•  Lactose Intolerance FAQ •  Osteoporosis

Calcium is famous as a building material for bones and teeth, but you also need it to keep your heart and nerves in working order. If you're not getting enough of the mineral from outside sources, your body will steal it back from your skeleton, which can eventually lead to osteoporosis. Since you start losing bone density around age 35 anyway, this is a real threat. Fortunately, it's never too late to take action. No matter what your age, boosting your calcium can help you hold on to what you have and even rebuild a little. Getting the full recommended amount can reduce your risk of preeclampsia during pregnancy (a condition that can lead to miscarriage and even death) and may reduce your risk of colon cancer and help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. What's more, research shows that it may be one of the best things you can do to relieve the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. When 230 women with PMS took 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day for three months, they reported that symptoms such as pain, food cravings, mood swings, and water retention had diminished by half. Researchers suspect that low calcium levels cause the body to secrete PMS-causing hormones.

The recommended daily amount is 1,000 mg if you're between ages 19 and 50 years old, and 1,200 mg a day if you're over 50. Keep in mind, too, that your bones will be more likely to hang on to the mineral if you're exercising. Regular weight-bearing activities such as running, walking, or jumping rope, combined with strength training, put a kind of stress on the bones that makes them much more likely to retain calcium. Vitamin D is also important to ensure proper absorption of calcium.

By eating more dairy foods. An 8-ounce glass of milk gives you 300 mg, almost a third of what you need for the day. So does a cup of yogurt or a thick slice of cheese, and low or nonfat versions deliver just as much if not more than their fattier counterparts. If you can't stomach dairy, calcium-fortified orange, grapefruit, and apple juice contain just as much as milk does. In fact, all kinds of foods are now being fortified with the mineral, including a wide range of breakfast cereals. After that, you're looking at tofu (the kind made with calcium sulfate, 435 mg per half cup), broccoli (180 mg per cup), and a few other foods that some people rarely touch such as figs, sardines, and kale.

Probably, but look to your diet first. Milk's big advantage is that it contains other nutrients that work in concert with calcium, such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin D. Realistically, though, most women could use a supplement. Calcium is a bulky mineral, so you won't find much in multi-vitamins. Over-the-counter antacids such as Tums EX are a good source at 300 mg each, as long as you don't exceed the recommended dosage. Or try chewable calcium supplements; one called Viactiv contains 500 mg of calcium and comes in a variety of flavors. Avoid supplements made from unrefined bone meal, dolomite, or oyster shell, especially if you're pregnant or nursing, since they may contain small amounts of lead.

Government researchers have set the safe upper limit at 2,500 mg a day, but there's little chance you'll ever get there.

References

First published September 5, 1998
Last updated December 19, 2008
Copyright © 1998 Consumer Health Interactive and OneBody, Inc.

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