what does too much calcium do to the body

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This is a reader-friendly overview of Calcium. For more details, see our health professional fact sheet on Calcium.

What is calcium and what does it do?

Calcium is a mineral your trunk needs to build and maintain potent bones and to carry out many important functions. Calcium is the nigh abundant mineral in the body.

About all calcium in the trunk is stored in bones and teeth, giving them structure and hardness.

Your body needs calcium for muscles to move and for nerves to carry messages between your brain and every office of your body. Calcium also helps blood vessels movement blood throughout your trunk and helps release hormones that affect many functions in your body.

How much calcium exercise I demand?

The corporeality of calcium you demand each 24-hour interval depends on your age and sex. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in milligrams (mg):

Life Stage	Recommended Amount
Nascence to 6 months	200 mg
Infants 7–12 months	260 mg
Children 1–3 years	700 mg
Children 4–8 years	ane,000 mg
Children 9–13 years	ane,300 mg
Teens 14–xviii years	1,300 mg
Adults nineteen–50 years	i,000 mg
Adult men 51–lxx years	i,000 mg
Developed women 51–70 years	1,200 mg
Adults 71 years and older	1,200 mg
Meaning and breastfeeding teens	one,300 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding adults	i,000 mg

What foods provide calcium?

Calcium is plant in many foods. You can go recommended amounts of calcium by eating a variety of foods, including the post-obit:

• Milk, yogurt, and cheese are the main food sources of calcium for most people in the United States.
• Canned sardines and salmon with bones contain calcium.
• Certain vegetables, such every bit kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage (bok choi) also incorporate calcium.
• Calcium is added to some beverages, including many fruit juices and milk substitutes such as soy and almond beverages, also as some brands of tofu and set up-to-eat cereals. To find out whether these foods have calcium added, check the production labels.
• Most grains (such as breads, pastas, and unfortified cereals) do not have high amounts of calcium. However, because people eat them often, what they contribute adds up.

What kinds of calcium dietary supplements are bachelor?

Calcium is found in many multivitamin-mineral supplements, in calcium supplements, and in supplements that incorporate calcium and other nutrients such as vitamin D. Check the Supplement Facts label to determine the amount of calcium in the supplement.

The two principal forms of calcium in dietary supplements are calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate is absorbed best when taken with food. Some over-the-counter antacids, such as Tums and Rolaids, as well contain calcium carbonate.

Calcium citrate is well absorbed on an empty stomach or a full tum. People with low levels of tummy acid—a condition near common in older people—blot calcium citrate more than easily than calcium carbonate.

Other forms of calcium in supplements and fortified foods include calcium sulfate, calcium ascorbate, calcium microcrystalline hydroxyapatite, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, and calcium phosphate.

Calcium is absorbed best when you take 500 mg or less at one time. If you accept i,000 mg/mean solar day of calcium from supplements, for example, it is better to take a smaller dose twice a day than to take information technology all at one time.

Calcium supplements might cause gas, bloating, and constipation in some people. If yous have any of these symptoms, try spreading out the calcium dose throughout the day, taking the supplement with meals, or switching the form of calcium you take.

Am I getting plenty calcium?

Many people in the United States get less than recommended amounts of calcium from food and supplements, especially:

• Children and teens aged 4 to 18 years
• People who are Black or Asian
• Adults anile 50 years and older living in poverty

Sure groups of people are more likely than others to take trouble getting enough calcium, including:

• Postmenopausal women. The body absorbs and retains less calcium after menopause. Over time, this can lead to frail bones.
• People who don't potable milk or consume other dairy products. Dairy products are rich sources of calcium, but people with lactose intolerance, people with milk allergies, and vegans (people who don't consume any animal products) must notice other sources of calcium. Options include lactose-free or reduced-lactose dairy products; canned fish with bones; certain vegetables, such as kale, broccoli, and Chinese cabbage; calcium-fortified fruit juices and milk substitutes such as soy and almond beverages, tofu, and prepare-to-eat cereals; and dietary supplements that contain calcium.

What happens if I don't get enough calcium?

Getting besides little calcium can crusade several weather, including the following:

• Osteoporosis, which causes weak, frail bones and increases the adventure of falling
• Rickets, a disease in children that causes soft, weak bones
• Osteomalacia, which causes soft bones in children and adults

What are some effects of calcium on wellness?

Scientists are studying calcium to empathize how it affects health. Here are several examples of what this research has shown:

Bone health in older adults
After nearly age 30, bones slowly lose calcium. In middle historic period, os loss speeds upward and tin can lead to weak, fragile basic (osteoporosis) and broken bones (fractures). Although bone loss is more than common in women, it tin affect men too.

The health of your basic is measured with a bone mineral density test, which will tell whether your bones are good for you and strong, or weak and thin. Some studies have institute that calcium supplements with or without vitamin D increment bone mineral density in older adults, simply others do not. In addition, it is non clear whether calcium supplements help prevent fractures. More research is needed to better understand whether consuming more than calcium from food or supplements improves os health in older adults.

