But calcium carbonate comes with other costs. It might be cheap to mine from quarries, but consumers pay a price in terms of common side effects. The NIH lists common adverse effects for calcium carbonate to be vomiting, gas, constipation, irratabiliy, and nausea. In our market research, those side effects were confirmed in interview after interview. Many women told us that their calcium pills gave them gas, constipation, or just a general bloated feeling.

As a board-certified clinical pharmacist, one of the most common questions I get is how to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of a supplement. With thousands of options available, how do we determine which ones are worth our time, money, and health?

Learn about the link between menopause and bone health here.

Why is dietary calcium superior to synthetic calcium supplementation? Learn here.