Many forms of calcium supplements are now on the market and all advertise attractive benefits. With the high rates of osteoporosis in the U.S., the fact that many Americans do not get enough calcium, the recent review published by ConsumerLab.com and the sales of calcium supplements in the U.S. in 2001 being some $775 million (according to the Nutrition Business Journal), the controversy as to which form of calcium provides the most benefit seems never more important.
However, the closer calcium supplementation is examined, the more questions arise. To ascertain the best regimen for calcium supplementation, important factors are not only cost and the bioavailability of individual calcium forms, but also associated nutrients, how well the supplement is tolerated and retained in the tissues, as well as what other lifestyle factors might contribute to a calcium supplement regimen.