Hi Hikernurse,

Thanks for sharing the Dr. Doug information. I watched a few of his YouTube videos and he seems solid. I will watch more. That said, after watching his recent video on Calcium and Algaecal, you can tell he is having a really hard time recommending it, in any form. I hate to say he did this due to financial reasons, because he seems really genuine, but I have to believe that he would not have made this video without some sort of financial incentive. My opinion.

A quick note on calcium and calcium absorption from my research. All calcium, regardless of the form, will be broken down into it's ionic or elemental form before being absorbed into the blood stream. Some forms will break down faster and more complete than others, but once broken down, calcium is calcium. Now if you are deficient in a particular vitamin or mineral that is needed for the bone building process, then those minerals can be added to your diet or received from other supplements, it does not have to be taken at the same time as your calcium. That goes for vitamin D as well.

My thoughts on calcium supplementation is take calcium from a well know, very large company that has a lot to lose if they have any contamination or recall. They will ensure top quality. The regulation on supplements is almost nonexistent in the US. I personally take Citracal Petites and sprinkle them in throughout the day with meals as needed based on my diet.

For reference, attached is a draft slide showing the absorption process of calcium from the intestines into the blood stream. Also attached is a draft slide showing a study for the absorption of different types of calcium. The key takeaway from my research is all forms of calcium are pretty much the same as long as you take it with a meal.

Mike