Many people have difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules. This is especially so with elderly patients, children and adolescents. When dissolved in water, Effervescent Calcium makes a delicious, natural orange flavored drink, ideal for those who have difficulty or who do not like to swallow pills.

Each dose (two tablets) provides 100% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance of calcium for adults. The RDA established for calcium intake is as follows:

• 1,000 mg. for adults

• 1,200 mg. for pregnant and lactating women

• 1,500 mg. for postmenopausal women

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "calcium intake ranging from 1,000 to 2,500 mg. daily does not cause hypercalcemia in normal individuals."⁽³⁾

All calcium supplements are not the same. In order for the body to benefit from calcium tablets, the tablet must first dissolve in the stomach. Some tablets may pass through the system without disintegrating or only partially disintegrated. As a result, the body only absorbs part of the calcium or none at all.⁵

Even if the tablet does disintegrate in the stomach, it must be converted into a free, absorbable form. Almost half of the women most prone to osteoporosis do not effectively convert calcium tablets into an absorbable form in the stomach. These women receive little or no benefit from the calcium supplements they take.^(2,5) In addition, unabsorbed calcium remains in the digestive tract and can lead to bloating and constipation.

Effervescent Calcium is the perfect solution. The tablets dissolve completely and are converted to free, absorbable calcium in your glass — not your stomach. It is 100% absorbable by the body in five minutes so it causes no bloating or constipation. Since calcium absorption is most rapid in the upper small intestine, it is time-limited and any significant delay in the release of calcium will reduce the amount absorbed.⁽¹⁾

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Teeth and bones contain 99% of the body's calcium. Adequate calcium intake is essential for the formation and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. The other 1% is found in blood and other body fluids where, among other things, it aids in blood clotting, nerve transmission and muscle operation.⁽⁶⁾

Calcium is stored in the bones. Insufficient daily intake of calcium can cause the calcium level in the blood to drop below normal. When serum calcium levels drop, the body takes the calcium it needs from the bones, causing the bones to weaken. Increased serum calcium has been shown to suppress the production of parathyroid and decrease bone resorption.⁽⁴⁾ Research indicates that bone resorption responds immediately to increased calcium intake.⁽¹⁾

Inadequate calcium intake is one of our nation's primary nutritional concerns. Most affected are:

• Adolescents whose bones are just developing.

• Pregnant women whose bodies give up calcium for the fetus.

• Lactating women whose milk depletes their own calcium supply.

• The elderly who lose bone mass as part of the aging process.

Osteoporosis, probably the most common of all bone disorders, is a disease associated with loss of bone calcium and a weakening of the skeletal structure. The result is porous, brittle bones that fracture easily and take longer than normal to heal. Osteoporosis affects some 20 million Americans and is responsible for almost 90% of all fractures in people over 60. The disease occurs most frequently in females, affecting one in four post-menopausal women.⁽²⁾

Osteoporosis may be caused by:

• Lack of Calcium — Approximately 50% of all men over 35 and 85% of all women over age 20 do not obtain the U.S. RDA for calcium.

• Malabsorption of Calcium due to hypochlorhydria or achlorhydria may affect a large portion of persons who are at risk for osteoporosis. Acid output decreases considerably after age 60 and the incidence of achlorhydria increases with age. Over 10% of women over age 50 have no acid production after stimulation with betazole (histalog) and nearly 40% have no free acid in the basal state.⁽²⁾

• Lack of Vitamin D — Adequate amounts of vitamin D are needed for efficient calcium absorption in the body.^(3,6)

• Lack of Exercise — Bones, like muscles, stay stronger when they are used. Research shows that exercise increases bone density. The best form of exercise is moderate, regular, weight-bearing exercises such as walking.

• Post-Menopausal Lack of Estrogen — Estrogen blocks the bone-dissolving actions of the parathyroid hormone. Without estrogen, a woman will lose 25% of her bone mass between the ages of 50 and 70.

Calcium absorption also depends upon the presence of adequate amounts of vitamin D, which works with the parathyroid hormone to regulate the amount of calcium in the blood. In hyperparathyroidism, too much calcium is taken from the bones.⁽⁶⁾

Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium from the intestinal tract and the breakdown and assimilation of phosphorus, which is required for bone formation. It is also necessary for the synthesis of enzymes in the mucous membranes which are involved in the active transport of available calcium. Vitamin D is necessary for normal growth in children. Without it, bones and teeth do not calcify properly.⁽⁶⁾

WARNING: This publication and the product contained herein have not been approved or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This publication, and the product contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The product relates to nutritional support only.

1. Reid, I.R., Schooler, B.R., Hannan, S.F., Ibbertson, H.K.; "The Acute Biochemical Effects of Four Proprietary Calcium Preparations", Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine, Vol. 16, No.2, April, 1986.

2. Recker, R.R. "Calcium Absorption and Achlorhydria", The New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 313, No. 2, July 11, 1985.

3. Cooper, K.H., Preventing Osteoporosis, Bantam Books, March, 1989.

4. Pines, A., et. al., Curr. Med. Res. Opinion, 1984; 8:734-742.

5. Shangraw, R.F., "Calcium Tablets Are Not All Created Equal", Food and Drug Administration Conference on Osteoporosis, October, 1988.

6. Kirschmann, J.D., Dunn, L.J., Nutrition Almanac, Second Edition, Nutrition Search, Inc., 1984.

Two Tablets Provide:
Calories:2
Calories from Fat: 0
% Daily Value

Elemental Calcium (from calcium citrate) 1,000 mg. 100%
Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) 400 I.U. 100%

Ingredients: citric acid, calcium carbonate, sorbitol, sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, Aspartame™ (Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine), natural orange flavor, cholecalciferol.

RECOMMENDED USE:Two tablets daily supply 100% of the Daily Value for calcium for adults.