mineral
Calcium supplements
Half of the 17,831 calcium supplements in the NIH label database that print an amount list 115 mg or less per serving; the middle half list 50 mg to 252 mg, and 1 in 213 of the 17,666 with a plausible amount give more than the adult upper limit at the most servings their labels direct (DSLD version 9.4.0, January 2026). The 376 products whose only supplement ingredient is calcium list a median of 300 mg, and 1 in 125 of them give more than the upper limit.
- Products listing it
- 19,72417,831 print an amount; 1,556 list it inside a blend without an amount
- Median per serving
- 115 mgmiddle half 50 mg to 252 mg
- FDA Daily Value
- 1,300 mgthe median is 9% of it
- Adult upper limit (IOM)
- 2,500 mg83 products go above it a day
How much calcium do supplements contain?
The median product lists 115 mg per serving. One in ten lists 23 mg or less, one in ten 540 mg or more. The amount printed most often is 100 mg (1,005 products).
Products by amount of calcium per serving
18,010 products, log scale; extreme 0.2% at each end left out of the drawing.
Source: Supplement Facts rows of every product's current label, NIH ODS Dietary Supplement Label Database version 9.4.0; amounts in one measure (weight).
How do the amounts compare with the Daily Value and the upper limit?
The FDA Daily Value for calcium is 1,300 mg (adults and children 4 and older). The median product gives 9% of it per serving; the 90th percentile 42%.
The adult Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 2,500 mg a day (total intake, adults 19-50 (2,000 mg from 51 years)). At the most servings their labels direct, 83 of the 17,666 products with a plausible amount (0.5%) give more than that from the supplement alone (what counts as plausible).
The upper limit is for total intake from food, water and supplements unless stated, and does not apply under medical supervision. A label amount is what the maker printed. This is data, not advice: the NIH ODS fact sheets explain what each nutrient does.
Sources: 21 CFR 101.9(c)(8)(iv) (Daily Values); Institute of Medicine, DRI summary tables (2011) (upper limits); on reading them, the FDA's Daily Value page.
Which forms of calcium do labels name?
Calcium carbonate is the form named most often: 4,133 of the 19,724 calcium products (21%), ahead of calcium phosphate (2,838, 14%) and calcium citrate (2,770, 14%). A product naming two forms counts in both; the table below gives every form.
Products by the form of calcium on the label
Count, and the median amount per serving in that form.
| Form | Products | Share of calcium products | Median per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calcium carbonate | 4,133 | 21% | 200 mg |
| Calcium phosphate | 2,838 | 14% | 108 mg |
| Calcium citrate | 2,770 | 14% | 200 mg |
| Calcium malate | 681 | 3% | 200 mg |
| Calcium lactate | 343 | 2% | 75 mg |
| Calcium gluconate | 283 | 1% | 250 mg |
| Calcium hydroxyapatite | 270 | 1% | 500 mg |
Source: the form each label gives for its calcium row (DSLD "forms"), current labels.
Which products list the most calcium?
On-market products, per serving, with a plausible amount: the rule leaves out likely entry slips, such as an amount far beyond every other label with no %DV or strength on the label to back it (each product page still shows its own amount, marked).
- VanillaON Optimum Nutrition2,070 mg
- StrawberryON Optimum Nutrition2,070 mg
- BananaON Optimum Nutrition2,070 mg
- Mass Tech Cookies and CreamMuscleTech2,000 mg
- Chewable Calcium Citrate 500 mg Calcium 500 IU Vitamin D3 Wild CherryBariatric Advantage2,000 mg
- ChocolateON Optimum Nutrition1,990 mg
- Super Mass Gainer Cookies & CreamDymatize1,950 mg
- Super Mass Gainer Gourmet VanillaDymatize1,950 mg
Have the amounts changed over the years?
