Calcium Citrate 250 mg – Bone, Teeth & Muscle Support | 60 Vegetarian Capsules
Calcium Citrate is a single-ingredient calcium supplement with 250 mg of calcium, 19% of the Daily Value, in every vegetarian capsule, from a citrate chelate and a rice protein chelate. Each bottle holds 60 vegetarian capsules, and one capsule is a serving. Calcium citrate can be taken with or without food, and calcium supports strong bones and teeth and normal muscle and nerve function.†
This one is for adults who don't reliably get enough calcium from food: light dairy eaters, plant-forward eaters, and anyone whose breakfast is mostly coffee. In national survey data from 2003 to 2006, 43% of Americans age 1 and up reported using a supplement with calcium, and supplement users were more likely to reach the recommended intake (a national estimate of total calcium intake).
Aging isn't optional. Getting old is. Your skeleton isn't a finished project: bone is broken down and rebuilt all the time, and calcium is the raw material.† The habits that keep you lifting, hiking and carrying your own groceries in your 70s and 80s start in your 30s and 40s.
Why people take Calcium Citrate
- Supports strong bones and teeth, where more than 99% of your body's calcium is stored.†
- Supports normal muscle contraction and nerve signaling.†
- Helps close a calcium gap when food falls short, 250 mg at a time.†
- Uses calcium citrate, which the NIH says can be taken without food, so it fits mornings that start without breakfast.†
- Comes in small doses that are easy to spread through the day.†
What's in each serving
| Ingredient | Amount per serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calcium (citrate chelate and hydrolized rice protein chelate) | 250 mg | 19% |
Serving size: 1 Vegetarian Capsule. Each bottle holds 60 vegetarian capsules, which is 60 servings at the label's one-capsule serving. Other ingredients: Vegetable cellulose (preservative-free from capsule shell), magnesium trisilicate, silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate. The label states: "NO corn, soy, salt, yeast, wheat, milk & egg products, sugar, starch, or preservatives."
How Calcium Citrate works
Calcium: 250 mg per capsule
Calcium is the most plentiful mineral in your body. Nearly all of it sits in your bones and teeth as a calcium and phosphate crystal that gives them hardness. The small amount left in your blood and tissues helps muscles contract, nerves send signals, blood vessels tighten and relax, and blood clot normally (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements calcium fact sheet).† Your bones double as the reserve your body draws on to keep blood calcium steady.
Adults need 1,000 mg a day from all sources from age 19 to 50, rising to 1,200 mg for women over 50 and everyone over 70. One capsule gives you 250 mg, 19% of the 1,300 mg Daily Value. It's built to top up a decent diet, not replace one. Vitamin D matters here too: your gut needs it to absorb calcium efficiently.†
Why calcium citrate
The two most common forms in calcium supplements are carbonate and citrate. Carbonate needs stomach acid to dissolve well, which is why it's best taken with a meal. Citrate depends less on stomach acid, so the NIH says it can be taken without food. The NIH also notes that stomach complaints like gas and bloating are reported more often with carbonate, especially in older adults.
A meta-analysis of 15 absorption studies in 184 people found calcium absorption from citrate ran about 20% higher than from carbonate overall: about 27% higher on an empty stomach and about 22% higher with meals. In a randomized crossover study in 25 women past menopause, a single 500 mg calcium dose taken with breakfast raised blood calcium more as citrate than as carbonate: the total rise over the next several hours was 94% larger. The honest limits: these were short absorption studies with small groups, not long-term bone studies.
The trade-off is size. Citrate is about 21% calcium by weight and carbonate about 40%, so it takes more citrate to deliver the same calcium. Each capsule here holds 250 mg.
The rice protein chelate
Part of the calcium is a hydrolyzed rice protein chelate: calcium bound to amino acids from broken-down rice protein. The front of the bottle calls the blend "citrate/amino acid chelate." We haven't found human studies of this specific chelate, so we don't claim anything extra for it.
Why 250 mg at a time works in your favor
Your body absorbs a smaller share of calcium as the dose gets bigger. The NIH puts it at about 36% of a 300 mg dose versus 28% of a 1,000 mg dose, with absorption highest at 500 mg or less. In a dose study in 21 healthy adults aged 22 to 60, absorption (measured by the rise in urine calcium after each dose) climbed steeply up to 500 mg and only a little from 500 mg to 2,000 mg. Citrate gave the larger signal at every dose tested. A 250 mg capsule lets you split your intake into small doses without doing math.
