Calcium, vitamin D, and your bones
Your body needs calcium to keep your bones dense and strong.Low bone density can cause your bones to become brittle and fragile. These weak bones can fracture (break) easily, even without an obvious injury.
Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. Eat foods that provide the right amounts of calcium, vitamin D, and protein. This kind of diet will give your body the building blocks it needs to make and maintain strong bones.
How Much Calcium and Vitamin D Do I Need?
All adults under age 50 should have:
- 1,000 mg of calcium daily
- 400 - 800 IU of vitamin D daily
Adults age 51 and older should have:
- Women -- 1,200 mg of calcium daily
- Men -- 1,000 mg of calcium daily
- Men and women -- 800 - 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily
Calcium and Dairy Products
Dairy products are the best source of calcium. Milk and dairy products -- such as yogurt, cheeses, and buttermilk -- contain a form of calcium that your body can absorb easily.
Adults should choosereduced fat(2% or 1%) or skim milk and other lower fat dairy products. Removing some of the fat does not lower the amount of calcium in a dairy product.
- Yogurt, most cheeses, and buttermilk come in low-fat or fat-free versions.
- Vitamin Dhelps your body use calcium, the reason vitamin D is added to milk.
If you eat very few or no dairy products, you can find calcium in other foods. It is added to some orange juice, soy milk, tofu, ready-to-eat cereals, and breads. Check the labels on these foods for calcium.
Other Sources of Calcium
Green leafy vegetables -- such as broccoli, collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and bok choy (Chinese cabbage) -- are good sources of calcium.
Other foods that can help you get enough calcium are:
- Salmon and sardines that are canned with their bones (you can eat these soft bones)
- Almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, tahini (sesame paste), and dried beans
- Blackstrap molasses
Other tips to make sure your body can use the calcium in your diet:
- Cook high-calcium vegetables in a small amount of water for the shortest possible time. They will keep more calcium this way.
- Be careful about what you eat with calcium-rich foods. Certain fibers, such as wheat brain and foods with oxalic acid (spinach and rhubarb), can prevent your body from absorbing calcium.
Your doctor may recommend a calcium or vitamin D supplement for the calcium and vitamin D you need.
Alternate Names
Osteoporosis - calcium; Osteoporosis - low bone density
References
Lewiecki EM. In the clinic. Osteoporosis. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Jul 5;155(1):ITC1-1-15;quiz ITC1-16.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. Clinician's Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis. Washington, DC: National Osteoporosis Foundation; 2010.
Update Date: 5/17/2012
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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