Products whose current label entered DSLD in 2011 list a median of 150 mg; those entered in 2025, 118 mg.
| Year | Products | Median per serving |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 433 | 150 mg |
| 2012 | 1,075 | 200 mg |
| 2013 | 1,258 | 162 mg |
| 2014 | 867 | 120 mg |
| 2015 | 922 | 119 mg |
| 2016 | 902 | 117 mg |
| 2017 | 975 | 115 mg |
| 2018 | 827 | 100 mg |
| 2019 | 974 | 106.5 mg |
| 2020 | 1,729 | 100 mg |
| 2021 | 1,404 | 100 mg |
| 2022 | 1,720 | 115 mg |
| 2023 | 1,564 | 100 mg |
| 2024 | 1,789 | 106 mg |
| 2025 | 1,571 | 118 mg |
Source: DSLD label entry dates and amounts, current labels.
In which products and brands?
Products listing calcium by DSLD product type
Brands listing it most: Douglas Laboratories (274), Nature's Plus (236), Source Naturals (203), Nature's Way (200), NutraBio (189), Bronson (162), 21st Century (160), NOW (146), Country Life (138), The Vitamin Shoppe (127).
Every product listing calcium
19,724 products, A to Z by name (page 1 of 395), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.
- #12 UR-KidNutri-West Herbalsin a blend
- #739 Colon Cleanse FormulaIndiana Botanic Gardens · off the market13 mg
- #739 Colon Cleanse Formula 500 mgIndiana Botanic Gardens13 mg
- + Macacare/of105 mg
- +Bone Chewable Cal Mag Plus Natural Berry FlavorShaklee1,560 mg
- +Bone OsteoMatrixShaklee · off the market1,560 mg
- +CAL+ with IpriflavonePure Encapsulations400 mg
- +Cleanse 7-Day Healthy CleanseShaklee400 mg
- +Digestive Herb-LaxShaklee · off the market20 mg
- +Fiber Shaklee Fiber Plan Powder UnflavoredShakleeno amount
- +Greens Alfalfa ComplexShaklee300 mg
- +Greens Organic Greens BoosterShaklee · off the market40 mg
- +I Boost Iron plus C ComplexShaklee130 mg
- +Mind MindWorksShaklee · off the market75 mg
- +Pain Relief Pain Relief ComplexShaklee · off the market120 mg
- +PlusShake Raw ChocolateGreens+348 mg
- +PlusShake Raw VanillaGreens+340 mg
- +Z Boost Zinc ComplexShaklee120 mg
- .30-06Micronamin50 mg as transcribed, likely a slip
- 1 ActivatorSystemic Formulas Bio Command36 mg
- 1 Up Whey Chocolate & Peanut Butter Blast1 Up Nutritionin a blend
- 1 Up Whey Cinnamon French Toast1 Up Nutritionin a blend
- 1 Up Whey Coconut Ice Cream1 Up Nutritionin a blend
- 1 Vitamin + MineralPioneer · off the market15 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Acai BerryEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Coconut-PineappleEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Cranberry-PomegranateEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Key LimeEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Lemon-LimeEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C LiteEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 MG Vitamin C Lite Citrus FlavoredEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 MG Vitamin C MangosteenEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Meyer LemonEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C OrangeEquate50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Paradise FruitEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Pink LemonadeEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C RaspberryEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Raspberry Flavored Fizzy Drink MixEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Strawberry-KiwiEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C Super OrangeEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C TangerineEmergen-C50 mg
- 1,000 mg Vitamin C TropicalEmergen-C50 mg
- 10 BerryLXR Biotechin a blend
- 10 Billion Probiotic with Prebiotic Fiber BlendSafrel7.04 mg
- 10-Day Acai Berry Easy-CleanseApplied Nutrition44 mg
- 100 % Pure Shark CartilageNOW · off the market810 mg
- 100% All Natural Whey Dutch ChocolateMRMin a blend
- 100% All Natural Whey Rich VanillaMRMno amount
- 100% All-Natural Original Formula Psyllium FiberKonsylin a blend
- 100% Berries & Whey Berry FlavorBioChem Sports · off the market98 mg