Vinegar Test Calcium

Vinegar Test Calcium. Taking 1500 gr of elemental Calcium will do not do you any good, if the tablets do not dissolve in your stomach.

One of the ways of knowing if your calcium supplement is likely to dissolve in your stomach and not go right through your intestinal track is to perform this simple test in your kitchen.This is a simple, 'at home' test - certainly not infallible. But it should be of help when choosing a supplement.

SPECIAL NOTE: a recent articles states that the vinegar should be heated to 99 degrees. And if you want to test several forms of calcium to find out which will dissolve fastest, use several glasses of vinegar and put one tablet in each glass.

The New York State Department of Health web sites states the following about the Vinegar Test Calcium:

• Simply put the supplement into a glass of clear vinegar. This creates an acidic environment much like that of your stomach. Be sure your heat the vinegar as noted above. Do not overheat it or the test will not work correctly.
• Stir the solution occasionally.
• If the calcium supplement disintegrates within 30 minutes, it should dissolve in your stomach, too.

  If the supplement does not completely dissolve, you may want to choose an alternative calcium supplement.

They also advise that " If you are taking acid blockers for indigestion, reflux or other gastrointestinal conditions, your body may use calcium citrate better than other calcium compounds.

Acid blockers reduce the acid in your gastrointestinal tract that is usually required for calcium absorption. However, unlike other calcium compounds, calcium citrate does not require an acid environment for calcium absorption.

Finally, they suggest that you "Read the supplement label to find out the calcium content in milligrams (mg) per serving. The label may refer to the calcium as elemental calcium. This distinguishes the weight (mg) of calcium alone from the weight (mg) of the calcium compound (such as calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, calcium phosphate, or others). It is also important for you to check the serving size to find out how many tablets or capsules provide a specific amount of calcium."

Here is an abstract about this test as done in a lab that was published in the Am. Journal of Hosp. Pharm in 1992. See: Vinegar test Calcium