Special Consumer Report:


Stephan Karian
Author and Founder,
GreatAmericanProducts.com

"The 7 Biggest Mistakes
Consumers Make When
Buying A Calcium
Supplement... And How
to Avoid Them"

I urge you to get comfortable, ask not to be disturbed, and STUDY this report - it IS that important! It reveals vital health information that you need to know.

Dear Friend,
It's shocking but true.

Every day, people order Calcium supplements that they should not be purchasing. Companies claiming to sell quality Calcium supplements, often charge you a LOT more than they should, end up turning your well intended efforts to help improve the health of you and your loved into disappointing sub-par performance.

Researching a good quality Calcium supplement is a DIFFICULT and STRESSFUL job. There are so many details that must be accounted for... But here is the undeniable truth.

THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF YOUR HEALTH HINGES ON YOU PURCHASING THE RIGHT CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT

I realize that you might not believe that now but think about it for a minute. When is the last time you took your Calcium supplement? Was your experience memorable? Did you experience any of the amazing benefits that come along with a quality Calcium supplement?

Probably never.

The Calcium supplement that you choose is the "key" to a successful result, but here's the problem... Get the wrong Calcium supplement and your health can lose out...

In just a minute, I'm going to reveal the 7 Biggest Mistakes and how you can avoid them, but first let me answer a couple of questions that are probably on your mind:

Who Are You And Why Are You Revealing This Information?

My name is Stephan Karian. For more than 20 years I have extensively researched Nutrition. I'm the author of four health books, Anti-Aging and You, Lose Fat Now, Healthy Eating Guide, and Your Key to Healthy Digestion. And fifteen years ago I founded Great American Products, a nutrition company dedicated to helping to improve the quality of peoples' lives so they could enjoy their life more.

I'm revealing information that the nutrition industry doesn't want you to know for two reasons:

REASON #1: If you end up buying a lousy Calcium supplement, this closes the field to not only me but other competent nutritional experts. Odds are, if the Calcium supplement you buy does not perform, you'll be reluctant to buy another Calcium supplement again.

REASON #2: I HATE to see people get ripped off from mediocre supplements. It puts a black eye on my profession.

Okay, now you know who I am and why I'm doing this, let's talk about the Biggest Mistakes Consumers Make When Buying a Calcium supplement... And How to Avoid Them!

BIG MISTAKE #1:
NOT GETTING ENOUGH CALCIUM PER DAY

Calcium is needed for our heart, muscles, and nerves to function properly and for blood to clot. Inadequate calcium significantly contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Many published studies show that low calcium intake throughout life is associated with low bone mass and high fracture rates.

You have more calcium in your body than any other mineral. Calcium has many important jobs. The body stores more than 99 percent of its calcium in the bones and teeth to help make and keep them strong. The rest is throughout the body in blood, muscle and the fluid between cells. Your body needs calcium to help muscles and blood vessels contract and expand, to secrete hormones and enzymes and to send messages through the nervous system.

It is important to get plenty of calcium in your body, however, the exact amount of calcium you need depends on your age and other factors. Growing children and teenagers need more calcium than young adults because they are building strong bones. Older women need plenty of calcium to keep bones strong and help fight osteoporosis. Everyone needs calcium, but national nutrition surveys have shown that most people are not getting the calcium they need to grow and maintain healthy bones.

Intake recommendations for calcium and other nutrients are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (formerly National Academy of Sciences)
According to the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (formerly National Academy of Sciences):

Calcium helps to keep your bones strong and less likely to break and some people don't know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. Since 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis we need to make sure we get enough calcium per day.

Bottom Line: Calcium can help prevent osteoporosis so make sure you are supplementing with enough calcium daily.

BIG MISTAKE #2:
SUPPLEMENTING WITH CALCIUM TABLETS

In order to get the optimum daily amount of calcium your body requires, you would have to take a burdensome amount of capsules because calcium takes up a lot of space. That is why most calcium supplements come in a tablet form. Literally tons of pressure is used to compress calcium powder into a hard tablet. Imagine the enormous amount of pressure required to compress flour into a hard tablet. So why can this be a problem?

In order for tablets to stay intact after they are compressed manufacturers add an excipient, a substance used to keep the tablet intact. Otherwise it will start to fall apart. One of the most common excipients is DCP (dicalcium phosphate) - a.k.a. "plaster of Paris". Fondly known by the construction industry for its ability to solidify quickly, "plaster of Paris" is a hard material and can be challenging for the body to break apart.

If you can't break it apart, then how do you expect to absorb it?

To find out how well your calcium tablets break apart, place a couple of tablets in a small amount of warm water for 30 minutes and stir occasionally. If it hasn't dissolved within this time, it probably will not dissolve in your stomach.

Bottom Line: Powder, chewable and liquid calcium supplements dissolve well because they are broken down before they enter the stomach.

BIG MISTAKE #3:
NOT TAKING VITAMIN D WITH YOUR CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT

The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. Without enough vitamin D, you can't form enough of the hormone calcitriol (known as the "active vitamin D"). This in turn leads to insufficient calcium absorption from the diet. In this situation, the body must take calcium from its stores in the skeleton - which weakens existing bone and prevents the formation of strong, new bone.

