MORE CALCIUM ISN’T BETTER!

When someone is diagnosed with osteoporosis, there is often a tendency to take more calcium. Getting enough calcium is important, but more isn’t necessarily better! The recommendation for people with low bone density is to aim for a total of 1200mg of calcium a day. It is ideal to get 1200mg of calcium from the diet (see here for the amount in certain foods) and only take calcium supplements if you need more. For example, the average American gets about 800mg of calcium a day from their diet. So taking 400mg of calcium supplements would be perfect.

(Patients with kidney disease, hyperparathyroidism, kidney stones, or other conditions that affect calcium should talk to their provider about how much calcium is right for them.)