Douglas Laboratories American Ginseng-V

Our assessment

The evidence shows that calcium is a critical mineral for your bone health, but you need to be careful with dosing. Our assessment: you should aim to get most of your calcium from food and use supplements only to fill a verified gap [NIH ODS].

How it works

Think of calcium as the building block for your skeleton. It supports bone mineralization and helps your muscles relax and your nerves send signals properly [NIH ODS].

Safety profile

FDA received a total of 592,059 adverse event reports across all supplements in their database. Specific side effects for calcium include constipation, nausea, and weight loss at high intakes. Very high levels in your blood can cause poor muscle tone, poor kidney function, abnormal heart rhythms, and a high risk of death from heart disease [FDA data] [NIH ODS].

Our recommendation

Start by having your calcium levels checked. Do not exceed 2,500 mg daily from all sources (food and supplements) without medical supervision. Take calcium supplements separately from medications like thyroid hormone or antibiotics, as calcium can reduce their absorption [NIH ODS].

Supplement labels contain several key sections regulated by the FDA:

• Serving Size — The recommended amount per dose. Always check this — some products require multiple capsules per serving.
• Amount Per Serving — Shows the quantity of each nutrient in the product, typically in IU (International Units), mg (milligrams), or mcg (micrograms).
• % Daily Value (%DV) — Indicates how much a nutrient in a serving contributes to a daily diet. 5% DV or less is low; 20% DV or more is high.
• Other Ingredients — Lists inactive ingredients like fillers, binders, and capsule materials (e.g., gelatin, cellulose, magnesium stearate).
• Suggested Use — The manufacturer's recommended directions for taking the supplement, including timing and dosage.

Source: FDA Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide