredients: Cellulose (Plant Origin), Gelatin, Silica, Vegetable Magnesium Stearate.

4. How much of the recommended daily intake will Puritans Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin D supply?

Calcium - Four servings of Puritan's Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin D will supply 1,000 mg of calcium. As to how absorbable this calcium is, note that it comes from 3 different forms of Calcium.It would be worth performing the VINEGAR TEST Puritans Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin D  to get some sense of its absorbability. See: Vinegar test for calcium absorbability

Vitamin D - in Puritans Pride CalMag citrate with Vitamin D.

Vitamin D - in Puritans Pride CalMag citrate with Vitamin D.

The Mayo Clinic states on their web site: Vitamin D is included in most multivitamins, usually in strengths from 50 IU to 1,000 IU as softgels, capsules, tablets, and liquids.

The Adequate Intake (AI) levels have been established by the U.S. Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Recommendations are: 5 micrograms (200 IU or International Units) daily for all individuals (males, female, pregnant/lactating women) under the age of 50 years-old. For all individuals from 50-70 years-old, 10 micrograms daily (400 IU) is recommended. For those who are over 70 years-old, 15 micrograms daily (600 IU) is suggested. Some authors have questioned whether the current recommended adequate levels are sufficient to meet physiological needs, particularly for individuals deprived of regular sun exposure. The upper limit (UL) for vitamin D has been recommended as 2,000 IU daily due to toxicities that can occur when taken in higher doses.

Not all doses have been found effective for conditions that have been studied. However, ergocalciferol has been used in an oral dose of 400 to 800 IU per day (sometimes higher doses are used in conjunction with calcium) for osteoporosis prevention and treatment.

Calcitriol has been used in an initial oral dose of 0.25 micrograms per day; dosing may be increased by 0.25 micrograms per day at four to eight week intervals in patients with hypocalcemia from chronic dialysis.

Dihydrotachysterol has been used in an oral initial dose of 750 micrograms (0.75 milligrams) to 2.5 milligrams per day for several days for the treatment of hypoparathroidism. A maintenance dose is typically 200 micrograms (0.2 milligrams) to 1 milligram per day. Ergocalciferol has also been used in an oral dose of 50,000 to 200,000 IU units daily concomitantly with calcium lactate 4 grams, six times per day." End of Mayo Clinic information.

Since Puritan's Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin Doffers 25 IU per capsule, taking the recommended 4 capsules a day will give you 100 IU. Since the recommended dosages for those over age 50 is between 400 - 600 IU and recent recommendationsfor those with Osteoporosis and Osteopenia are even higher, Puritans Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin D will NOT supply enough Vitamin D in the recommended dosage.

Some people will get the necessary amounts through their diet or will take additional supplements. You can scroll down to towards the end of the page on this link and read Vitamin D requirements and natural sources

Magnesium in Puritans Pride CalMag citrate with Vitamin D. At 125 mg of magnesium, this supplement give you a Calcium/Magnesium ratio of 2:1. 

None of the other trace minerals and vitamins believed to be necessary for bone building are supplied in Puritans Pride CalMag Citrate with Vitamin D. Some people will get these through their diets. Others will buy additional supplements.

If you want to read more about these trace minerals and vitamins or examine other calcium supplements go to Bone building vitamins and minerals
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