CALCIUM: DO WOMEN REALLY NEED A SUPPLEMENT?

Calcium and vitamin D are found in your diet, dietary supplements and, in the case of vitamin D, sunshine.  

For years the standard recommendation for calcium intake for adult women was 1,200 mg daily, but recent studies suggest that taking 500 mg of calcium daily—the amount in just 2 servings of dairy products a day--helps promote bone health without causing side effects.  So diet alone can supply enough calcium for many women.

1,000 units of vitamin D3, easily available over-the-counter, remains the standard for vitamin D supplementation. 

But, while taking these amounts of vitamin D and calcium leads to healthier bones, doing so DOES NOT reliably prevent hip fractures.  Exercise against gravity, such as walking, running and lifting weights, and certain prescription medications, however, do help prevent a variety of fractures, including hip fractures. .

WHY ARE VITAMINS NECESSARY?

Certain chemicals are called vitamins because:

• They cannot be manufactured in the body.

• They must be present for normal body metabolism and functioning.

• They are obtained externally, usually by being included in our normal foods.

Most people get enough vitamins without taking supplements, but anyone eating a restricted diet that is not balanced across all food groups—dairy, meats, vegetables and legumes/beans dairy and fruit—may develop vitamin deficiencies.