What Is the Difference between Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Citrate?

The raw materials for the production of calcium citrate precipitation are citric acid and calcium carbonate. Calcium citrate is a white, odorless, powdery substance that is extremely difficult to dissolve in water. It contains 4 molecules of crystal water and is slightly hygroscopic. This product is a popular food additive at home and abroad recently. It can be used as chelating agent, buffering agent, tissue coagulant, especially as calcium fortifier. It is safe and non-toxic, with unlimited daily intake.

Made from sweet potatoes

Calcium citrate has good solubility, can be absorbed without the activation of gastric acid, and can be easily converted into ionic calcium form, which can be directly absorbed and utilized by the human body. According to a 1993 report by the American Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, the "bioavailability" of calcium citrate is far better than that of traditional calcium carbonate, and the blood calcium concentration of calcium citrate is better than that within a few hours after taking calcium tablets. Calcium carbonate is high; the report also indicates that calcium citrate has a 50% higher inhibitory effect on parathyroid hormone than calcium carbonate, which further proves that calcium citrate will quickly peak in the blood, showing rapid Absorption rate,

In general, the "bioavailability" of calcium citrate is 2.5 times that of calcium carbonate. In addition, calcium carbonate is easy to produce flatulence after taking it, so it is best to take it after meals, and calcium carbonate is difficult to be absorbed without the decomposition of gastric acid. Calcium citrate not only does not have these disadvantages, but instead has the advantage of preventing stones. This is because calcium citrate is more soluble in the blood than calcium oxalate that forms stones, so calcium citrate will snatch the calcium in the stones and prevent it. Function to produce calcium oxalate stones.

However, the cost of calcium citrate is higher than calcium carbonate, and the ratio of calcium in calcium citrate is 21%, which is nearly twice as low as 40% of calcium carbonate. Therefore, if you want to ingest the same weight of calcium, you must consume calcium citrate nearly twice as much as calcium carbonate ^[2] .