When we think of the contributions that the mineral calcium makes to our bodies, the first thing that comes to mind is strong bone, and this is true. However, calcium has multiple jobs. Yes, it builds bones, but our blood wouldn’t clot without calcium. Our heart would cease to beat and muscles would only expand and not contract.
Calcium is extremely important to good health and yet we are constantly losing the mineral from the body, just through the daily grind of living our lives. Calcium is lost through body waste: sweat, urine, and feces. We lose calcium through our largest organ, the skin that covers our bodies and through nail beds and hair. It is constantly being released.
While we are constantly losing calcium, the body doesn’t produce the mineral on its own. Calcium is delivered to our bodies through the foods we eat. If we don’t receive the right amount of calcium through calcium-rich foods, then the body will rob it from calcium-rich bones. Over time this becomes dangerous and compromises the bone’s strength and makes them easier to fracture.
Required Daily Amount
The following is recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board and found in the Dietary Reference Intakes. Recommended daily Intake requirements of calcium are calculated by age and gender. There is also a recommended daily allowance for pregnant and lactating women.
Male
- 0-6 months of age
200 mg of calcium per day
- 7-12 months of age
260 mg
- 1-3 years
700 mg
- 4-8 years
1000 mg
- 9-13 years
1300 mg
- 14-18 years
1300 mg
- 19-50 years
1000 mg
- 51-70 years
1000 mg
- 71+ years
1200 mg
Female
- 0-6 months
200 mg
- 7-12 months
260 mg
- 1-3 years
700 mg
- 4-8 years
1000mg
- 9-13 years
1300 mg
- 14-18 years
1300 mg
- 19-50 years
1000 mg
- 51-70 years
1200 mg
- 71+ years
1200 mg
Pregnant
- 14-18 years
1300 mg
- 19-50 years
1000 mg
Lactating
- 14-18 years
1300 mg
- 19-50 years
1000 mg
The recommended daily allowance of calcium is necessary for proper bone health. It is also for keeping the correct amount of calcium in healthy people.
Calcium Rich Food Sources
Dairy is rich in calcium and will help to achieve the recommended daily allowance: cheese, milk, and yogurt. Additionally, there are non-dairy food sources that include calcium such as leafy green vegetables like Chinese cabbage, kale, broccoli, and spinach.
Other options include foods that don’t naturally have calcium in them but are fortified with the mineral. Read food labels to learn how much calcium is included in the foods you eat and drink. Keeping track of intake will assist you in knowing just how much you lack, and to know if taking a calcium supplement will be necessary to reach the recommended daily allowance.
Supplements
If you find it difficult to attain the recommended daily allowance of calcium for your gender and age category, then you may wish to take a calcium supplement. The mineral is taken in two forms, citrate or carbonate. Carbonate is the most common form and is readily available. A variety of over the counter medications includes carbonate, which neutralizes stomach acid. Some carbonate medications, depending on strength, will provide between 200 – 400 mg of calcium.
The National Institutes of Health’s’ Office of Dietary Supplements reports, “43 percent of the U.S. population (including almost 70 percent of older women) uses dietary supplements containing calcium, increasing calcium intakes by about 330 mg per day among supplement users.”
How to Know You’re Receiving the Right Amount of Calcium
It is imperative to know for sure that you’re receiving the correct amount of calcium. Your health provider can measure the calcium with a simple blood test.
There are two tests available. A total calcium blood test or an ionized calcium blood test will measure the amount of calcium present. If the correct amount of calcium isn’t found in your bloodstream, the family medicine provider will make a recommendation that may include an adjustment in your diet or a prescription for a calcium supplement.
