According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, someone experiences a bone fracture due to osteoporosis approximately every three seconds. A fracture is likely to occur in 33 percent of women over 50 and 20 percent of men. Most people who fracture do not return to their previous level of function. Preventing fractures by promoting lifelong bone health is the best way to avoid these problems. Calcium is an important component of lifelong fracture prevention. The amount of calcium the body needs varies throughout life and dosage changes with age.
Calcium and the Body
Calcium is important for the human body to function properly. The bones and teeth store approximately 99 percent of the calcium in the body. The body doesn't make its own calcium but obtains this important mineral through diet. Calcium is found in foods such as dairy products and green vegetables. People who don't get enough calcium through their diet can use calcium supplements instead. The proper dosage of calcium is different depending on a person's age.
Calcium in Kids
Preventing fractures starts with good bone health in children. Kids need an adequate intake of calcium to develop strong bones that will be less susceptible to fractures as they age. Infants need less than 300 mg of calcium daily, but toddlers up to age 3 should get 500 mg daily. Pre-teens and teenagers up through age 18 are recommended to get 1,300 mg of calcium daily.
Calcium in Adults
From age 19 up to age 50, the recommended dosage of calcium is 1,000 mg. This does not change for women during pregnancy or while breast-feeding. Proper calcium dosing is important for fracture prevention during these years as bone development begins decreasing at approximately age 30.
Calcium After Age 50
Recommendations increase the calcium dosage to 1,200 mg today at age 50 and up. Bone loss begins occurring, particularly in women after menopause. The proper dosage of calcium at this age is somewhat controversial. A 2010 Women's Health editorial discusses a Finnish study using nearly 600 women over 65 taking 1,200 mg of calcium daily that showed only a moderate improvement in bone density. The 2006 Women's Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" involved more than 36,000 women. Results showed a decrease in hip fractures with 1,000 mg calcium and 400 IU vitamin D daily. Women who were consistent with their calcium dosing experienced a 29 percent decrease in hip fractures.
Calcium for Fracture Prevention
Calcium is an important mineral for the body and bones. Ensuring the proper intake of calcium at each age is important in preventing bone fractures. Current recommendations for dosage should be followed, although ongoing research studies may offer new information in the future.
References
- Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report From the Surgeon General
- International Osteoporosis Foundation: Facts and Statistics
- National Osteoporosis Foundation: Calcium
- "Women's Health"; Calcium and Vitamin D in Promotion of Postmenopausal Bone Health; Risto Honkanen; 2010
- "New England Journal of Medicine"; Calcium Plus Vitamin D Supplementation and the Risk of Fractures; Rebecca Jackson et al.; February 2006
