- Where nutrition experts say you need a specific minimum
amount of a mineral (an element) for good health, they mean the "element"
itself, only. No binders, vectors, fillers, or vehicles. Hold that
thought.
-
- Years ago I wrote about immoral albeit legal mineral
labeling practices utilized by a few apparently disreputable companies
like "Davis Vitamin Company," which as far as I can tell, primarily
sells their "Liquid Calcium & Magnesium" to Walmart.
-
- Davis Vitamin Company, in my considered opinion, very
deceptively lists the total combined amount (weight) of the Elemental
Calcium with its conveying Chelator, the Citrate with which it's bound,
instead of correctly (and ethically) showing JUST the amount of usable
Elemental Calcium. See how that works? Think about it.
-
- Reporting calcium this way is legal, but this less than
ethical way stampedes a consumer, reader, to believe that they are getting
their required %DailyValue (%DV) of 1200mg of Calcium, when actually,
they are really only getting about 300mg of usable, ELEMENTAL Calcium.
-
- "Elemental": the indestructible ATOM created
5 or so billion years ago inside an exploding star and found on the Periodic
Table of Elements.
-
- Anyway, this deceptively unctuous policy has been off
my radar for the last few years because, as of late, most all credible
Supp' makers have really improved themselves by going out of their way
to show that the amount of Calcium listed on the label is the weight
of the Calcium only and not the combined weight of the Calcium and its
Chelator vehicle, chelators like Citrate, Malate, Carbonate, Amino-Acid,
Kreb's Cycle & many more.
-
- This is critical, reader, because the Chelator makes
up from 60% to 90% of the total weight of the product!
-
- 3 examples:
-
- 1.. "1000mg of Calcium-Carbonate" - will contain
400mg (40%) Elemental Calcium & 600mg (60%) Carbonate. "In the
Tank" MD's will always point out that this form has the highest %
of Calcium at 40%, but don't be fooled! See, Calcium-Carbonate is the
"stuff" in antacids like Tums! Calcium carbonateneutralizes
the stomach-acid rendering this cheap crap difficult to absorb. NEVER
buy Calcium- Carbonate.
-
- 2.. "1000mg of Calcium-Gluconate" - will contain
only 100mg (10%) Cal. & 900mg (90%) Gluconate. You might think, incorrectly,
that the 40% Cal. in the Cal-Carbonate is somehow superior to the tiny
10% Cal. in the Cal-Gluconate, but not so!
-
- You see, the "apparent" bigger number (in 1..
above) of (40%) means NOTHING except for the reduced size of the tablet!
If everyone used the same ethically correct labeling, then 1000mg of
Elemental Calcium in the Gluconate form & 1000mg of Calcium in the
Carbonate form will be exactly the same amount of real, usable CALCIUM
(1000mg) - but the Cal-Gluconate will have to use more capsules/ tablets
(or be a giant tablet) because it will also have 9000mg of Gluconate,
where the Cal-Carbonate tablet will only have 1500mg of Carbonate.
-
- The real kicker, see, is that it's possible for almost
every "atom" of that 1000mg of Calcium in the Gluconate form
to be absorbed, where very little of the 1000mg of Calcium in the Carbonate
form will be... but you have to "put up" with increasing the
number of capsules of the Gluconate form.
-
- So, what's better... a smaller dose with poor absorption
of the Calcium or a bigger dose with excellent absorption of the Calcium?
- I remind you: both doses have the same amount of usable,
elemental Calcium. Still, if your choice is the convenience of a smaller,
dainty, Lady-like dose... you are a self-destructive idiot, so stop reading...
the rest will only confuse you. Besides, isn't Jerry Springer on?
-
- 3.. Admittedly, the chelation form of the Davis product
in question, "Calcium-Citrate," is one of the better calcium-chelation
forms, with about 25% Calcium & 75% Citrate. So the Citrate tablet
size or in this case, the amount of Liquid, at 75%, is about half way
in size (volume) between the Gluconate (90%) & the Carbonate (60%)
but unlike the Carbonate, the Citrate (75%) has very good absorption.
-
- Let's take a moment's digression: stay away from the
2 popular INorganic Salts, CARBONATE & OXIDE (Oxide is used primarily
with Magnesium & Zinc... a pity, because most people need more Mag
& Zinc in their life)!
-
- Instead, use one of the dozen or so ORGANIC Chelated
forms, like Citrate, or one of my 2 favorites, Albion Amino-Acid Chelation
(AAC) or Kreb's Cycle Chelation. With both of these, unlike Carbonate,
the 75% or so of the total that is the Chelator, reader, is stuff that
is usable & good for you!
