calcium

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Why Take The Correct Amount of Calcium?
Excess Intake Is Very Risky & Dangerous!

Calcium is essential to good health. A calcium deficiency can cause serious adverse effects to your bones. However, excessive amounts of calcium are not good for you.
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You need to know what your calcium intake should be. Once you do, you can select the foods and supplements you need.
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Recommended Calcium Intake

For years, the accepted recommended daily amount of calcium has been 1,000 mg for adults under age 50. Women age 50 and over need 1,200 mg.
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Children’s bodies are growing, so they need extra calcium to build bones. The recommended amount of calcium varies with a child’s age.

Recent research suggests you might not need as much calcium, however. Harvard Health says that the World Health Organization sets the calcium RDA at 500 mg. In the United Kingdom, the figure is 700 mg.
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One thing all parties agree on is that excessive amounts of calcium are not healthy.
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Why You Need Calcium

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A deficiency of calcium puts you at greater risk of osteoporosis. There are often no symptoms in the early stages of the disease.
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Bones can lose calcium and density. They become weak, brittle and prone to fractures.
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Calcium is also important for organ functions and proper blood clotting.
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Excess Calcium Risks
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Health care professionals warn against taking too much calcium. Too much calcium can lead to hypercalcemia. Early symptoms include headaches and fatigue, but there may not be any symptoms at all.
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You may experience nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and constipation. Excess calcium can also interfere with the heart’s electrical activity.
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Other symptoms of hypercalcemia include muscle twitches, cramps, depression, confusion and even coma.
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Getting the Right Amount of Calcium
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You can probably get enough calcium every day as part of your regular diet. Three servings of cheese, milk, yogurt or other dairy products provide sufficient calcium.

About 50 million Americans suffer from lactose intolerance or conditions like celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
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If you fall into one of these groups, you may find it difficult or impossible to get enough calcium from dairy foods.
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It is always best to obtain your calcium from food. You can get more calcium from figs, leafy green vegetables, green beans, broccoli, sunflower seeds, sweet potatoes and black-eyed peas.
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