What kind of calcium do I need if I have a Band?
If you have an adjustable gastric band such as a Lap Band, you can take almost any form of calcium. However, if you take medication to suppress stomach acid, you should talk to your doctor about calcium citrate.

Can I take calcium with my multivitamin?
You can take calcium together with your multivitamin. If, however, you rely on your multivitamin for iron, you may want to try to separate them by a couple of hours.

How much calcium is in a serving of Tropical Oasis?
A serving (1 Tablespoon) of Tropical Oasis Liquid Calcium Magnesium has 252 milligrams of elemental calcium.

Will calcium give me kidney stones?
Doctors used to tell people with kidney stones to avoid calcium. Recent studies have shown that a diet with normal amounts of calcium is probably best. Over a period of five years, scientists studied people with kidney stones and found that those who had normal calcium levels in their diet were less likely to form new stones than those who were on a low-calcium diet. If you have a history of kidney stones and are concerned about calcium, you should discuss it with your doctor.

Why does the calcium have vitamin K?
Vitamin K is an important nutrient for bone health. Many people do not get adequate vitamin K and deficiency has been shown to contribute to bone loss. Vitamin K can not only increase bone mineral density in osteoporotic people but also actually reduce fracture rates. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests that vitamins D and K are synergistic, and work better for bone health when used together. If you are supposed to avoid vitamin K, please consult with your doctor before trying products with vitamin K.

What is the most calcium I can take at one time?
It is best to limit calcium intake to 500 milligrams at a time. If you take more than that, the percent you can absorb goes down.

Do you make a calcium tablet or capsule?
We do not currently make a calcium citrate capsule. This is because it would take 6 to 8 capsules to make an average dose of calcium.

Is there an issue w/Iron & Calcium competition in VitaBand?
The competition between Iron and Calcium is much more of a concern with the gastric-bypass patient due to the malabsorption properties of the procedure. Because malabsorption is not generally a concern with the adjustable gastric-banding procedure, the patient has a much greater ability to absorb the Iron and Calcium when taken together. The Calcium and Iron are included in the VitaBand Multi-Formula to assist the patient in reaching their recommended daily value as advised by their physician/program. We offer additional Iron and Calcium supplements to assist the patient in reaching their recommended daily value.

Can I chew the calcium lozenges?
You can chew the calcium citrate lozenges. However, you will get a better texture and flavor if you suck on them for a few minutes until they get soft.

Calcium Crystals: Can I use more or less water than what is recommended on the back of the label?
It is okay to use more liquid with the calcium crystals. However if you use less, the crystals may not completely dissolve.

Do your products contain any allergens?
I would like everyone to take a look at the case below. We invest a lot of time and money in our labels and making sure that they conform to the latest FDA requirements for dietary supplements. Part of the labeling requirements since 2005 has been the meticulous disclosure of allergens in our products. The allergens that must be disclosed BY LAW are any component or derivative of any of eight allergenic foods: milk; eggs; fish such as bass, flounder, and cod; crustacean shellfish such as crab, lobster, and shrimp; tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and pecans; peanuts; wheat; and soybeans. The law also identifies as a major food allergen any ingredient that contains protein derived from any of these eight foods. We have some dairy ingredients (whey protein in our meal replacements), a couple of soy ingredients, and one fish-derived ingredient. These are clearly disclosed in the allergen warning which is on the left panel of our labels (when you look at the front of the bottle the part to the left of the product name). Please remember that if any of you are talking to people with allergies to either review the label with them or ask them to read it. In general, customers don’t look a the more than the name of the product – that is how we end up with a highly allergic customer taking a product with an ingredient to which she is allergic.

Amount of calcium in BA chocolate calcium
The BA chocolate calcium citrate lozenge shows 402mg of calcium from calcium citrate and 11mg of magnesium. This is different form the other labels that show 400mg of calcium and 10mg of magnesium. The reason for the difference is that the cocoa powder provides 2mg of calcium and 1mg of magnesium.

