Calcium and Vitamin D
The Importance of Calcium
Calcium has many jobs in your body: it helps muscles contract (including
your heart!), helps blood clot, sends nerve messages, and keeps bones
strong. In fact, 99% of the calcium in your body is in your bones and teeth.
You must eat calcium every day; otherwise your body will take it from your
bones. Over time, this will cause you to have fragile bones that break easily.
Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones lose calcium and become weak.
People with osteoporosis have a higher risk of fractures, developing kyphosis
(i.e., a “hump back”), and losing height. Some people are at higher risk for
osteoporosis.
Factors you cannot Factors you can control:
control: ➢ Not enough calcium and vitamin D in your
➢ Being female diet
➢ Post-menopausal ➢ Not enough fruits and vegetables in your
➢ Over age 50 diet
➢ Family history ➢ Not enough exercise
➢ Small bone frame ➢ Smoking and drinking alcohol
and/or lean build ➢ Losing weight if you are overweight
Recommended Calcium Intake
How much calcium you need depends mainly on your age and gender. If you
are keeping track of your calcium intake, don’t forget to count food sources
and calcium in supplements.
Women under 50: 1000 mg daily Men under 70: 1000 mg daily
Women over 50: 1200 mg daily Men over 70: 1200 mg daily
Calcium Content of Foods
Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese are rich in calcium and also
tend to be the best absorbed sources. There are also some good non-dairy
sources.
CH 2024
Food Serving Calcium
Size Content* (mg)
Plain yogurt (NOT Greek) 1 cup 400
Calcium fortified orange juice 1 cup 350
Milk 1 cup 300
String cheese 1 stick 200
Feta cheese, crumbled ¼ cup 185
Kidney beans ½ cup 180
Collard greens (cooked) ½ cup 175
Low fat cottage cheese 1 cup 150
Spinach (cooked) ½ cup 120
Frozen yogurt ½ cup 105
Turnip greens (cooked) ½ cup 100
Edamame 1 cup 70
Broccoli spears (cooked) ½ cup 45
Soy milk** 1 cup Up to 350; varies widely by brand
Fortified cereals 1 serving Up to 1000; varies widely by brand
*Calcium content of foods may vary; read labels to determine the actual calcium
content of a certain food.
** The nutrient content of soy milk varies greatly depending on the manufacturing
process and whether the product is fortified.
The Importance of Vitamin D
You cannot absorb the calcium you eat without enough vitamin D. Vitamin D
is called “the sunshine vitamin” because under some conditions, your body
can make enough of it if you expose your skin to the sun. However, this
depends on the time of the year, where you live, your skin color, and if you
are wearing sunscreen. Many people don’t spend enough time with their skin
exposed to the sun to get enough vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also found in a few foods: mainly dairy products that have been
fortified, egg yolks, and fatty fish like salmon and herring. Many foods are
now fortified with calcium and vitamin D, too. Breakfast cereals, orange
juice, breakfast bars, soy milk, tofu, and even some margarine now contain
added calcium or calcium plus vitamin D.
If you don’t eat enough vitamin D foods and if you do not get enough
sunlight exposure, you may need a vitamin D supplement. Ask your doctor
and/or Registered Dietitian.
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Recommended Vitamin D Intake
Age group Vitamin D (IU)
Infants (up to 12 months) 400
Children & adults 600
ages 1-70
Adults over age 70 800
Select Food Sources of Vitamin D
Food Serving size Vitamin D
(IU)
Salmon, pink, canned (without skin & bones) 3 oz 480
Fortified milk (skim, low fat, whole, or soy) 1 cup 100-120
Fortified breakfast cereals (check labels) 1 oz 40-50
Egg with yolk 1 large 40
Cheddar cheese 1 oz 7
Other Considerations
Some people may benefit from higher doses of calcium and vitamin D. Ask
your physician and/or Registered Dietitian about how much you should be
getting:
➢ If you are a post-menopausal woman
➢ If you have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, gastric
bypass, or nutrient malabsorption
➢ If you are taking corticosteroid or certain antibiotic medications
(“steroids”)
You may also want to ask your doctor whether you need a bone density
study if you have any of these conditions.
Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements
If you are unable to get enough calcium through diet alone, calcium
supplements are available. The most common types of calcium supplements
are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate is more
commonly available and less expensive. Calcium is best absorbed in doses of
500 mg or less and when taken with meals. If you need to take more than
500 mg per day, consider taking several smaller doses throughout the day.
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Because they work together, many calcium supplements come with some
vitamin D. Vitamin D also commonly comes in multivitamin supplements as
well as alone in higher doses. Ask your doctor or Registered Dietitian before
starting a vitamin D supplement because it is possible to take too much –
very high levels may be toxic.
Commonly Available Combined Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements
Type of Calcium Calcium (mg) Vitamin D (IU)
Calcium Carbonate
Tums 200 0
Extra Strength Tums 300 0
Tums Ultra 400 0
Oscal Calcium + D3 500 200
Oscal Extra + D31 500 600
Oscal Ultra2 600 500
Citracal Calcium Pearls 200 500
Caltrate 600 + D3 600 800
Caltrate 600 + D3 Plus Minerals1, 2 600 800
Viactiv 2 500 500
Calcium Citrate
Citracal regular 250 200
Citracal Maximum 315 250
Citracal Petites with Vitamin D 200 250
Citracal Plus Magnesium2 250 125
1
Available in chewable form.
2
Contains additional vitamins &/or minerals; also, Viactiv contains 20 calories per
piece.
Additional Resources
For more information on Calcium and Vitamin D, see the National
Osteoporosis Foundation and the National Institute of Health websites:
[Link] and [Link]/
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