-
- See, the Chelation in both is Amino-Acids! These are
the building blocks of Protein... not crap like Carbonate actually interfering
with the absorption of protein & minerals by neutralizing valuable
stomach acid needed to digest them!
-
- Anyway, on return, you can see how easy it would be to
trick people if the label said (remember this is perfectly legal) - "Calcium-
Citrate...1000mg." Most would buy it thinking they were getting
1000mg of Calcium when actually they are only getting about 250mg of Elemental
Calcium, with the remainder being 750mg of Citrate.
- Off by a factor of four!
-
- Don't get me wrong, if Supp-Makers were honest, they
could have a label which also read "Calcium-Citrate...1000mg,"
but this one would actually have 1000mg of ELEMENTAL Calcium... you know,
presuming the labeling is honest, not just "legal." Of course
it would also then contain 3000mg of Citrate, but it should not really
be necessary to put that on the label... presuming, again, honesty of
the manufacturer and the "1000mg" on the label is the Calcium
and not the Citrate and Calcium.
-
- So, again, the labels of honest Supp' makers might read
something like - "Calcium 250mg... (from 1000mg of Calcium-Citrate)"
or, like this "idiot-proof" example which, I submit, ALL labels
should have to use by LAW:
-
- "Calcium-Citrate containing 250mg of Elemental Calcium"...
Bam!
- Kicked to the highest notch!
-
- ...SEE, there's NO WAY to misinterpret my suggested label...
it must tell you the kind of Chelation (the Citrate, so you can avoid
crap like carbonate) & the amount of Elemental Calcium (250mg), and
you don't even have to mention the amount of the Citrate-chelator (750mg)
or the 1000mg total!
-
- In fact, it is better NOT to put those 2 numbers on the
label because it really doesn't do you any good to even know the total
combined weight of the Calcium & Chelator... so why "muddy the
nutritional water" with unnecessary numbers providing confusion ...
remember, it's just "the amount of usable Calcium, Stupid..."
Ah, not you good reader. I mean that other person behind you watching
"The Best of Springer"
-
- Even though I hate to drag Walmart into this, it is unavoidable
because they can, and I think will, see that this hazardous situation
is corrected - where I suspect the manufacture would do nothing at just
MY urging. Anyway, the "Liquid Calcium & Magnesium" by
Davis Vitamin Company Inc., label has listed "Calcium Citrate...1200mg,"
and on the next line down "Magnesium Citrate... 720mg." Unfortunately
the consumer, justifiably and understandably, just sees 1200mg of "calcium"
and 720mg of "magnesium".
-
- Consider, coincidentally (?), 1200mg of ELEMENTAL Calcium
just happens to be 100% of the recommended % Daily Value! True, some
will say the required amount is 1000mg of Cal. daily, however, I believe
you should take even less (about 800mg of Cal.), though, do more of all
those other things to insure the Calcium gets utilized... like Magnesium,
Vit.D-3, Boron, Vit.K, Silica, 72 Trace minerals, weight-bearing exercise,
etc. Also, avoid Sugar, Antacids, Carbonated drinks, Tap-Water &
of course, CARBONATE- Chelated Minerals. I digress, but the odd "coincidence"
at the top of the paragraph remains and "1200mg" is a good "mean"
amount of Calcium readily recognized by the inexpert consumer.
-
- See? "OK, this is good," the consumer errantly
thinks - this Davis product "appears" to meet her monthly Cal/Mag
requirements (32 doses @ 1200mg Cal. & 720mg Mag. each), plus it includes
some Vit.D-3 & Boron for the fairly reasonable price of $18, reader,
making this just another great bargain at "WallyWorld," right?
Wrong!
-
- I reiterate! You are not even coming close to getting
a bargain or meeting your daily minimum requirement of Cal or Mag because
you are not getting the Calcium or Mag that you only think you're getting!
As I wrote above, you're off by a factor of four!
-
- The only way you could tell that this was 2 things combined
& not just the Elemental Calcium - is off to the right in stealthy
print on a "hard to see" label. There the consumer finds a column
for the "% Daily Value" of each item. It shows 25% for Cal.
& 25% for Mag.
-
- But Folks, how many little old ladies would notice that
or even understand what those numbers mean? I think most people would
see the 1200mg of Calcium-Citrate & just go on about their business,
unaware that they are only getting 300mg at 25% of the recommended daily
amount.
-
- Also the label further pulls you into the deception because
the "Recommended Dosage" says to take 2 Tablespoons each night!
- Further proof of their chicanery!
