Menopause leads to bone loss, caused by reduction in estrogen levels, resorption of the bone --- in which bone is broken down and its minerals released into the blood --- and reduced calcium absorption. At the beginning of menopause, the rate of bone loss can be as high as 5 percent per year, but typically falls to 1 percent or less in women older than 65 years, the Office of Dietary Supplements notes. The rapid reduction in bone loss can lead to osteoporosis and fractures. While hormone replacement therapy can slow bone loss in postmenopausal women, its attendant health risks makes calcium a preferred treatment option. Consult your doctor for help creating an optimal nutrition plan for menopause --- and before taking supplements of any kind.
Why You Need Vitamin D
Your skin manufactures vitamin D after exposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium in the gastrointestinal tract. Since calcium absorption slows during menopause, you should, if your doctor approves, take vitamin D alongside calcium to improve absorption.
Sunscreens with SPF values above 8 will block ultraviolet rays from penetrating the skin and reduce vitamin D production, according to MenopauseRx.com. However, you should always wear sunscreen whenever you are exposed to the sun for more than 15 minutes.
Dietary Sources
There are few food sources of vitamin D; these include fatty fish and fish oil. Milk sold in the United States is typically fortified milk with 400 international units of vitamin D per quart.
Food sources of calcium include dairy products such as milk, cream, cheese and yogurt; cereal products such as bread; fish such as salmons, sardines and tuna; vegetables such as broccoli, kale and spinach; and fruits such as figs, apricots, oranges and currants. Calcium can also be obtained from fortified orange juice and nutritional bars. However, the number of calories a menopausal woman would ingest meeting her required daily calcium intake through diet is too high and would lead to weight gain --- hence the typical need for calcium supplements during menopause.
Selecting Calcium Supplements
Calcium is supplied in supplements as carbonate and citrate salts. The carbonate salt contains 40 percent elemental calcium, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements, and is more common. The citrate salt contains 21 percent elemental calcium and is better absorbed in people with low level of stomach acids. If your doctor recommends that you take a supplement, discuss which is more appropriate for you. You would need to take a higher dose of calcium citrate than calcium carbonate to meet your daily recommended calcium intake; however, calcium citrate is just as well absorbed as the carbonate and causes less of the side effects such as gas, constipation and bloating associated with calcium supplements. To further reduce the incidence of these side effects, take your calcium supplements with meals and in divided doses.
Recomended Daily Dosages
The recommended daily dose of calcium for women undergoing menopause ranges from 1,500 mg for women taking no other medications to address bone loss to 1,000 to 1,200 mg for women undergoing hormone replacement therapy.
Adults through age need 400 IU of vitamin D daily; the recommended daily dose rises to 600 to 800 IU daily for those 61 and older. Calcium supplements are typically formulated to contain the appropriate amount of vitamin D.
Discuss the appropriate supplements and dosage levels with your doctor before adding any to your diet.
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