A recent study compared the bioavailability of a newly developed source of calcium, Omyaforte™ 100 from mineral producer Omya, with other frequently used calcium salts.[1] The results prove that Omyaforte™ not only contains a high percentage of elemental calcium, but is also extremely bioavailable, making it an excellent and reliable source of calcium.
From a nutritional point of view, two factors are important when it comes to calcium supplementation: the amount of elemental calcium in the salt and its bioavailability. For the study published in the Food Chemistry journal, researchers compared the bioavailability of Omyaforte™ 100 with other commercially available calcium sources: calcium citrate tetrahydrate, tri-calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. Using a Caco-2-model that reproduces the conditions of intestinal cells at lab scale, they studied the intestinal absorption of calcium.
The results show that Omyaforte™ 100 offers a higher elemental calcium content of 39% – almost twice as much as calcium citrate, which contains just 21%. In addition, it is almost twice as biologically available as calcium citrate and calcium carbonate. It generated a total intestinal uptake of 5.68 ± 0.26%, compared to calcium carbonate (3.93 ± 0.99%), calcium citrate tetrahydrate (3.41 ± 0.33%) and tri-calcium phosphate (1.85 ± 0.34%). These results suggest that the type of calcium salt may affect the bioavailability of calcium, since the uptake efficiency values vary.
Thanks to a patented recrystallization process, Omyaforte™ 100 offers a new mineral composition and structure with high porosity, which allows for faster access to gastric juices in the stomach. The accelerated dissolution in acidic environments results in a quicker release of calcium ions, which are then ready to be absorbed into the bloodstream via the small intestine. The innovative composition and structure of Omyaforte™ explains its higher bioavailability compared to the other calcium salts.
Therefore, the ingredient is perfectly suited to applications with a high content of bioavailable calcium, such as bone health mixtures, rehydration solutions and other powdered supplements. Plus, it can be combined with a broad range of other bone health ingredients, such as vitamin D or biopeptides. Products containing Omya’s new mineral solution are particularly beneficial for athletes, healthy agers and those who avoid dairy in their diet.
[1] Nieto JA et al.: Improved in vitro bioavailability of a newly developed functionalized calcium carbonate salt as a food ingredient and its comparison with available commercial calcium salts. Food Chemistry. Volume 348. 30 June 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128740