Calcium Dosage for Men

Your body needs minerals to function properly and stay healthy. Minerals are separated into two different categories, trace minerals and macrominerals. Your body only requires a small amount of trace minerals, whereas you need larger amounts of macrominerals for optimum health. Calcium is a macromineral and is the most abundant mineral in your body.

Calcium

Your body stores 99 percent of its calcium in your teeth and bones, helping to both build them and maintain their strength. The other 1 percent of the calcium in your body is found in your blood, muscles and other tissues. This 1 percent of calcium helps your body transmit nerve impulses, regulates your heart beat -- since it aids in muscle and blood vessel contraction and expansion -- and plays a role in the secretion of enzymes and hormones.

Recommended Dietary Allowances

The recommended dietary allowances, RDA, is the amount recommended by the Institutes of Medicine to provide optimum health, and the amount you should aim to consume. The RDA for calcium in men age 19 to 70 is 1,000 mg per day, and this amount increases to 1,200 mg per day in men over the age of 70. The tolerable upper intake, UL, is the maximum amount considered safe for you to consume without experiencing adverse effects. According to the Institutes of Medicine, the UL for calcium in men age 19 to 50 is 2,500 mg per day, and for those age 51 and above the UL is 2,000 mg per day.

Calcium Deficiency

Your body gets the calcium you need through the calcium in the foods you consume and by taking it from your bones if you blood calcium level drops too low. If left untreated, long-term calcium deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, weakening of bones, increased risk of bone fractures, and possibly rickets. Men at risk of deficiency are those who are lactose intolerant, allergic to cow's milk, or vegetarians. Certain medical conditions and treatments, including surgical stomach removal, renal failure, and the use of specific medications including diuretics, can lead to low calcium in the blood, a condition known as hypocalcemia. This causes symptoms such as muscle cramps, lethargy, convulsions, poor appetite, abnormal heart rhythms, and the risk of death if untreated.

Sources of Calcium

Calcium is found naturally in some foods, is added to other fortified foods, available in supplement form, and present in some medications, including antacids. Natural sources of calcium include milk, yogurt and cheese, as well as dried beans and legumes, and dark green, leafy, and vegetables including collard greens, broccoli and kale. Grains contain only a small amount of carbohydrates if unfortified, but because they are commonly consumed in high quantities, they are significant sources of calcium. Calcium-fortified foods include cereals, fruit juice and other drinks, and tofu. If you are considering taking calcium supplement,s discuss with your doctor how much calcium you require, versus how much your diet currently provides, to be sure you will not be at risk of consuming too much.