anyone taking raw calcium?

I had the DS in 2001, doing well, but I'm wanting to switch my calcium supplements to the raw calcium. According to the package each pill contains much less calcium than citrate, but the company says that much more is absorbed and it takes less capsules to achieve the same results. I can't determine the exact number of capsules to take so I'm wondering whether anyone here has had experience with the raw calcium?

Sounds iffy and scammish to me but 1 dose of calcium is usually figured at @ 1500 mg of elemental calcium per day. And we need more than that. WTH is raw calcium? I think the coral calcium people tried to sell us that stuff a few years ago?

The calciums that are best for us absorption wise are citrate and apatite.

Thanks for answering patty, it's really hard for me to know the best thing to do. I've been reading about calcium citrate settling in our arteries and how studies have show that people who take supplements live shorter lives, etc. Raw calcium is from organic sources such as algae with fillers that include organic fruits and veggies. I'm really bothered by the fillers in calcium citrate, especially since we take so many pills, it doesn't seem that some of the ingredients are safe. I'm only looking for a purer form of calcium and one that is organic. The one I'm considering is from Garden of Life which seems to be really reputable. I've never heard of apatite. For years I've looked for a more healthy form or brand of calcium citrate but they all seem to be the same. If you have any ideas please let me know, I'm open to all and everything!

Glad to know I'm not the only one with a question mark over my head at the mention of "raw calcium"

If you are looking to avoid fillers, here you go. http://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/Calcium-citrate- by-Pure-Encapsulations.htm?referrer=googleshopping&gclid=Cjw KCAiAksvTBRBFEiwADSBZfM-Kd9XgLiK-CZY-IM4qOs3IX2vCs9Xj6zBKwRV ZSIF1dJEVBKLeshoCnLMQAvD_BwE

I take citrate and apatite. Apatite because it comes from bones so it contains everything we need to absorb the most we possibly can. But it's hard to find sometimes. Dr Baltasar in Spain told me that was the best combo years ago. And so far he was right on the money!

So if all this calcium was collecting in our arteries we would be dropping dead like flies. And we aren't. Here's the thing, malabsorbtion we have means we poop out the extra. It never gets to the bloodstream because we have fewer receptors because our guts are shorter. And what never makes it to your bloodstream never gets deposited anywhere. Because we don't absorb it. Most likely this whole thing is a sales pitch devised to convince the consumer they NEED this product.

Calcium is calcium. Ca. Raw, cooked, whatever!

Well, you make a lot of good points here. I probably need to just get over it and do what I've been doing since 2001. My calcium came to the forefront with me because I've developed osteoporosis which I most likely would have developed at my age regardless of whether I had had WLS or not. So I've gotten a bit paranoid about it. I would have to take 15 capsules of the Pure Life calcium to achieve the same mg that I'm taking now in 7 capsules. There always seems to be a problem which is most likely why the dieticians choose the traditional citrate. I am going to check out the apatite, that seems like a good idea. Thank you very much for your very informative and useful help.

Go to the OH Facebook group and talk to Mandy Eller. She actually managed to reverse her osteo problems and she has helped quite a few people get some positive results. One thing you need to start ASAP is Jarrow Bone Up or it's equivalent. And guess what's in it, calcium apatite. And you need to add it to the calcium you already take. Unless your PTH is really low, start dry 50K D too, and some extra Mg as well.

Patty, thank you very much, I'm going to do exactly all of this, it makes perfect sense to me. I'll let you know how it all works out.

Hi Patty, Found out today where I can pick up the Jarrow Bone Up, so I'll be getting that in the morning. Can you advise me tho on how best to find Mandy Eller? I went on Facebook under OH and didn't see any separate names. I found a Mandy Eller on FB but there were a few and none mentioned WLS or seemed quite right. I'm not super proficient on FB, that could be the problem? I can't believe with all the vitamin D problems I've been having for so long and the problems getting it thru insurance, that my Dr didn't tell me about the dry D. I think the problem is that he isn't my original surgeon and he doesn't do the DS, he's big on the sleeve. He's the best I can get tho, I had a huge problem with doctors not wanting to see me because my surgery was done in another state. This Dr is with a large teaching hospital so he's probably OK but not optimum. After so many years I've gotten away from the DS forum, I can tell I need to be back! I'm having some labs done in 3 days whi*****lude Vitamin D, so at this point my D may be in better shape. If not, I'll go to the dry.

Just an fyi. I remember seeing a recent link to this file. I think it is in part what you are looking for. It's in the files section of the OH DS Family FB group. If you are in the group I was able to search on Mandy and find her - she is the one with a cartoon type picture. I could tell based on some of the people in her freinds list. I hope this helps.

Pete

Amanda's Calcium Regimen to Stop Bone Loss w/out Rx Drugs

Hi all! I was asked to put this post into a doc so that people could easily reference back to it later:

Great news! I just got my dexascan results in the mail, and I have had no change since 2009!

In 2006, I had had a pretty large bone loss (my DS was in Dec '05), went on Boniva for two hellish months, then got off of it and decided to try my best to beat this thing with supplementation. I researched the hell out of what went best with what to increase bone calcium absorption. In 2007 I had another pretty decent drop in bone mass, as I had only been doing my new supplementation for a few months. In 2008 it was a miniscule bone loss, so I tweaked even more. In 2009, another miniscule loss, more tweaking.

Now I've been good for a couple of years now! I haven't rebuilt bone mass, but I stopped losing. And for me, that's better than the hellish side-effects of Boniva or other related supposed bone-building drugs. Woohoo!!!

Three times a day -- lunch, dinner, and right before bed -- I take the following as my "calcium dose" (in the morning I take my multi and iron-related "dose" of stuff):

* Calcium Citrate: http://www.vitacost.com/kal-cal-citrate-plus

* Calcium Hydroxyapetite: http://www.vitacost.com/solaray-calcium-hydroxyapatite-micro crystalline

* Magnesium Glycinate: http://www.vitacost.com/kal-magnesium-glycinate-400-mg-180-t ablets

* Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate/Magnesium Oxide: http://www.vitacost.com/country-life-chelated-magnesium-250- mg-180-tablets* Dry A: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00014DL5Q/ref=oh_aui_sea rch_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

* Dry D3-50,000IU: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002V0LHI6/ref=oh_details_o 05_s00_i01

(except I only take the D3 50,000IU twice per day; I don't include it in the dinner dose)

* K2: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013EJ5QM/ref=oh_details_o 01_s00_i00

* Tri-Boron: http://www.vitacost.com/twinlab-tri-boron-plus

***I take a double dose at bedtime. I read how the body actually absorbs calcium into the bones best while you are sleeping. I believe it, because I know if I take a double dose during the day, I get stomach issues due to it not all absorbing, but when I take that same double dose at night, I don't have any issues from it.***

These were the types of supplements I kept reading about in my research to help the absorption into the bones, so I tried several different brands, and these are the ones that work for me. I know many of you love Vitalady, and I love Michelle and respect what she does for the DS community, but many of her supplements caused me extreme constipation, so I went out and found others that didn't. I am allergic/reactive to many things, and all of these are the ones that work well for me. :)

I hope this might help some of you!

PS: If you want more info, on dosages or whatever, this is a link to my total daily "meds list" that I keep for printing out for doctors appointments, etc.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnYRGw4DQELqdER SbkJKU3pjSEptYnZ3RDZzLXJLV2c

It includes everything, not just the calcium & calcium-relateds. Remember, if something says I take 4 per day, then it's one at lunch, one at dinner, and two at bedtime.