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What is Calcium and What Does it Do?A calcium-rich diet (including dairy, nuts, leafy greens and fish) helps to build and protect your bones. Calcium is a mineral that is necessary for life. In addition to building bones and keeping them healthy, calcium enables our blood to clot, our muscles to contract, and our heart to beat. About 99% of the calcium in our bodies is in our bones and teeth. Every day, we lose calcium through our skin, nails, hair, sweat, urine and feces. Our bodies cannot produce its own calcium. That’s why it’s important to get enough calcium from the food we eat. When we don’t get the calcium our body needs, it is taken from our bones. This is fine once in a while, but if it happens too often, bones get weak and easier to break. Too many Americans fall short of getting the amount of calcium they need every day and that can lead to bone loss, low bone density and even broken bones. How Much Calcium Do You Need?The amount of calcium you need every day depends on your age and sex.
*This includes the total amount of calcium you get from food and supplements. How Much Calcium Do You Eat?Use the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s Calcium Calculator to find out. Sources of CalciumCalcium-Rich Food SourcesFood is the best source of calcium. Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese are high in calcium. Certain green vegetables and other foods contain calcium in smaller amounts. Some juices, breakfast foods, soymilk, cereals, snacks, breads and bottled water have added calcium. If you drink soymilk or another liquid that is fortified with calcium, be sure to shake the container well as calcium can settle to the bottom. A simple way to add calcium to many foods is to add a single tablespoon of nonfat powdered milk, which contains about 50 mg of calcium. It is easy to add a few tablespoons to almost any recipe. Reading Food Labels – How Much Calcium Am I Getting?To determine how much calcium is in a particular food, check the nutrition facts panel for the daily value (DV). Food labels list calcium as a percentage of the DV. This amount is based on 1,000 mg of calcium per day. For example:
Calcium SupplementsThe amount of calcium you need from a supplement depends on how much you get from food. Try to get the daily amount recommended from food and only supplement as needed to make up any shortfall. In general, you shouldn’t take supplements that you don’t need. If you get enough calcium from foods, don’t take a supplement. There is no added benefit to taking more calcium than you need. Doing so may even carry some risks. Calcium supplements are available without a prescription in a wide range of preparations (including chewable and liquid) and in different amounts. The best supplement is the one that meets your needs for convenience, cost, and availability. When choosing a supplement, keep the following in mind:
What is Vitamin D and What Does it Do?Vitamin D plays an important role in protecting your bones, both by helping your body absorb calcium and by supporting muscles needed to avoid falls. Children need vitamin D to build strong bones, and adults need it to keep their bones strong and healthy. If you don’t get enough vitamin D, you’re more likely to break bones as you age. How Much Vitamin D Do You Need?
**Some people need more vitamin D. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), the safe upper limit of vitamin D is 4,000 IU per day for most adults. Sources of Vitamin DThere are three ways to get vitamin D:
SunlightYour skin makes vitamin D in reaction to sunlight and stores it in fat for later use. How much vitamin D your skin can produce depends on time of day, season, latitude, skin pigmentation, age, and other factors. There are many reasons people do not have enough vitamin D. As we age, our skin loses its ability to generate vitamin D. People who live in cities or in institutional settings like nursing homes spend too little time outdoors. Even people who spend time outdoors often use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer. Sunscreen with an SPF as low as 8 reduces vitamin D production by 95 percent. Vitamin D in FoodVitamin D is found in very few foods. Sources include fatty fish like wild-caught mackerel, salmon, and tuna. Vitamin D is added to milk and other dairy products, orange juice, soymilk, and fortified cereals. Check the food label to see if vitamin D has been added to a particular product. One eight-ounce serving of milk usually has 25% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin D. The DV is based on a total daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D. So, a serving of milk with 25% of the DV of vitamin D contains 100 IU. It is very difficult to get all the vitamin D you need from food alone. Most people must take vitamin D supplements to get enough to support bone health. Vitamin D SupplementsIf you aren’t getting enough vitamin D from sunlight and food, consider taking a supplement. Before adding a vitamin D supplement, check to see if any of the other supplements, multivitamins, or medications you take contain vitamin D. Many calcium supplements also contain vitamin D. There are two types of vitamin D supplements. They are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Both types are good for bone health. Vitamin D supplements can be taken with or without food and the full amount can be taken at one time. While your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium, you do not need to take vitamin D at the same time as a calcium supplement. If you need help choosing a vitamin D supplement, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist to recommend one. How Much Vitamin D Should You Supplement?To figure out how much vitamin D you need from a supplement, subtract the total amount of vitamin D you get each day from the recommended total daily amount for your age. For example, a 55-year-old woman who gets 400 IU of vitamin D from her calcium supplement should take between 400 and 600 additional IU of vitamin D to meet the 800 – 1,000 IU recommended for her age. Vitamin D Deficiency: Are You at Risk?Vitamin D deficiency occurs when you are not getting the recommended level of vitamin D over time. Certain people are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency, including:
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have any of these risk factors. If you have osteoporosis and also have a vitamin D deficiency, your healthcare provider may temporarily prescribe a high dose of vitamin D to bring you up to a healthy level. A Guide to Calcium-Rich FoodsWe all know that milk is a great source of calcium, but you may be surprised by all the different foods you can work into your diet to reach your daily recommended amount of calcium. Use the guide below to get ideas of additional calcium-rich foods to add to your weekly shopping list.
*The calcium content listed for most foods is estimated and can vary due to multiple factors. Check the food label to determine how much calcium is in a particular product. Last Reviewed 02/26/2018 How much calcium and vitamin D should I take if I have osteopenia?But many people try a number of nutritional supplements and herbs before they have a fracture to build stronger bones. The main ones are calcium and vitamin D supplements. Most adults should get between 1,000 and 1,200 milligrams of calcium and 600 to 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D every day.
What kind of calcium should I take for osteopenia?The two most commonly used calcium products are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate supplements dissolve better in an acid environment, so they should be taken with a meal. Calcium citrate supplements can be taken any time because they do not need acid to dissolve.
What type of vitamin D is best for osteopenia?The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) recommends an intake of 800 to 1000 international units (IU) of vitamin D3 per day for adults over age 50 (NOF 2008).
What is the best calcium and vitamin D for osteoporosis?22 Best Calcium Supplements for Osteoporosis in 2022. Elm & Rye Calcium Supplement.. New Chapter Bone Strength Take Care™ Tiny Tabs™. 1MD Nutrition OsteoMD®. Life Extension Bone Restore with Vitamin K2.. Puritan's Pride Absorbable Calcium 1200 mg Plus Vitamin D3 25 mcg.. Nature Made Calcium 600 Mg With Vitamin D3 Softgels.. |