Diet & Nutrition
Healthy eating begins with learning how to "eat smart"—it’s not just what you eat, but how you eat.
Your food choices can reduce your risk of illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, as well
increase your energy, stabilize your weight, and boost your mood.
Calcium and Your Bones
Calcium-Rich Foods, Vitamins, and Supplements for Strong Bones
Calcium is one of the key nutrients that your body needs in order to stay strong and healthy. It is
an essential building block for lifelong bone health in both men and women, among many other
important functions. Because calcium has so many important jobs, it’s important to get enough
of it in your diet.
The amount of calcium you need depends on a number of different factors, including your age.
But no matter who you are, one thing’s true for everyone: you and your bones will benefit from
eating plenty of calcium-rich foods, limiting foods that deplete your body’s calcium stores, and
getting your daily dose of magnesium and vitamins D and K—nutrients that help calcium do its
job.
0-6 months 210 milligrams / day
7-12 months 270 milligrams / day
1-3 years 500 milligrams / day
4-8 years 800 milligrams / day
9-18 years 1,300 milligrams / day
19-50 years 1,000 milligrams / day
50+ years 1,200 milligrams / day
Calcium can seem confusing. How much should you get? Where should you get it? And what’s
the deal with vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin K? But once you understand the basics, it’s not
that hard to include it in your diet and get the calcium you need.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body, one that plays many vital roles. Your body
uses it to build healthy bones and teeth, keep them strong as you age, send messages through the
nervous system, help your blood clot, and regulate the heart’s rhythm, among other things.
Your body gets the calcium it needs in one of two ways. The first and best way is through the
foods you eat or the supplements you take. However, if you’re not consuming enough calcium,
your body will get it in a different way, pulling it from your bones where it’s stored. That’s why
diet is key.
Getting enough calcium in your diet is particularly important when you’re under the age of 30
and still building bone mass. Making smart choices now will help you avoid serious bone loss
later in life. But no matter your age, you can take steps to protect your bones and put the brakes
on osteoporosis.
The calcium and osteoporosis connection
Osteoporosis is a “silent” disease characterized by loss of bone mass. Due to weakened bones,
fractures become commonplace, which leads to serious health risks such as the inability to walk.
People with osteoporosis often don’t recover after a fall and it is the second most common cause
of death in women, mostly women age 60 and older. Men are also at risk of developing
osteoporosis, but typically 5 to 10 years later than women. Fortunately, osteoporosis is
preventable for most people, and getting enough calcium in your diet is the first place to start.
Food is the best source of calcium
Your body is able to absorb more calcium from food than it can from supplements. In fact,
studies show that even though people who take calcium supplements have a higher average daily
intake, those who get most of their calcium from food have stronger bones. On top of the better
absorption rates, calcium from food often comes with other beneficial nutrients that help calcium
do its job.