Viactiv Flavor Glides, Vanilla, Are My Favorite Calcium Supplement

Bones, bones, bones! Whether it's the Ticklish Tibia, the Usually Humorous Humerus, or the Merry Manubrium (I love that word!), we've got to protect it! Strengthen it! Fortify it! As women, in particular, get older, we need to be concerned about protecting ourselves from bone loss. This is actually extremely important. Our tendency to bone loss increases as we enter menopause. As women, we have less bone mass to begin with, compared to men, so we are prone to osteoporosis (thin bones). We lose bone mass and "shrink". And thin bones break and bend easily. Thus, it is common to see older women who are hump-backed and hunched over. And, it is also common for older women to fall and break their hip. (These things happen to men, too, by the way, but not as frequently). Hip fractures generally require hospitalization, surgery and rehabilitation. Complications can set in. My mother and grandmother both sustained hip fractures, and it was difficult to watch them go through all the pain and surgery. No, you do not want to go through any of that if you could prevent it.

Risk groups for osteoporosis include fair-skinned women, women who have undergone an early menopause, or men or women who are taking chronic corticosteroids (such as Prednisone). Estrogen maintains bone health; after menopause, women begin to lose bone mass.

I do not wish to break my hip when I am older, and I like walking straight. In addition, I am not the tallest person around, and I do not really wish to get any shorter, thank you very much!

Well, just have some milk, right?
If you consume plenty of milk, yogurt, cheese or other good sources of calcium daily, and are certain that you are consuming adequate amounts each day, good for you! However, I know that I don't get enough calcium in my diet. Sure, I put a dab of milk in my coffee, and have some cheese here and there. But, that certainly doesn't add up to all the calcium I'm supposed to have everyday. No, I personally need a supplement.

So, what's a woman (or man) to do, to prevent bone loss? Calcium supplementation is the answer, especially over the age of 45 or so. Calcium is absorbed best in the presence of Vitamin D, so a Calcium supplement containing Vitamin D is highly recommended.

I see. Now I understand about the calcium. But, why should I consider Viactiv Calcium Flavor-Glides specifically?
I personally have walked a long road, in terms of finding the right calcium supplement:

First, I tried those really large calcium pills. I couldn't swallow them. I cut them in half, and still had difficultly swallowing them, for they are harder than most pills. I guess because they are all calcium, they have a chalk-like, almost rock hard consistency.

Next, I tried chewable tablets (Caltrate 600 Plus), but they tasted really gross and chalky and had a strong smell.

Next on the list, Viactiv Soft Calcium Chews were my answer for a while. However, over time, they just became annoyingly sweet, and I would often cough and get a tickle in my throat when chewing them. So, they too, were abandoned. It was frustrating! Was it so difficult to find an acceptable calcium supplement? Then I found Viactiv Calcium Flavor-Glides, in Vanilla.

These days, Viactiv Flavor-Glides are my preferred calcium supplement. Let me tell you about them:
These white, coated caplets are oval shaped with very rounded ends. They are ¾ inch long and only ¼ inch wide. The tablets are very smooth. The coating also has a nice vanilla flavor and aroma. Basically, these pills are smooth enough to "glide" down your throat easily. Unlike Caltrate 600 pills, I personally find these pills easy to swallow, and I like the subtle vanilla flavor I note when I take them, as well. I have been taking these for a few months now, and have had no adverse effects or problems with them. Yippee! Finally!

Each "Flavor-glide" tablet contains 500mg calcium, which is 50% of the recommended 1,000mg recommended daily intake for a woman 19-50 years of age. The recommended dose for women over the age of 50 is 1,200mg per day. Each Caplet also contains 200IU of Vitamin D (50% RDA) and 40mcg of Vitamin K (50%). Since these tablets also include Vitamin K (a clotting factor), notify your physician before using these if you are taking a blood thinning medicine/ anticoagulant (such as Warfarin/ Coumadin).

Of course, your use of this calcium supplement should be individualized by you and your health care provider, based on your own medical needs. Perhaps you have had a bone mineral density test, to determine your own bone health.

They come in a purple bottle, with a flip-top lid. I am certain that the feminine shape to the curvy bottle is a result of some marketing strategy, and it does make the bottle easy to hold.

These pills work for me, no bones about it!