Trying to choose supplements carefully

I don't take the collagen peptides. Could you possibly provide another analogy? Like maybe with something really familiar like Centrum Silver or something like that?

Thanks.

The best place to get vitamins and minerals is always through food. I've seen some misconceptions along the way that I've recently researched, and thought I'd share. Unless you're lactose intolerant or have dairy allergies, any kind of dairy is best.
Misconception 1) dairy causes inflammation.
It does not unless you're lactose intolerant or allergic. There are studies. More studies are ongoing to see if dairy can also act as an anti-inflammatory. (Sorry I don't have the link handy)
Misconception 2). Too much calcium is bad. This is half true (Cleveland Clinic and Mayo). The danger is strictly from supplements. A women over 50 needs at least 1200 mm per day, but if adding supplements should not exceed 2000. This can lead to calcium deposits in the heart's arteries. If you get your calcium from dairy and other calcium rich foods, exceeding
2000 does not form these deposits and may actually reduce that calcification. So, don't rely on massive amounts of supplements and don't avoid dairy for the above two reasons.

Many people mention Algaecal because it's plant based. A similar product is one I've taken for about six years: New Chapter Bone Strength calcium. Like Algaecal, it's plant based from algae, but it's much cheaper. You take 3 pills a day and a 40 day supply costs $39.88 on Amazon. Their site on Amazon says it's "USDA Organic plant-based calcium from sustainably harvested Red Marine Algae that’s rich in bone-nourishing calcium plus magnesium and 70 plus trace minerals". It has vitamins D3, K1, K2, and Magnesium. Like Algaeal, it has a trace amount of Strontium because that naturally occurs in algae. My DEXA scans for the past 6 years show my osteoporosis has remained stable.

Does anyone here used Algeacal for osteoporosis and have good or bad results?

Has anyone use Algeacal for Osteoporosis?

Hello @tilou, I combined your discussion with an existing discussion titled, "Trying to choose supplements carefully" - https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/trying-to-choose-supplements-carefully/ where @jasperina and @ans discussed algaecal and other osteoporosis supplements.

It's funny you say that. Just recently I've decided to try getting calcium from food because I have some calcium buildup in my artery, and while it's not dangerous at the moment, I'd like to be on the safe side and avoid calcium supplements. (I am male, 65.) I've been taking 500mg for over a year.

I have no issues with dairy. A bowl of cereal and a glass of milk, that's 800 right there. The wraps and toast I eat add another 150, and then miscellanous items get me to 1000 or so. I still take D3/K2/magnesium. My LDL actually fell 20 points in a year; I think the K2 has helped.

Wow, wow, I cant believe all your good people are researching what drugs companies are not able to do on their own! That's why I dont want to take drugs until they can provide a sure and economic way for me to use them and, give me positive results. I think that after considering all those results of real people here on Mayo that living beings are the cobaye for all these pharma researching companies. If you can prove otherwise let me know.

Good to know and try ripley! Doesnt seem too "money oriented" as this world is!
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@ripley I separate calcium and magnesium by two hours because they apparently compete with each other, or so I was told. I don't take any supplements that combine them. I know the idea has been to use them in a proper ratio and I don't know for sure what the best thing is to do, but to be on the safe side, I take them separately.

@tilou I have 7 spinal fractures. These have been painful, disabling and life-altering. Many of us lose bone no matter what we do holistically with supplements, exercise, anti-inflammatories and so on. I lost a lot of bone with cancer treatment. But even without that, I was losing bone despite my best efforts.

Tymlos took me from severe osteoporosis to borderline and then I did some Evenity and a couple of Reclast so far. Tymlos was a miracle drug for me. These pharmaceuticals do work for many of us. Yes there may be side effects but with Tymlos they are short-lived for most of us, and the effects of fractures are far worse.