Osteoperosis runs in my family. I love dairy, but I still want to make sure that I get enough calcium, since my intake has gone down lately.
I'm only in my early twenties, but I figure the earlier I worry about this sort of thing, the better. I'd rather do what I can and make good habits now just to be careful.

I've read about Viactiv Soft Calcium Chews for a few years now. I always thought that they sounded interesting, but I kept forgetting to pick some up.
Today I finally grabbed some to try, and I'm happy I did.

The package is a purple tub with a plastic snap on lid. The tub has a seal on the top that you have to open, kind of like pringles have. Then each chew is individually wrapped.

To figure out how many chews you need, they have a chart on the package. It has different age ranges, and how many chews that age bracket needs to get the daily requirement of calcium. Also listed is the amount of calcium, so you can figure out if you got enough from your food, or just need one chew as a supplement that day. This helped me, because I had no idea how much calcium I was supposed to have.

Here is the chart:
Children 4-8 years 800 mg calcium
9-18 years 1,300 mg calcium
Adults 19-50 years 1,000 mg calcium
Adults Over 50 years 1,200 mg calcium
Pregnant or nursing women 1,000 mg calcium

From the package:
"Just 2 delicious VIACTIV® Calcium Soft Chews provide you with:

VIACTIV® Calcium Soft Chews

* 100% of the Daily Value of Calcium
* a unique blend of
vitamins D to boost calcium absorption and vitamin K, which plays a role in the body's formation of bone proteins*
* convenience and portability that fits your schedule and lifestyle"



I was a bit wary when I unwrapped one to try, because I was expecting a chalky wierd flavored chewy thing. Each one is roughly the size of a starburst candy chew, and wrapped in a similar fashion.
The wrapping they use is a silver foil, but it's very easy to remove. I'm glad they chose not to use the clear cellophane type stuff, because I can never get it all off. To my surprise, the chocolate flavor isn't bad. It's not fake tasting, and the chewy texture is nice. You could probably trick someone into thinking these are candy, although I wouldn't suggest doing so!
I bought the Milk chocolate flavor, and it's the only kind I've tried so far. The chews do come in six different flavors, which is nice. They are Milk Chocolate,Strawberry
Cream, Chocolate Mint, Caramel, and Orange Cream.

The chews can be a bit expensive. I bought mine on base, so they were less expensive than a regular supermarket. I got a bucket of 60 chews for about 5 dollars. Online I saw that the price appears to be about 7.99 for the same tub, but I am also pretty sure places like Costco carry these, so I'd keep an eye out if you want a deal.

All in all, these were pleasently surprising. I definitely plan on buying more when my current supply runs out. They're a really good way to sneak in some extra calcium if you have trouble getting enough in your food.

As with most supplements, it's probably a good idea to check with your doctor before starting to take these!

Recommended: Yes