You can get vitamin D in three ways: through the skin, from the diet, and from supplements. Vitamin D is formed naturally by the body after exposure to sunlight. Although the requirement for vitamin D increases with age, fifteen minutes in the sun a few times a week without sunscreen may be plenty for many people to manufacture and store the vitamin D they need. However, Persons who do not receive adequate daily sunlight exposure are at special risk for vitamin D deficiency.

Experts recommend a daily intake of between 400 and 800 IU (International Units) of vitamin D, which also can be obtained from supplements or vitamin D-rich foods such as egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver, and fortified milk. The Institute of Medicine recommends no more than 2,000 IU per day.

Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, an excess amount will get stored in your body rather than excreted through urine so it can have dangerous effects at high doses. Although the toxic dose varies among individuals, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) report vitamin D toxicity has occurred at levels as low as 2,000-5,000 international units. Therefore, it is prudent to add all your sources of Vitamin D intake per day so you get the full picture of your total intake. For instance, if your multivitamin provides 400 IUs of Vitamin D make sure to add that amount to the other sources of vitamin D you may be currently supplementing with.

Bottom Line: Because vitamin D is critical to optimal calcium absorption. Make sure you get 800 IU per day of Vitamin D.

BIG MISTAKE #4:
NOT TAKING MAGNESIUM ALONG WITH YOUR CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.

Bone health is supported by many factors, most notably calcium and vitamin D. However, research also suggests that magnesium supplementation may improve bone mineral density.

Bottom Line: To cover your bases, make sure your calcium supplement contains magnesium. Ideally a 2 to 1 ratio of calcium to magnesium is recommended. So if you are taking 1,200 mgs of calcium then it should contain 600 mgs of magnesium.

BIG MISTAKE #5:
RELYING ON ANY CALCIUM SOURCE

There are several forms of calcium, but overall the two main forms of calcium in supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Since calcium carbonate is more commonly available it is inexpensive. It is found in rock in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime, and is usually the principal cause of hard water. It is commonly called chalk as it has traditionally been a major component of blackboard chalk. Calcium Carbonate requires extra stomach acid for efficient absorption; therefore it is best taken right after meals.

On the other hand, calcium citrate can be efficiently absorbed by the body when it is taken either with or without food because it does not require extra stomach acid for absorption. It can be taken any time of day, even on an empty stomach. Even individuals with reduced levels of stomach acid can absorb calcium citrate more easily.

Calcium citrate is most often used by the informed consumer who understands the importance of getting calcium into their bloodstream where it is used to help maintain and re-mineralize bone.

Bottom Line: To get optimal calcium absorption with either a full or empty stomach, or with reduced levels of stomach acid, calcium citrate is an ideal source of calcium.

BIG MISTAKE #6:
NOT GETTING A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE

In most cases, you can avoid falling prey to a bad calcium supplement by insisting that they give you a 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

This is the ultimate test as to whether someone really believes in what they are offering or if they are just full of hot air. If a company really believes in the quality of their Calcium supplement, they shouldn't hesitate to guarantee it.

If the company you're considering to provide you their calcium supplement won't back up their supplement with a guarantee... WATCH OUT!

Bottom Line: Some companies may argue that consumers may take advantage of them if they offer a guarantee. This is a bunch of bunk. If they believe in their product they will stand behind it with a money back guarantee.

BIG MISTAKE #7:
BASING YOUR DECISION PRIMARILY ON PRICE

Wow! This is a biggie.

Of course, price is a factor when choosing a Calcium supplement. However, many consumers place too much emphasis on price and not enough emphasis on the overall impact the Calcium supplement will have on their health.

Is the highest priced Calcium supplement always the best? Absolutely not! On the other hand, purchasing the least expensive Calcium supplement is not always the best way to go either.

Calcium supplements are perceived a dime a dozen – a commodity – by many consumers and because of this they try and find the lowest priced Calcium supplement around.

The fact is not all Calcium supplements are the same... Like in any field there are some that are great, some that are good, some mediocre and some that should not be allowed in the marketplace.

Do you remember the last time you enjoyed great quality versus mediocre quality? What was the difference in your experience? Night and day right? There is a good reason why you should only put high grade fuel in a Ferrari -- because you want high performance out of it. And if you want high performance from your body then you need to give it the high quality resources.

You can't just buy another body like you can a car. Don't skimp on your health – it's priceless!

Bottom Line: Make sure your Calcium supplement provides the key ingredients to promote your healthy Calcium and urinary function.

Well, there you have it. Maybe you were already aware of some of the secrets revealed in this report. But I hope you found a few gems that you can use to ensure your next Calcium supplement purchase turns out exactly as you want it so it does the BEST job at promoting the health of your bones and vitality you so richly deserve.



All my best,

Stephan Karian
Great American Products
Founder and President
Author, Anti-Aging and You


P.S. To find out how you can support healthy bones, promote a restful night's sleep, combat occasional cramping and more, learn about my incredible calcium formula, Calabsorb.