Optimal Calcium Intake
National Institutes of Health
Consensus Development Conference Statement
June 6-8, 1994

Calcium and Health: Part 1   Calcium and Health: Part 2
Calcium and Health: Part 3   Calcium and Health: Part 4
Calcium and Health: Part 5
 
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Part 3
What is the Optimal Amount of Calcium Intake?
Calcium is a major component of mineralized tissues and is required for normal growth and development of the skeleton and teeth. Optimal calcium intake refers to the levels of consumption that are necessary for an individual (a) to maximize peak adult bone mass, (b) to maintain adult bone mass, and (c) to minimize bone loss in the later years.
 
Calcium requirements vary throughout an individual's lifetime, with greater needs during the periods of rapid growth in childhood and adolescence, during pregnancy and lactation, and in later adult life (see Table 1). Because 99 percent of total body calcium is found in bone, the need for calcium is largely determined by skeletal requirements.
 
Most studies examining the efficacy of calcium intake on bone mass have used measures of external calcium balance and bone densitometry as primary outcomes. The results of balance studies suggest a threshold effect for calcium intake: Body retention of calcium increases with increasing calcium intake up to a threshold, beyond which further calcium intake causes no additional increment in calcium retention.

Table 1 - Optimal Calcium Requirements

Group	Optimal Daily Intake (in mg of calcium)
Infant
Birth-6 months	400
6 months-1 year	600
Children
1-5 years	800
6-10 years	800-1,200
Adolescents/Young Adults
11-24 years	1,200-1,500
Men
25-65 years	1,000
Over 65 years	1,500
Women
25-50 years	1,000
Over 50 years (postmenopausal)	1,500
On estrogens	1,000
Not on estrogens	1,500
Over 65 years	1,500
Pregnant and nursing	1,200-1,500