From the Guidelines
The recommended dose of calcium supplements for osteoporosis prevention is 1200 mg per day for women older than 50 and men older than 70, and 1000 mg per day for women 19 to 50 years old and men 19 to 70 years old 1.
Key Considerations
- Dietary intake: Consumption of calcium-rich foods and beverages is the preferred approach to ensuring adequate calcium intake 1.
- Supplementation: Calcium supplements should be considered when dietary intake is inadequate, but there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine calcium supplementation in community-dwelling adults 1.
- Safety: Calcium supplements usually have few side effects, although constipation and bloating are common, and nephrolithiasis occurs infrequently 1.
- Cardiovascular risk: Recent studies have raised concern about an increased cardiovascular risk with the use of calcium supplements, but the findings are inconsistent and inconclusive 1.
Important Details
- The upper limit of calcium intake is 2500 mg per day (2000 mg per day in persons >50 years of age) 1.
- Vitamin D supplementation is often considered in conjunction with calcium, but the USPSTF recommends vitamin D supplementation (median dose of 800 IU) to prevent falls in community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older who are at increased risk for falls 1.
From the Research
Recommended Dose of Calcium Supplements
The recommended daily intake of calcium varies between 700 and 1200mg of elemental calcium, depending on the endorsing source 2.
Benefits and Risks of Calcium Supplements
- Calcium supplements may have a negative risk-benefit effect and should not be used routinely in the prevention or treatment of osteoporosis 3
- Excessive intake of calcium, defined as higher than 2000mg/day, can be potentially harmful 2
- Calcium supplements may increase the incidence of kidney stones 4
- There is no consistent evidence that calcium supplementation at, or above, recommended levels reduces fracture risk 2
Target Population for Calcium Supplementation
- Supplementation should be targeted on individuals at high risk of fracture or in whom calcium and vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent 5
- A daily dose of 1,000-1,200 mg calcium and 800 IU vitamin D is recommended in elderly or institutionalised people, patients with established osteoporosis and individuals on glucocorticoids 5
Current Guidelines and Recommendations
- The USPSTF recommends against daily supplementation with 400 IU or less of vitamin D and 1000 mg or less of calcium for the primary prevention of fractures in community-dwelling, postmenopausal women 4
- The USPSTF found inadequate evidence to estimate the benefits of vitamin D, calcium, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures in community-dwelling men and premenopausal women 4