The results of this study should not give you free reign to wildly supplement with calcium. Bone health and cardiovascular disease are complicated physiological processes. I recommend you use calcium supplementation to fill needed gaps in your diet while also supporting your calcium intake with complimentary nutrients like vitamins D and K.
Vitamin D impacts many areas of the body. It’s important for bone health because it can enhance calcium absorption while also playing a key role in bone building and remodeling. Deficiency in D is most classically associated with osteomalacia or soft bones. Find it in meats, fish, eggs, nuts, fortified milk, orange juice, and many cereals.
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Vitamin K plays an integral role in blood coagulation and clotting, bone health, and the prevention of the calcification of blood vessels. Dark green vegetables like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are great sources of vitamin K. These vegetables are also some of the highest plant sources of calcium, so you’ll automatically obtain the nutritional balance that you need.
To find out if you do need to take a calcium supplement, complete a quick assessment of how many calcium-rich foods you eat daily. Total your calcium intake from the foods below, and if your total is at or above 1,000mg (or 1,200mg if you are older than 50), then you don’t need to supplement. If you are below the RDA, it would be prudent to either increase your intake of calcium-rich foods or take a supplement, just select one that will keep your total intake below 2,000mg/d.
• Milk, 1 cup: 300 mg
• Cheese, 1 ounce/slice: 200 mg
• Fortified soy or almond milk, 1 cup: 300 mg
• Fortified juice, 1 cup: 350 mg
• Yogurt, 6 ounces: 250 mg (variable)
• Spinach, 1 cup raw: 30 mg
• Spinach, 1 cup cooked: 250 mg
• Collards, 1 cup cooked: 350 mg
• Kale, 1 cup raw: 100 mg
• Kale, 1 cup cooked: 180 mg
