Getting enough calcium in your diet to keep your bones strong may be a challenge. Many people don't care for dairy products, or they may suffer from lactose intolerance. However, since 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and 34 million more are at risk, according to the Harvard School of Public Health, adequate calcium intake is essential. Calcium supplements are readily available and help boost your daily calcium intake. Taking supplements properly helps increase calcium's absorption. Talk with your doctor about whether you need calcium supplements.
Recommended Doses
The recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, is the amount of calcium needed to supply nutrient requirements for 98 to 99 percent of all people. For calcium, the RDA varies with age. Infants need 200 mg per day up to 6 months of age and 260 mg per day between 7 months of age and 1 year. Premature infants may require more calcium than full-term babies; human breast milk supplies more calcium than cow's milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children aged 1 to 3 need 700 mg per day, and children aged 4 to 8 require 1000 mg per day. Children between the ages of 9 and 18 require the most calcium: 1300 mg per day. Men aged 19 to 70 and women aged 19 to 50 need 1000 mg per day, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, while women 51 and over and men 71 and over require 1200 mg per day.
Absorption
Taking your entire daily allowance of calcium at one time results in poor absorption, since your body can take in only about 500 mg of calcium at one time, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Splitting your daily dose in half will increase absorption. Most supplemental calcium contains one of two types of calcium: calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate absorbs best when taken with food, while calcium citrate supplements can be taken with or without food. People with reduced stomach acid levels, which frequently occur as people age, absorb calcium citrate better than calcium carbonate.
Wheat Bran and Supplements
Wheat bran can interfere with calcium absorption when taken at the same time as calcium supplements. Take calcium supplements two or more hours before eating 100 percent wheat bran, the National Osteoporosis Foundation suggests.
Risks
While it's not possible to overdose on calcium in foods, it is possible to overdose on calcium supplements. Taking too much calcium leads to high levels of calcium in the blood, called hypercalcemia. This condition may cause kidney problems, including kidney stones and calcium deposits in soft tissues and blood vessels. High calcium levels possibly also may interfere with the body's absorption of two other minerals, zinc and iron. High calcium intake may also increase the risk of prostate cancer, although this has not been definitively established, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
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