Bone spurs are calcium deposits that develop on your bones, especially in and around your joints. According to Mayo Clinic, bone spurs may develop naturally as you age or because of an existing disease, such as osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis or spinal stenosis. Calcium is a mineral that plays a major role in maintaining strong and healthy bones.
The Link
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, a division of the National Institutes of Health, there is no added risk of developing bone spurs if you consume too much calcium in your diet. Bone spurs are actually deposits of calcium that grow on your existing bone tissue. Consuming too much calcium will not directly lead to bone spurs because excess calcium is excreted from the body through the urine. However, excessive calcium can be harmful in other ways, including increased risk of kidney stones.
RDA
The recommended dietary allowance of calcium increases with age. Newborn babies require about 200 mg of calcium per day, which increases to 260 mg by the age of 1. Children between 1 and 3 years old need about 700 mg of calcium per day. As bones continue to grow rapidly between the ages of 4 and 8, 1,000 mg per day is the RDA. The RDA generally remains between 1,000 mg and 1,300 mg per day for older men and women. Adequate consumption of calcium can help to keep bones strong and help reduce the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which can eventually contribute to the growth of bone spurs.
Calcium Sources
Dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and milk are rich in calcium. For example, an 8-oz. glass of nonfat milk contains about 306 mg of calcium. Calcium-fortified cereals and juices are also good sources of calcium, especially for vegetarians who do not eat dairy products. Calcium-fortified cereals often contain as much as 100 percent of your daily value in calcium per bowl. Calcium can also be consumed in supplemental form, most commonly as carbonate or citrate. Talk to your doctor before supplementing calcium in your diet.
Treatment
Treating a bone spur can be difficult in some cases; it's a hard-to-detect problem due to the fact it may not be causing you any pain or symptoms. It's only when bone spurs rub against nerves and other bones that pain may develop. Pain can be controlled by using over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen. Getting rid of bone spurs requires surgery. There's no way to increase or decrease your calcium intake to reduce the risk of developing bone spurs or to treat the problem.
