hi KT,

Your most recent post just answered a question for me. When I read your other post earlier, I was thinking that calcium itself is actually soothing to the stomach ... and it's the main ingredient in Tums and Rolaids However, the supplement tablets will have fillers, often a stearate of some kind, and that may be the culprit. As well, calcium carbonate, which Nat mentioned, is poorly absorbed ... in fact the tablets (which are enormous) are difficult to dissolve. So it may be that the pill is causing upset because it's not dissolving completely. The only known side effect from calcium supplementation is constipation. Since it's usually combined in the same pill with magnesium (which is laxative) .. they balance each other.

Caseinate may be a problem .... not because of the calcium, but because casein is the allergenic protein of milk and dairy products. It's less expensive and less quality than isolated whey protein, which has all the casein filtered out. Many persons with dairy intolerance can digest pure isolated whey protein just fine. Note that casein can also be found in foods in the form of sodium caseinate too.

The best way to test for a food intolerance is to go without the suspected food or foods for at least a week. Then, have a serving of just one food .. and monitor for symptoms. Usually you will notice within an hour or two. Keep a record. If you suspect several foods, only test one food per day. Some people find that they can enjoy a food once in a while, but if they have it two days in a row .. bang! they have a reaction. I am that way with grains, except barley to which I have a strong reaction any time

Doreen