[watersolubleman]

I was taking TUMS** or competing house brands and for some reason I
changed to Calcium Citrate+D3.  I can't remember why.  Is there a good
reason?

The former says Calcium Carbonate 750mg. 
   My impression is that the weight of Calcium is 40, Carbon 12, and
Oxygen 16 x 3 for a total of 100.  And that 40 is 40% of 100 so there is
300mg of calcium in 750mg of CaCO3.  Is that right?

OTOH the second pill says 315mg of Calcium.

So it's almost the same, right?


Because I had hypoparathyroidism for a year or more several years ago,
my calcium bone density went down, osteoporosis, even in a man.  And
iirc the doctor said to take Tums. But for some reason I can't remember,
I changed to calcium pills. I didn't know until I got home and opened
the bottle how big the pills are, and they seem harder and harder to
swallow.  So why bother myself if I can just as well take tums. 

Should I take the tums or the calcium pills?
 
2)  Whichever one it was, I've just been taking just one per day, but
the CaCO3 bottle says that the Daily Value of calcium is 1000mg.

I know that includes diet, but my diet ranges wildly.  I drink much less
milk than I did until I was 65 or 70.   I eat beans and spinach
erratically and not very often.   So maybe I should take 3 a day for 900
of the 1000 I need anyhow??  Maybe I should take 4 since I'm trying to
add extra calcium??

[billnotgatez]

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[watersolubleman]

I understand.  I appreciate your pointing this out, Bill, esp. since no one else did.   

It was both the endocrine surgeon and my internist who said Tums was good to use, so I'm going to use it, so how about if we skip my second question and most of the first, and just tell me if this part is accurate:

Since the atomic weight of calcium is 40, carbon is 12, and oxygen is 16 x 3, for a total of 100.  And since the 40 that is calcium is 40% of the total 100, then 40% by weight of 750mg of CaCO3 would be calcium, in other words there are 300mg of calcium per 750mg of calcium carbonate. Is that right?

[AWK]

OK

[Borek]

Please note that calcium in different forms can be absorbed differently, so there is no guarantee that the same amount of calcium eaten end in the same amount of calcium available in blood/body.