How Does Calcium Affect A Man's Body?

Recommended nutritional intakes for calcium differ between men and women. Part of this disparity is due to different health risks exclusive to each gender. For women, calcium's protective role in bone health is a factor. For men, however, the link between prostate cancer and and calcium intake is more important.

Calcium Basics

Calcium is found throughout the body for normal function, but mostly in your bones and teeth. Required for bone strength, a lack of calcium in your diet causes bone problems, such as osteoporosis, a condition of porous bones more susceptible to fracture. You must consume calcium from foods such as cheese, milk, eggs, yogurt and green vegetables.

Calcium Recommendations

The Institute of Medicine's recommended dietary allowance for adult men is 1,000 mg of calcium per day, increasing to 1,200 mg after the age of 70. For boys 9 to 18, even more calcium -- 1,300 mg -- are recommended daily. Women and girls have similar dietary allowance recommendations, with one notable exception -- an increase to 1,200 mg of calcium should begin at age 51.

Prostate Cancer and Calcium

According to the the American Cancer Society, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. A link between high calcium consumption and prostate cancer has been found in research studies, but with inconsistent results. A Finnish study cited by Harvard Health Publications noted that a diet with 2,000 mg of calcium or more per day increased the risk for prostate cancer. Another study cited by the National Institutes of Health and AARP, however, found that the link between a dose of 2,000 mg of calcium or more per day diet and prostate disease wasn't statistically significant. The Harvard Medical School Health Guide recommends men err on a safer, moderate side and consume 800 mg of calcium per day.

Calcium and Bone Health

Osteoporosis is a condition commonly associated with low calcium intake, and women over the age of 50 are more at risk for osteoporosis than men. While a diet rich in calcium may lower the risk of osteoporosis in women, men may not reap the same protective benefits. However, both pre-teen and teenage boys and girls should take more calcium because calcium-rich intake during the growing years reduces your risk for osteoporosis later in life.