Calcium, Vitamin D and Osteoporosis – Osteoporosis Australia

How much calcium and vitamin D do you need?

Calcium
Dairy products are a good source of calcium. There are also small amounts in other foods including breads, cereals, fruits and vegetables, fish with edible bones (e.g. tinned salmon and sardines), tahini, almonds, figs and foods fortified with calcium. If you find it difficult to get enough calcium from food ask your doctor or dietitian about taking a calcium supplement.

If you can’t tolerate dairy products or don’t enjoy them, there are some calciumenriched products available such as calcium-enriched orange juice, cereals and soy milk. However calcium added to soy drinks may not be as well absorbed as from dairy foods, so you may need larger servings of soy drinks.

People need different amounts of calcium at different ages – the food table at the end of this fact sheet shows you how to get calcium from food.

• Children (5 to 11 years) – 2 to 3 serves of calcium rich foods each day (600-1000 mg daily from high calcium foods).
• Adolescents (11 to 18 years) – at least 3 serves of calcium rich foods
  each day (800-1000 mg daily from high calcium foods).
• Women after menopause -at least 3 serves of calcium rich foods each
  day (1000 to 1300 mg daily from high calcium foods),
• Other adults – at least 3 serves of calcium rich foods each day (1000 to
  1300 mg daily from high calcium foods).
• Adults over 70 – at least 3 serves of calcium rich foods each day
  (1300mg daily from high calcium foods).

Vitamin D
We need at least 400 to 600 IUs (international units) of vitamin D daily. If you don’t get enough exposure to sunlight, you need a vitamin D supplement of at least 400 IUs daily. If you think you may be deficient in vitamin D, talk to your doctor.

Some calcium supplements and multivitamin preparations contain vitamin D, but their levels maybe too low to treat vitamin D deficiency.

There are small quantities of vitamin D in a few foods, such as fatty fish (salmon, herring and mackerel). It is also in liver, eggs and fortified foods such as margarine. There are very small amounts in some low-fat milks.

Most people are unlikely to get enough vitamin D from diet alone. Cod liver oil contains vitamin D but also vitamin A. This can be toxic in large amounts, and may even increase the risk of fracture.

Always discuss calcium or vitamin D supplements with your doctor before taking them.

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