Add Up Your Calcium

The label on the juice carton says “Calcium—30%.” Thirty percent of the calcium you need every day? But don’t different people need different amounts?

Figuring out if you’re getting enough calcium to protect your bones against osteoporosis can be tricky, says registered dietitian Bill Whipple of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Today’s labels give you a percentage and not the actual amount of calcium in the product. Here’s how to sort it out:

Step 1—Know how much you need. In the chart below, you’ll find the government’s daily recommendations.

Age and Suggested daily intake

Children: 800-1,200 mg
Teens/young adults age 11-24: 1,200-1,500 mg
Women age 25 to menopause: 1,000 mg
Men age 25-65: 1,000 mg
Postmenopausal women on estrogen: 1,000 mg
Postmenopausal women not on estrogen: 1,500 mg
Men and women age 65+: 1,500 mg
Pregnant/lactating women: 1,200-1,500 mg

Step 2—Know how much you get through diet. “Assume you’re taking in 200-300 milligrams (mg) every day, a little here and a little there, from foods like bread,” Whipple says. “Then, add up all the foods and drinks you consume to see if you’re reaching your goal.” (See example, below)

What a woman age 65+ needs each day: 1,500 mg

What she’s getting in a day:
Milk with breakfast: 300 mg
Cheese with lunch: 150 mg
Vegetable lasagna for dinner: 450 mg
A little here, a little there: 200 mg
Her total for one day: 1,100 mg

This woman’s diet leaves her 400 mg short of calcium in a day. She can solve the problem by taking a supplement or adding a snack of nonfat yogurt or calcium-fortified juice.

Step 3—Know how to read the label. Under Nutrition Facts, look for the percent (%) daily value or RDA (recommended daily allowance). Whatever the percent is, add a “0” to the end and you get the number of milligrams. For example, that juice carton that reads “30%” contains 300 mg.

Step 4 —If you’re not getting enough, take a calcium supplement. “These vary, so be aware of calcium content—and how many tablets or chewables are in a ‘serving,’” Whipple says. “Your body can’t absorb more than 600 mg at a time. Supplements work best if taken with meals.”

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