Calcium

    Researchedby:
    Kamal Patel
    Last Updated: September 28, 2022

    Calcium is a dietary macromineral found in high amounts in dairy products, and to a lesser extent in vegetables. Used primarily to support bone health, calcium also has a role in maternal and cardiovascular health.

    Calcium is most often used for .

    14,859 participants in 17 trials and 1 meta-analysis

    Summary

    Calcium is one of the 24 vitamins and minerals required for good health in the human body. It is a macromineral due to the relatively large amounts required in the diet (at times exceeding a gram a day) and is predominately found in dairy products and vegetables. Similar to many other nutrients, calcium does follow the general advice of "if the diet is sufficient in calcium then supplementation is unnecessary" and excessive intakes of calcium do not promote greater benefits to health and may simply promote constipation.

    The major benefit of calcium is preventative, mitigating the risk of developing osteoporosis during the aging process. Osteoporosis can be at least partially seen as a condition resulting from long-term calcium insufficiency and, while not fully preventative, maintaining adequate calcium intake throughout life is associated with significantly reduced risk.

    Calcium can come from any source be it supplementation, food, or even food-derivatives such as whey protein. Each form does have their benefits and drawbacks, such as coral calcium technically being better absorbed than calcium carbonate, but due to calcium's ability to be absorbed at all points in the intestine the issue of calcium absorption is one that is greatly influenced by the diet. Diets high in fermentable fibers (usually found in vegetables) and high enough in bulk and fiber to slow the rate at which food passes through the intestines increase calcium absorption; simply taking a calcium supplement on top of a low fiber/low bulk diet will not be as effective as consuming the calcium through dairy or even vegetables.

    What are other names for Calcium

    Note that Calcium is also known as:
    • Ca2+
    • Ca
    • Coral Calcium

    Dosage information

    Supplementing calcium should be done in accordance with your overall intake of calcium from the diet, in an attempt to get as close to the recommended daily intake (RDI) as possible. This intake is:

    • 700 mg for those 1-3 years of age
    • 1,000 mg for those 4-8 years of age, as well as for adults between the ages of 19-50
    • 1,300 mg for those between the ages of 9 and 18
    • 1,200 mg for adults over the age of 71 and for females above the age of 50 (males between the ages of 50-70 only require 1,000 mg)

    Calcium from all sources, including dairy-derived protein supplements such as whey protein or casein protein should be included and there is no specific timing of calcium supplements required. They can be taken at any point in the day, although preferably with a meal to aid in absorption.

    Examine Database: Calcium

    Premenstrual Syndrome
    Primary Dysmenorrhea
    General Cardiovascular Health
    Digestive Health
    Offspring Health
    Preeclampsia
    High Blood Pressure
    Bone Health
    General Gut Health
    Hormone Health
    Infant Health
    Metabolic Health
    Muscle Size & Strength
    General Athletic Performance

    Research FeedRead all studies

    Examine Database References

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    3. PMS Symptoms - Penland JG, Johnson PEDietary calcium and manganese effects on menstrual cycle symptomsAm J Obstet Gynecol.(1993 May)
    4. Lipid Absorption - Govers MJ, Termont DS, Lapré JA, Kleibeuker JH, Vonk RJ, Van der Meer RCalcium in milk products precipitates intestinal fatty acids and secondary bile acids and thus inhibits colonic cytotoxicity in humansCancer Res.(1996 Jul 15)
    5. Fecal Bile Acids - Ditscheid B, Keller S, Jahreis GFaecal steroid excretion in humans is affected by calcium supplementation and shows gender-specific differencesEur J Nutr.(2009 Feb)
    6. Bone Mineral Density - Agustina Malpeli, María Apezteguia, José L Mansur, Alicia Armanini, Melisa Macías Couret, Rosa Villalobos, Marta Kuzminczuk, Horacio F GonzalezCalcium supplementation, bone mineral density and bone mineral content. Predictors of bone mass changes in adolescent mothers during the 6-month postpartum periodArch Latinoam Nutr.(2012 Mar)
    7. Testosterone - Vedat Cinar, Abdulkerim Kasim Baltaci, Rasim Mogulkoc, Mehmet KilicTestosterone levels in athletes at rest and exhaustion: effects of calcium supplementationBiol Trace Elem Res.(Summer 2009)
    8. PMS Symptoms - Shobeiri F, Araste FE, Ebrahimi R, Jenabi E, Nazari MEffect of calcium on premenstrual syndrome: A double-blind randomized clinical trialObstet Gynecol Sci.(2017 Jan)
    9. PMS Symptoms - Ghanbari Z, Haghollahi F, Shariat M, Foroshani AR, Ashrafi MEffects of calcium supplement therapy in women with premenstrual syndromeTaiwan J Obstet Gynecol.(2009 Jun)
    10. PMS Symptoms - Thys-Jacobs S, Starkey P, Bernstein D, Tian JCalcium carbonate and the premenstrual syndrome: effects on premenstrual and menstrual symptoms. Premenstrual Syndrome Study GroupAm J Obstet Gynecol.(1998 Aug)
    11. PMS Symptoms - Sutariya S, Talsania N, Shah C, Patel M.An interventional study (calcium supplementation & health education) on premenstrual syndrome - effect on premenstrual and menstrual symptomsNat J Com Med.()
    12. PMS Symptoms - Mandana Z, Azar AComparison of the Effect of Vit E, VitB6, Calcium and Omega-3 on the Treatment of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Clinical Randomized TrialAnnu Res Rev Biol.()
    13. PMS Symptoms - Samieipour, s, et alEFFECT OF CALCIUM AND VITAMIN B1 ON THE SEVERITY OF PREMENSTRUAL SYNDROME: A RANDOMIZED CONTROL TRIALInt J Pharm Tech.()
    14. PMS Symptoms - Thys-Jacobs S, Ceccarelli S, Bierman A, Weisman H, Cohen MA, Alvir JCalcium supplementation in premenstrual syndrome: a randomized crossover trialJ Gen Intern Med.(1989 May-Jun)
    15. Blood Pressure - Crowther CA, Hiller JE, Pridmore B, Bryce R, Duggan P, Hague WM, Robinson JSCalcium supplementation in nulliparous women for the prevention of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia and preterm birth: an Australian randomized trial. FRACOG and the ACT Study GroupAust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol.(1999 Feb)
    16. Pre-Eclampsia Risk - Villar J, Abdel-Aleem H, Merialdi M, Mathai M, Ali MM, Zavaleta N, Purwar M, Hofmeyr J, Nguyen TN, Campódonico L, Landoulsi S, Carroli G, Lindheimer M, World Health Organization Calcium Supplementation for the Prevention of Preeclampsia Trial GroupWorld Health Organization randomized trial of calcium supplementation among low calcium intake pregnant womenAm J Obstet Gynecol.(2006 Mar)
    17. Pre-Eclampsia Risk - Sibai BM, Ewell M, Levine RJ, Klebanoff MA, Esterlitz J, Catalano PM, Goldenberg RL, Joffe GRisk factors associated with preeclampsia in healthy nulliparous women. The Calcium for Preeclampsia Prevention (CPEP) Study GroupAm J Obstet Gynecol.(1997 Nov)
    18. Pre-Eclampsia Risk - Hofmeyr GJ, Lawrie TA, Atallah AN, Duley L, Torloni MRCalcium supplementation during pregnancy for preventing hypertensive disorders and related problemsCochrane Database Syst Rev.(2014 Jun 24)