The solubilization of the calcium soaps of long chain fatty acids by liquid fatty acids was observed. The solubilities of calcium palmitate, calcium laurate, and calcium oleate were 15.6, 22.8, and 53.3 wt%, respectively, in oleic acid at 40-degrees-C. The formation of an acid-calcium soap complex was demonstrated by x-ray diffraction studies of calcium laurate, lauric acid, and a mixture of these compounds that had been heated. Similar evidence was obtained for a calcium oleate-oleic acid complex. The solubility of calcium oleate in a bile salt micellar system was enhanced by oleic acid. The solubilization of calcium soaps by liquid fatty acids may explain the unexpectedly high bio-availability of some calcium soaps.