Calcium requirements - How much calcium per day is healthy?

Mar 2014   Home › Low blood calcium › High calcium in blood › How much calcium is required per day?

Calcium is an important mineral required by our body for several essential biological processes.

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How much of calcium is present in the blood, muscles and intercellular fluids is critical for a healthy state of the body. The per day calcium requirements in individuals vary according to the status of their bone remodeling.

How calcium is distributed

Calcium is involved in many of our body's vital functions such as enzyme activity, hormonal secretion, neural transmission, vasocontraction, vasodilation and intracellular signaling. About 99% of calcium in our body is stored in the bone, which functions as a reservoir and a source of the mineral.
For the requirement many of these critical biological processes, the mineral present in the blood serum is utilized. The serum levels of the mineral are maintained within a narrow margin. If the serum levels drop below 4.0 mg/dL, hypocalcemia results, causing many debilitating medical conditions. The rise in blood calcium levels beyond 10.5 mg/dL, is known as hypercalcemia. Severe hypercalcemia is an medical emergency.

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Irrespective of how much dietary calcium is taken per day, the serum levels of the mineral are maintained by resorption/deposition of the mineral out of or into the bone. When there is chronic deficiency of calcium requirement in the diet, the bone resorption increases leading to porous bones (osteoporosis).
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Many other factors can also affect how much of the mineral the body absorbs and utilizes and how much it eliminates in urine, feces, and sweat.

How bone remodeling works

Bone is a dynamic tissue and there is continuous formation of new bone tissue as well as absorption of the older tissue. The process of bone formation and resorption is known as bone remodeling. As a consequence of bone remodeling there is constant deposition and removal of calcium from the bones. In children, adolescents and teens, bone formation exceeds bone resorption. The bone remodeling process is balanced in young and middle aged adults. In aging adults there is much bone resorption and it exceeds bone formation. Postmenopausal women are particularly vulnerable as the hormonal changes in them increases the bone loss. Hence the daily requirement of calcium varies with respect to age and gender.

How much Calcium do children need per day?

Adequate Intake (AI) for baby girls/boys aged 0-6 months is 200 mg/per day.
AI for baby girls/boys aged 7-12 months is 260 mg.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for girls/boys aged 1-3 years is 700 mg/per day. Requirement for girls/boys aged 4-8 years is 1000 mg.
RDA for girls/boys aged 9-13 years is 1300 mg/per day.

How much calcium do women need per day?
Requirement for teenage girls aged 14-18 years is 1300 mg/per day.
RDA for teenage girls aged 14-18 years, who are pregnant or lactating is 1300 mg.
Requirement for women aged 19-50 years is 1000 mg.
RDA for women aged 19-50 years, who are pregnant or lactating is 1000 mg.
Requirement for women aged 51-70 years is 1200 mg.
RDA for women aged above 70 years is 1200 mg.

How much calcium do men need per day?
Requirement for teenage boys aged 14-18 years is 1300 mg/per day.
RDA for men aged 19-50 years is 1000 mg.
Requirement for men aged 51-70 years is 1000 mg.
RDA for men aged above 70 years is 1200 mg.

Please note that RDA is average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy individuals. Adequate Intake (AI) is set at a level assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy. Scientists are studying metabolism of the mineral in pregnant women and infant to understand how much it affects health of the fetus and newborn. There are medicines and other nutrients and minerals that might interfere with how our body absorbs, uses, or eliminates calcium.

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References:
1.USDA Agricultural Research Service.
2.National Institutes of Health. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/
3.National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 24.
4.Health Canada. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/vitamin/vita-d-eng.php

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How much calcium is required per day?