PlainVitamins

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.

Calcium: products by amount per serving1 mg10 mg100 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 1,300 mg
Calcium: products by amount per serving1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 1,300 mg
Calcium: products by amount per serving1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg300 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 1,300 mg
Calcium: products by amount per serving1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg300 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 1,300 mg
Calcium: products by amount per serving1 mg3 mg10 mg30 mg100 mg300 mg1,000 mgDaily Value 1,300 mg
The amounts printed most often
Amount per servingProductsFor example
100 mg1,005 Ultra Green Tea (Mega-T); Syntha-6 Cookies & Cream (BSN); Whey of Life Multi-Action Whey Protein Natural Chocolate Blitz Flavor (Bluebonnet)
200 mg957 Sport (GNC Mega Men); Dieters' Formula Chitosan 500 mg (Vitamin World); Phyto-Estrogen Formula (GNC Women's)
50 mg932 Garcinia cambogia Green Coffee Bean Complex (Interactive 1234); 1,000 mg Vitamin C Lite (Emergen-C); Blue 1,000 mg Vitamin C Berry Blue (Emergen-C)
500 mg819 Calcium Magnesium Potassium (Vitamin World); Maximum Nutrition Vanilla Bean (GNC Mega Men); Chelated Calcium Magnesium (Vitamin World)
1,000 mg512 Maximum Nutrition Vanilla Creme (GNC Women's Ultra Mega); Calcium 1000 mg with Vitamin D3 (Sundown Naturals); Calcium Magnesium With Vitamin D3 (Vitamin World)
20 mg466 Super Male Plex With VirileMax (Vitamin World MPP Men's Performance Products); Artriphen (XYMOGEN EP); Nitro Amino FX (MuscleTech Pro Series)
300 mg457 Spiru-Pro Soy Protein Drink With Spirulina Natural Vanilla (Vitamin World); V.M.T. Regular Strength (Viva Vitamins); Nails (Viva Vitamins)
600 mg425 Calcium Magnesium Liquid Natural Blueberry Flavor (Vitamin World); V.M.T. Extra Strength (Viva Vitamins); Calcium Ultra (CVS Pharmacy)
250 mg420 Body Rush Fruit Punch (Force Factor); Body Rush Strawberry Kiwi (Force Factor); Body Rush Cherry Limeade (Force Factor)
30 mg397 ZYM Electrolyte Drink Tablets (ZYM); Whey Protein Vanilla (Jay Robb); Whey Protein Chocolate (Jay Robb)

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.

Calcium by formCalcium carbonate4,133, median 200 mgCalcium phosphate2,838, median 108 mgCalcium citrate2,770, median 200 mgCalcium malate681, median 200 mgCalcium lactate343, median 75 mgCalcium gluconate283, median 250 mgCalcium hydroxyapatite270, median 500 mg
Calcium by formCalcium carbonate4,133, median 200 mgCalcium phosphate2,838, median 108 mgCalcium citrate2,770, median 200 mgCalcium malate681, median 200 mgCalcium lactate343, median 75 mgCalcium gluconate283, median 250 mgCalcium hydroxyapatite270, median 500 mg
Calcium by formCalcium carbonate4,133, median 200 mgCalcium phosphate2,838, median 108 mgCalcium citrate2,770, median 200 mgCalcium malate681, median 200 mgCalcium lactate343, median 75 mgCalcium gluconate283, median 250 mgCalcium hydroxyapatite270, median 500 mg
Calcium by formCalcium carbonate4,133, median 200 mgCalcium phosphate2,838, median 108 mgCalcium citrate2,770, median 200 mgCalcium malate681, median 200 mgCalcium lactate343, median 75 mgCalcium gluconate283, median 250 mgCalcium hydroxyapatite270, median 500 mg
Calcium by formCalcium carbonate4,133, median 200 mgCalcium phosphate2,838, median 108 mgCalcium citrate2,770, median 200 mgCalcium malate681, median 200 mgCalcium lactate343, median 75 mgCalcium gluconate283, median 250 mgCalcium hydroxyapatite270, median 500 mg
Calcium: products naming each form, and their median amount per serving (DSLD version 9.4.0)
FormProductsShare of calcium productsMedian per serving
Calcium carbonate4,13321%200 mg
Calcium phosphate2,83814%108 mg
Calcium citrate2,77014%200 mg
Calcium malate6813%200 mg
Calcium lactate3432%75 mg
Calcium gluconate2831%250 mg
Calcium hydroxyapatite2701%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).

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.

Median calcium per serving by the year the label entered DSLD (years with 20+ products)
YearProductsMedian per serving
2011433150 mg
20121,075200 mg
20131,258162 mg
2014867120 mg
2015922119 mg
2016902117 mg
2017975115 mg
2018827100 mg
2019974106.5 mg
20201,729100 mg
20211,404100 mg
20221,720115 mg
20231,564100 mg
20241,789106 mg
20251,571118 mg

Source: DSLD label entry dates and amounts, current labels.

In which products and brands?

Products listing calcium by DSLD product type

Calcium by product typeOther Combinations11,861Botanical with Nutrients1,443Amino acid/Protein1,342Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,196Mineral901Single Vitamin and Mineral742Botanical298Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical152
Calcium by product typeOther Combinations11,861Botanical with Nutrients1,443Amino acid/Protein1,342Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,196Mineral901Single Vitamin and Mineral742Botanical298Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical152
Calcium by product typeOther Combinations11,861Botanical with Nutrients1,443Amino acid/Protein1,342Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,196Mineral901Single Vitamin and Mineral742Botanical298Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical152
Calcium by product typeOther Combinations11,861Botanical with Nutrients1,443Amino acid/Protein1,342Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,196Mineral901Single Vitamin and Mineral742Botanical298Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical152
Calcium by product typeOther Combinations11,861Botanical with Nutrients1,443Amino acid/Protein1,342Multi-Vitamin and Mineral (MVM)1,196Mineral901Single Vitamin and Mineral742Botanical298Non-Nutrient/Non-Botanical152

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 93 of 395), each with the amount its label prints; an amount far outside what other labels print is marked as a possible slip.

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