How Much Calcium Supplement Should One Take?

As you age, your bones can thin and become more porous. Serious bone loss is called osteoporosis and can lead to fractures and pain. Adequate calcium intake, along with weight-bearing exercise and smoking cessation, can help protect you against osteoporosis. Calcium also plays a role in cardiovascular health. If you don't get enough calcium from your diet, your doctor may recommend that you add a calcium supplement.

How Much Calcium?

The Institute of Medicine has established both minimum daily requirements and upper intake levels of calcium. You should get at least the minimum recommended amounts of calcium daily, and no more than the upper intake level. Adults between ages 19 and 50 need at least 1,000 mg of calcium daily and no more than 2,500 mg. Males 51 to 70 need at least 1,000 mg and no more than 2,000 mg, while females between 51 and 70 need at least 1,200 mg and no more than 2,000 mg. Adults over 70 also need at least 1,200 mg and no more than 2,000 mg.

Determining Supplement Need

You may already get enough calcium from food, especially if you drink a lot of milk, eat yogurt or drink calcium fortified orange juice. Look at your daily diet and add up the calcium in the foods you regularly eat. A cup of milk or yogurt contains between 300 and 450 mg calcium, a cup of orange juice or soy milk has 200 to 300 mg and a cup of spinach has between 100 and 200 mg. If your diet doesn't contain enough calcium, you may need to take a supplement.

Considerations

If you have kidney stones, consult your doctor before taking calcium supplements. Don't exceed the upper intake level of calcium. If you're taking supplements, don't take more than 500 mg at a time. At levels higher than this, your body doesn't absorb calcium as well. When taking calcium, make sure you have adequate levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body metabolize calcium. You can get vitamin D from sunlight, from fortified milk and other foods and from vitamin D supplements.

Types of Supplements

You can find many types of calcium supplements in stores. Calcium carbonate is the least expensive form. This is the types of calcium used in antacids. You need to take calcium carbonate with food. Calcium carbonate dissolves in stomach acid. If you have low stomach acid due to age or to taking acid reducers, you may get more benefit from calcium citrate, which doesn't need acid to dissolve. You can take calcium citrate with or without food. The National Institutes of Health recommends you avoid calcium supplements made with bone meal, dolomite or coral, since these natural sources can contain lead and other heavy metals.