Tums label / Nutrition facts

[its me]

Can someone explain the discrepancy between the nutrition facts and the active ingredient. It says 1000 mg of calcium in the active ingredient per tablet and in the nutritional facts it gives 800 mg per 2 tablets. See attached

[its me]

I forget to attach

[venus]

My guess is that calcium carbonate is both calcium and carbonate, basically a salt, so it weighs more than just calcium alone.

[its me]

It still doesn't add up. Look at the sodium content.

[venus]

Sodium is not carbonate. A salt is a general word for an ionic solid that dissolve in water. For example, table salt, is sodium chloride. When is dissolve in water you get positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions. Calcium carbonate is another kind of salt. When dissolved you have positive sodium ions and negative carbonate. So the sodium content has Nothing to do with the calcium carbonate content. They're don't have to add up.

[its me]

Thanks professor Venus

[venus]

Basic chemistry we learn in high school. No need for the title professor, but I'll gladly accept it.

[its me]

I never knew satmar had a high school...

[its me]

Sodium is not carbonate. A salt is a general word for an ionic solid that dissolve in water. For example, table salt, is sodium chloride. When is dissolve in water you get positively charged sodium ions and negatively charged chloride ions. Calcium carbonate is another kind of salt. When dissolved you have positive sodium ions and negative carbonate. So the sodium content has Nothing to do with the calcium carbonate content. They're don't have to add up.

Isnt calcium an element as Is sodium

[venus]

Yes. Different elements. Sodium ions have a +1 charge and calcium ions have +2 charge. Therefore, their pair has equal opposite charge to give you a neutral salt. Chlorine ions are -1 and carbonate, Which is not an element but a molecule, is -2.

[gami]

Calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium. 1000 mg will provide 400 mg of calcium. However, supplement labels will usually indicate how much calcium is present in each serving, not how much calcium carbonate is present.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium

[its me]

You are making my point. So calcium and sodium are different elements. Then my question isn't answered. Please don't get into the minutia of it. (Elements)

[its me]

Calcium carbonate is 40% elemental calcium. 1000 mg will provide 400 mg of calcium. However, supplement labels will usually indicate how much calcium is present in each serving, not how much calcium carbonate is present.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium

Thanks that explains it

[gami]

The difference is just water, it has no nutritional value

[venus]

The sodium comes from somewhere else, not the calcium carbonate.