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As a chiropractor, patients often ask me bone or joint-related questions. One concern that often comes up is, “Am I taking enough calcium?” or “Am I taking too much?”
For many years, the common public perception was the more calcium you took the better. However, in recent years, increasing evidence indicates that more calcium is not better. Assuming that many women will get about 700 mg a day from dietary sources alone, many women may require no more than an additional 500-600 mg a day from calcium supplements. In contrast, many women are taking a very high dose of calcium, often 1200-1500 mg a day just from the supplements alone, and this could lead to very high total intake. (see full article)
Recommended Daily Amounts of Calcium
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnant | Lactating |
| 0-6 months* | 200mg | 200mg | ||
| 7-12 months* | 260mg | 260mg | ||
| 1-3 years | 700mg | 700mg | ||
| 4-8 years | 1000mg | 1000mg | ||
| 9-13 years | 1300mg | 1300mg | ||
| 14-18 years | 1300mg | 1300mg | 1300mg | 1300mg |
| 19-50 years | 1000mg | 1000mg | 1000mg | 1000mg |
| 51-70 years | 1000mg | 1200mg | ||
| 71+ years | 1200mg | 1200mg |
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (formerly National Academy of Sciences)
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