What the research does and doesn't show
A 2015 BMJ systematic review of 59 randomized trials in people over 50 found that calcium supplements raised bone mineral density by 0.7% to 1.8%, and extra calcium from food did about the same. The authors called those gains small and non-progressive: they showed up in the first year and didn't keep building after that. Our read: calcium is a building block, not a shortcut. It supports the bone you have when your diet comes up short, as one piece of a picture that includes vitamin D, protein and exercise.†
How to take Calcium Citrate
The label says: "One or more capsules daily, as a dietary supplement."
How many depends on how much calcium you already get from food. If you take more than two capsules a day, spread them out so no single dose is over 500 mg. You can take them with or without food; the NIH notes that calcium supplements are generally absorbed better when taken with food. The upper limit for calcium from food and supplements combined is 2,500 mg a day for adults 19 to 50 and 2,000 mg a day from age 51.
Calcium can lower how well your body absorbs some medications, including certain thyroid medications and some antibiotics, so doses may need to be taken hours apart. Ask your healthcare practitioner before use if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
Don't take our word for it
- Verified by independent labs. ISO 17025-accredited labs check our test results.
- Every ingredient lot tested before use. Federal rules only require an identity test on incoming dietary ingredients. We test every incoming lot for identity, potency, heavy metals and microbes.
- If it misses spec, it doesn't go in a bottle. More than 99% of our tests pass, and the lots that don't are turned away.
- A certificate of analysis for every lot. Every lot of Calcium Citrate has its own.
Made in the USA with globally sourced ingredients, in Mt. Angel, Oregon. It's a farm town of about 3,500 people in the Willamette Valley, and our UL-certified cGMP facility is right in it. Formulators, makers and testers work under one roof. The owners work there too, and have since 2017. We've been making supplements in Oregon since 1974. That's 52 years, and we're not getting old either.
Frequently asked questions
How much calcium is in each capsule?
Each capsule has 250 mg of calcium, 19% of the Daily Value, from a citrate chelate and a rice protein chelate. One capsule is a serving, and a bottle holds 60.
How many capsules should I take a day?
The label says one or more capsules daily, so it depends on your diet. Most adults need 1,000 to 1,200 mg a day from all sources: count what you eat, fill the gap, and keep each dose to two capsules (500 mg) or fewer.
Do I need to take it with food?
No. Calcium citrate depends less on stomach acid, so an empty stomach is fine. With food works too, and the NIH says calcium supplements are generally absorbed better that way.
How long until I notice a difference?
You probably won't feel it, and that's normal. Calcium works in the background, and bone changes slowly. In the trials reviewed above, changes in bone density were measured over a year or more.†
Can I take it with Bones + K2, Nice Bones or vitamin D?
Yes, just add up the calcium. Bones + K2 has 500 mg of calcium per two-capsule serving, and Nice Bones has 1,200 mg per three-tablet serving, so if you take Nice Bones at its full serving, you may not need extra calcium on top once you count food. If you want vitamin D alongside calcium, Everyday Liquid Sunshine 2 pairs 125 mcg (5,000 IU) of vitamin D3 with 120 mcg of vitamin K2 per dropper squeeze.
What makes calcium citrate different from calcium carbonate?
Calcium citrate doesn't need a meal to be absorbed. Carbonate packs more calcium into the same weight (about 40% calcium by weight against citrate's 21%) but relies on stomach acid and is more often linked to gas and bloating. In a meta-analysis of absorption studies, citrate was absorbed about 20% more.
Is it safe to take with my medication?
Ask your healthcare practitioner or pharmacist first. Calcium can reduce how well you absorb some thyroid medications and antibiotics.
Keep learning
- Good Magnesium, 200 mg of magnesium as a rice protein chelate
- Good Vitamin D, 50 mcg of vitamin D3 in one daily capsule
References
- Bailey RL et al. Estimation of total usual calcium and vitamin D intakes in the United States. J Nutr. 2010. PubMed
- Sakhaee K et al. Meta-analysis of calcium bioavailability: a comparison of calcium citrate with calcium carbonate. Am J Ther. 1999. PubMed
- Heller HJ et al. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic comparison of two calcium supplements in postmenopausal women. J Clin Pharmacol. 2000. PubMed
- Harvey JA et al. Dose dependency of calcium absorption: a comparison of calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. J Bone Miner Res. 1988. PubMed
- Tai V et al. Calcium intake and bone mineral density: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2015. PubMed
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