Cancer
Some enquiry shows that people who have high intakes of calcium from food and supplements accept a lower risk of cancers of the colon and rectum, just other studies exercise non. Some studies take shown that men with loftier intakes of calcium from dairy foods have an increased risk of prostate cancer. For other types of cancer, calcium does not appear to impact the risk of getting cancer or dying of cancer. More research is needed to meliorate empathize whether calcium from foods or dietary supplements affects cancer take chances.

Eye illness
Calcium can attach to fats and reduce the corporeality of fat that your trunk absorbs. Some studies show that calcium supplements accept no effect on heart illness, while others bear witness calcium supplements might even increase the risk of heart affliction. Overall, experts believe that calcium intakes with or without vitamin D from foods or supplements do non affect the adventure of heart illness or of dying from heart affliction. (Meet the department called Tin calcium exist harmful? )

Preeclampsia
Preeclampsia is a serious complication of belatedly pregnancy. Symptoms include loftier claret pressure and high levels of poly peptide in the urine. Calcium supplements might reduce the hazard of preeclampsia in some pregnant women who eat besides little calcium. Therefore, many experts recommend calcium supplements during pregnancy for women with low calcium intakes.

Weight management
Enquiry hasn't clearly shown whether calcium from dairy products or supplements helps you lose weight or prevents weight gain. Some studies show that consuming more than calcium helps, but other studies practise non. For more data, read our fact sheet on dietary supplements for weight loss.

Metabolic syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a serious medical status that increases your risk of heart illness, stroke, and diabetes. You accept metabolic syndrome if you accept three or more of the post-obit:

• a big waistline
• high claret levels of fat (triglycerides)
• low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol)
• high blood pressure
• high blood sugar levels

Some inquiry suggests that a higher intake of calcium might assistance lower the risk of metabolic syndrome in women but not men. More studies are needed.

Tin calcium be harmful?

Some research suggests that loftier calcium intakes might increase the risk of centre affliction and prostate cancer.

High levels of calcium in the blood and urine tin cause poor muscle tone, poor kidney function, low phosphate levels, constipation, nausea, weight loss, farthermost tiredness, frequent need to urinate, abnormal center rhythms, and a high risk of expiry from middle illness. However, high levels of calcium in the blood and urine are usually caused past a health status such every bit high levels of parathyroid hormone or cancer, not by high calcium intakes.

The daily upper limits for calcium include intakes from all sources—food, beverages, and supplements—and are listed below.

Life Stage	Upper Limit
Nativity to six months	1,000 mg
Infants 7–12 months	1,500 mg
Children i–8 years	two,500 mg
Children 9–18 years	iii,000 mg
Adults nineteen–50 years	2,500 mg
Adults 51 years and older	2,000 mg
Pregnant and breastfeeding teens	3,000 mg
Significant and breastfeeding adults	2,500 mg

Does calcium interact with medications or other dietary supplements?

Calcium dietary supplements can interact or interfere with certain medicines, and some medicines can lower calcium levels in your body. Hither are some examples:

• Dolutegravir (Dovato, Tivicay) is a medicine to treat HIV. Taking calcium supplements at the same time as dolutegravir tin can lower blood levels of the medicine. To assist avoid this interaction, take dolutegravir ii hours before or half-dozen hours after taking calcium supplements.
• Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levoxyl, and others) is a thyroid hormone used to care for hypothyroidism and thyroid cancer. Levothyroxine is not absorbed well when taken within 4 hours of taking a calcium carbonate supplement.
• Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid) is used to treat bipolar disorder. Long-term use of lithium, or taking lithium together with calcium supplements, tin can pb to abnormally high levels of calcium in your blood.
• Quinolone antibiotics (examples are ciprofloxacin [Cipro], gemifloxacin [Factive], and moxifloxacin [Avelox]) are not absorbed well when taken inside 2 hours of taking a calcium supplement.

Tell your md, chemist, and other healthcare providers nearly any dietary supplements and prescription or over-the-counter medicines y'all take. They tin tell y'all if the dietary supplements might interact with your medicines or if the medicines might interfere with how your body absorbs, uses, or breaks down nutrients such as calcium.

Calcium and Healthful Eating

People should get most of their nutrients from food and beverages, according to the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Foods contain vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other components that benefit health. In some cases, fortified foods and dietary supplements are useful when it is not possible to meet needs for one or more nutrients (e.thousand., during specific life stages such as pregnancy). For more information nearly edifice a salubrious dietary design, see the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. Department of Agronomics'south MyPlate.

Where can I observe out more near calcium?

• For general information on calcium:
• For more information on food sources of calcium:
  • U.S. Section of Agriculture's (USDA) FoodData Cardinal
  • Nutrient List for calcium (listed by food or past calcium content), USDA
• For more advice on ownership dietary supplements:
  • Office of Dietary Supplements, Ofttimes Asked Questions: Which make(s) of dietary supplements should I buy?
• For data virtually building a healthy dietary blueprint:

Disclaimer

This fact sail by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) provides information that should not accept the place of medical communication. We encourage you to talk to your healthcare providers (doctor, registered dietitian, pharmacist, etc.) almost your interest in, questions nearly, or utilise of dietary supplements and what may be best for your overall health. Whatsoever mention in this publication of a specific product or service, or recommendation from an arrangement or professional society, does not represent an endorsement past ODS of that product, service, or expert advice.

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Source: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-Consumer/

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