Calcium how much

Vitamin D is made in the skin through exposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. However, the amount produced varies widely from person to person. People with darker skin produce less vitamin D than lighter-skinned people, and in all populations, the skin's ability to convert sunlight to vitamin D declines with age.

Plus, if you follow the advice to reduce your risk of skin cancer by keeping covered and wearing sunscreen, you're also cutting your vitamin D production. Such variability has made it difficult for researchers to tell how much vitamin D people make in addition to the amount they consume in supplements. Evidence from studies that have measured blood levels of vitamin D indicates that levels in the high-normal range are optimal for building bone.

To reach those levels may require taking to 1, IU of vitamin D a day. One thing the studies have taught us is that both calcium and vitamin D are essential in building bone. The question is how much of each. Willett recommends going lower on calcium and higher on vitamin D than the guidelines suggest— to mg a day of calcium and to 1, IU of vitamin D.

At that rate, you can probably get all or most of your calcium from food, especially if you have a serving or two of dairy products daily. If you can't tolerate dairy, you should still be able to get mg a day in your diet and can take a low-dose calcium supplement to make up the rest.

By keeping your supplement consumption to mg or less a day, you should avoid the possible risk of heart disease and kidney stones suggested by the studies. Although vitamin D is added to milk and some other foods, you'll probably need a supplement to be sure you're getting enough. A capsule containing to 1, IU should do the trick. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.

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Caring for an aging parent? Tips for enjoying holiday meals. Many people don't get enough calcium, actually. But the good news is that this can often be corrected with dietary changes, especially in those younger people who might be lacking. They drink milk! And we should, too. But what about getting too much calcium? It's an especially relevant question for people who struggle to get enough calcium in their diet and wonder whether they should take supplements.

Can calcium supplements ever do more harm than good? The average adult needs 1, mg of calcium per day. The amount increases to 1, mg per day for women over the age of 50 and men over the age of There's some disagreement, however, surrounding recommendations.

Some experts say that 1, mg is higher than what the body actually needs. While a few studies have shown that increased calcium intake helps maintain optimal calcium balance and prevent fractures in postmenopausal women, several others fail to show a clear connection to fracture prevention and increased bone density.

Brown says. Brown adds. You should be able to get all the calcium you need by eating a varied and balanced diet.

If you take calcium supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful. Page last reviewed: 03 August Next review due: 03 August Calcium has several important functions.