-
- Reader! Two Tablespoons equals 1200mg of Calcium-Citrate,
sure, but only 300mg of "real" Calcium! Now if the "Recommended
Dosage" said to take 2 Tablespoons, FOUR TIMES DAILY for a total
of 8 tbls then I would probably not have to be writing this letter.
-
- And, please don't confuse the issue saying the manufacturer
"never meant" to provide 100% of the daily requirement! If
that is so, why doesn't the label make that a little clearer for the cataract
ravaged eyes of the little old ladies buying this product? Shame on
you !
-
- In fact, as I alluded above, I think they purposely picked
the number 1200 to make people think this is "THE 1200mg" of
usable Calcium or 100% DV every little old lady with Osteoporosis has
heard in the bogus Milk ads a thousand freaking times...You know, "Get
your required 1200mg of Calcium daily with 4 servings of Dairy" (of
course this is also total crap).
-
- Anyway, she goes to Walmart looking for the magic number
"1200" - and she finds it. But why didn't Davis pick the arbitrary
number 1000 or 1500...why pick 1200 ? To me the answer is only too obvious.
They wanted to make 300mg of usable Calcium (Prest-O, Change-O) look
like 1200mg of usable Calcium (100%) meeting the requirement exactly!
-
- Continuing, for the consumer to actually meet their monthly
requirement of 1200mg of Elemental Calcium daily with this product, it
would take 4 bottles, reader, at a whopping $72 a month (4 x $18)!
-
- Trust me, folks. You can find numerous brands of liquid
Cal/Mag Citrate (or another ORGANIC-Chelation) that will cover the 1200mg
of Elemental Calcium (and the Mag. too), for a lot less than $72... more
like $15 up to about $35. Too, it will be a label you can understand
and a brand that you have heard of. Seriously, has anyone ever heard of,
or seen (apart from Walmart), "Davis Vitamin Company" products
anywhere?
-
- I didn't think so. That's why I'm dragging Walmart into
this.
-
- Do a web-search of "Davis Vitamin company."
You find bupkis. No website, phone # or email for the company plus no
other Supp' Supplier appears to sell the product. Google it yourself.
-
- So what does that mean? Well, it looks like the biggest
retailer in the world is likely their only customer or certainly their
biggest customer! Also, Daviscertainly doesn't want to be easily contacted...
providing only a snail-mail address on the bottle.
- That's a thing to make you say, "hmmm," eh?
-
- The really sad part of this sleaziness is not just the
money... people get cheated all the time with little or no lasting effect.
- Though, in this case it's the heart & bone health
of all the aforementioned little old ladies bent over with Osteoporosis,
otherwise harried and distracted little old ladies who think their Cal/Mag
requirements are being met adequately with this deceptively labeled product
- when they are decidedly not even close! Outrage!
-
- I'm going to snail-mail a copy of this News Letter to
both Davis and Walmart... the letter to Davis is pointless because we
already perceive them as morally bankrupt pond-scum, so I don't expect
to hear from them at all, actually. Too, even if I did I just know it
would be an obfuscation of the soft & mushy bull excrement variety!
-
- Still, I do expect something proactive from Walmart because
I saw the program on TV regarding how Walmart "pistol-whips"
their venders, at the drop of a hat, for doing anything sullying the
corporate reputation... and that's probably a good thing, eh?
- Walmart should take responsibility & not let their
venders run wild or otherwise jerk the consumer around.
-
- Sincerely, Walmart already has enough of a public relation
problem (I watch South Park) without having to absorb even a tiny bit
of flack because of a "nobody" pip-squeak like a "Davis
Vitamin company."
-
- As a paying subscriber, I'm forever noticing at the watchdog
organization www.consumerlab.com that Walmart's big primary line of supplements
"Spring Valley" always meets or exceeds the "Potency &
Purity." It would be a shame to have this Davis stuff on the same
shelf. I checked... none of the other Calcium products at Walmart use
this deceptive labeling... not even the really cheap "no-name",
consummate CRAP, Calcium CARBONATE products!
-
- Of course the Davis Cal/Mag would likely also meet "Potency"
and I'm assuming "Purity." It would meet "Potency"
because it probably does in fact have 1200mg of Calcium-Citrate. You
see, it's all legal! "Legal," yeah, but sooo WRONG!
-
- Closing, do you really think that this mislabeling monkey
business stops with Minerals and Davis? If so, be disappointed, reader.
- I'll keep you posted.
-
- Alan Graham
- alan068@centurytel.net
-
- http://www.alienview.net/ALLTCON.html
-
- That's enough.
-
- Well be.
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