Maintaining Sugar Free Diets

5 Facts About Calcium You Need for a Healthy Life

Before we continue, let us answer this question. How much calcium do you need? – See the table below:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnant	Lactating
0–6 months*	200 mg	200 mg
7–12 months*	260 mg	260 mg
1–3 years	700 mg	700 mg
4–8 years	1,000 mg	1,000 mg
9–13 years	1,300 mg	1,300 mg
14–18 years	1,300 mg	1,300 mg	1,300 mg	1,300 mg
19–50 years	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg	1,000 mg
51–70 years	1,000 mg	1,200 mg
71+ years	1,200 mg	1,200 mg

* Adequate Intake (AI)

Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/

1)    Calcium is an Essential Mineral for a Strong and Healthy Bone

Bones are fortified with calcium. Calcium is needed in the body for the development of stronger and healthy bones and teeth. It supports the body structure and helps the body to have a better bone density.

2)    Calcium is Absorbed Best When Taken in Amounts in the Range of 500 – 600 mg or Less:

Calcium is better absorbed in smaller dose (500mg or less) this is because our body cannot absorb more than 500mg at a time.

3)    Take Calcium Supplement with Vitamin D for Fast and Easy Absorption:

Calcium and Vitamin D works together. While calcium helps in making the bones healthier, Vitamin D helps the body to effectively absorb calcium. The amount of Vitamin D needed varies from age to age. For those under 50 years, the recommended amount is 400 – 800 IU daily while ages of 50 and above need 800 – 1,000 IU daily.

4)    Calcium Does not Only Protect Your Bones, it Helps in Other Muscle Functions:

The heart, muscle or nerves need calcium for their normal functions. The muscles of the body and cardiac muscles all need calcium for muscle contraction.

5)    Most Calcium Supplements Come in Two Varieties – Calcium Carbonate and Calcium Citrate

Calcium carbonate contains more elemental calcium compared to calcium citrate (calcium carbonate contains 40% of elemental calcium while calcium citrate contains 24%), but calcium citrate can be absorbed by the body even in an empty stomach. Calcium carbonate needs food (not high fat food) for a better absorption – this is because, calcium needs acidic environment for its absorption.