Although the media often touts the importance of calcium and vitamin D for elderly women, men over the age of 70 also require more of these nutrients than do younger men. Many elderly men find it difficult to meet their calcium and vitamin D requirements through food and must rely on supplements. Always talk to a doctor if you have specific questions or concerns about your dosage of these supplements.
Recommended Dietary Allowance
In November 2010, the Institute of Medicine revised the recommended dietary allowances for calcium and vitamin D. The recommended dietary allowance of calcium for men over 70 years of age is 1,200 mg a day, while the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin D for men of this age group is 800 IU a day. While you should make an effort to get a minimum of this amount through a combination of diet and supplements, it generally is safe to get slightly more as long as you do not exceed the tolerable upper intake levels.
Getting Too Much
The Institute of Medicine cautions people about adopting the "more is better" concept when it comes to calcium and vitamin D intake. Based on the research of the organization, it does not appear that taking amounts larger than recommended has any potential benefits under normal circumstances and may actually cause serious health problems. For example, getting too much calcium may increase the risk of kidney stones, and high levels of vitamin D are known to cause tissue and kidney damage.
Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
The tolerable upper intake levels of calcium and vitamin D were also revised in November 2010. Exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels increases your risk of harm. This risk increases in direct proportion to the amount you take. Men over the age of 70 should not exceed more than 3,000 mg of calcium or 4,000 IU of vitamin D a day unless explicitly instructed to do so by a doctor.
Special Circumstances
While it's true that most people should avoid exceeding the tolerable upper intake levels, there may be some circumstances when doing so is appropriate. Elderly men who are deficient in either of these nutrients may need temporarily to take large doses of these supplements to get their levels back into normal ranges. Some men over the age of 70 may also have medical conditions that interfere with their bodies' ability to absorb these nutrients, such as liver disease or Crohn's disease. These men may need larger amounts to sustain normal levels of these nutrients. Always defer to your doctor's dosing recommendations when deciding how much calcium and vitamin D to take.
Warning
Men over the age of 70 who take prescription or over-the-counter medications on a regular basis should rule out potential drug interactions before taking calcium or vitamin D supplements. Although most people do not experience adverse reactions to calcium or vitamin D supplements as long as they take less than the tolerable upper intake level, experiencing side effects at lower dosages is a possibility. Call your doctor if you notice side effects after taking either of these supplements.
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