Calcium Supplement Recommendations For Postmenopausal Women

Bone health should be a concern of everyone who wants to live a long and healthy life. Careful attention to proper calcium intake, which directly affects skeletal health, is a larger concern to women than men. This is primarily because of the bone mineral density loss that occurs before, during and after menopause. Consult your doctor before consuming large amounts of calcium supplements.

Menopause and Calcium Levels

Numerous scientific studies have proven that sufficient amino acids and minerals, including calcium, are indispensable in bone formation and maturation and the minimizing of bone loss later in life. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, calcium combined with vitamin D is vital to reducing bone loss in menopausal and postmenopausal women. Unfortunately, our bodies conserve calcium poorly, and calcium is lost from our bodies daily through our hair, nails, skin and perspiration.

Exercise

Exercise, especially resistance training, is vitally important in building and maintaining bone density. However, vigorous activity must be supplemented with additional calcium to replace what is lost through perspiration. During strenuous exercise, this can be more than double the normal amount of calcium loss. Always check with a professional before starting a new exercise program to make sure that you are exercising safely.

Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements

Most people do not absorb sufficient calcium through their diet alone. Calcium losses are steady, leaving the skeletal reserves as the body's only remaining source. The loss of bone mineral content can lead to a number of illnesses or injury due to osteoporosis. The solution to good bone health is to find the right balance of exercise along with calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Seek the advice of a health care professional in this area. Calcium must be combined with vitamin D for proper absorption, so look for a supplement or multivitamin that contains adequate portions of both. The preferred form is calcium citrate; this can be taken without food. If you choose calcium carbonate, make sure to take it with a meal to ensure proper absorption.

Calcium Dosage Recommendations

The National Institute of Health recommends a calcium supplement of 1,000 mg daily for postmenopausal women under 65 who take estrogen and 1,500 mg daily for those who do not. This dosage will reinforce your youthful bone mineral health and help in preventing bone loss, osteoporosis and fractures. To put that number into perspective, the average intake for postmenopausal women in the United States is 600 mg daily. Taking calcium with vitamin D is recommended, as it has been shown to further reduce fractures in older adults.