How are calcium citrate and carbonate different?
Calcium citrate and calcium carbonate are both calcium, but are bound to different substances. Calcium carbonate, the form most commonly found in dietary supplements, requires stomach acid to be optimally digested and absorbed. It is therefore not the best choice for those who have had gastric bypass or people who regularly use medication to suppress stomach acid. Calcium citrate can be digested even by those with little or no stomach acid.

Are Bariatric Advantage products Only for a Bariatric patient?
Our products are specifically designed with the bariatric surgery patient in mind, however many would be fine for those who have not had surgery. It is always best to talk to a qualified health professional before starting any new nutritional product, especially if you have a health concern.

What is the best way to take the Calcium Citrate Lozenges?
The calcium citrate lozenges were designed, ideally, to be dissolved in the mouth. This gives the best flavor and the best texture for the product, as well as may produce better absorption of vitamin D. However, they can be chewed if people prefer to do so. It is best to take them in divided doses (more than one time per day) as doses of calcium over 500 mg are not as effectively abosrbed as smaller doses. Unlike calcium carbonate, calcium citrate can be taken either with or without food.

Water Miscible, Water Soluble, and Dry.
The fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K are typically found in oil preparations. This is because in their natural states, they are oily substances that disperse or dissolve well in a fat such as soybean oil.

In some situations, such as when compressing a tablet or providing nutrition to a person who malabsorbs fat, it is advantageous to use a form of a fat-soluble that is designed to either dissolve or disperse in water.
These preparations give several advantages:

• They are more stable than the oil-soluble compounds.
• They are free-flowing and can be used as a powder or compressed in a tablet.
• They do not have to be emulsified by bile so that they can be more easily absorbed by those who have impaired fat digestion and absorption.

We sometimes call these preparations “dry� because they are in a powder form versus a “wet� oil. They are also referred to as water-miscible or cold water-soluble (CWS).

The most common preparation for water-miscible, fat-soluble vitamins is some form of microencapsulation. This is the enrobing of extremely fine particles of the vitamin and is a water-soluble matrix such as acaciamat it using the toolbar.

What is the difference between Calcium Citrate and Calcium Carbonate?
Calcium citrate and calcium carbonate are different chemical compounds with different properties.

Calcium citrate has been shown to be better absorbed by close to 30% when there is low stomach acid such as after a gastric bypass, or in those taking medication that reduces stomach acid.

New research Supports Calcium Citrate Over Carbonate After RNY Gastric Bypass.
New research conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center supports the use of calcium citrate over calcium carbonate after gastric bypass surgery. Calcium absorption is impaired after gastric bypass surgery as there is significantly less stomach acid as well as malabsorption from bypassing the duodenum. This study was a double-blind crossover study to compare the absorption of calcium citrate to calcium carbonate after gastric bypass. This is important as bone loss is a serious risk after surgery. Patients are asked to take large amounts of supplemental calcium after surgery, and these are the commonly supplemented forms. This study showed not only better absorption of calcium as calcium citrate, but also a greater decline in serum PTH levels in response to calcium citrate.

Source: Tondapu P, Provost D, Adams-Huet B, Sims T, Chang C, Sakhaee K. Comparison of the Absorption of Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Citrate after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass. Obes Surg. 2009 Sep;19(9):1256-61. Epub 2009 May 13. Click Here to view the source article.

Calcium Lactate Gluconate Absorption
When it comes to calcium so long as you can dissolve and ionize it, the absorption is all the same. The acid soluble forms of calcium - carbonate, phosphate, diphosphate, triphosphate, calcium-protein complexes (like those in milk) - are thus not acceptable because you must have acid to ionize them and make them bioavailable. For example, calcium carbonate has to undergo a chemical reaction with HCl to calcium chloride which then freely ionizes in the small intestine making it easy to absorb. This cannot happen without acid. For forms such as citrate or lactate-gluconate, they freely ionize at neutral and even basic pH. The crystals actually ionize when they are put in water making them readily available for absorption. As the chemical properties are very similar otherwise to citrate, this would make it a very acceptable form. There has really only been one trial of calcium citrate in RNY patients - and it was pretty small. Most of what people rely on for the recommendation is the pharmacology above.