Bone-Building 101: Taking Calcium the RIGHT Way

You’re cruising this Web site because you have osteoporosis. Or osteopenia. Or you’re getting older, and you’re afraid you might be in danger of developing osteoporosis.

Good assumption: according to the National Institutes of Health, osteoporosis is “a major public health threat” for 44 million Americans. Half of all women (and 25% of all men) will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime.

You’re probably savvy enough to know that your diet should include upwards of 1500mg of calcium a day. And a minimum of 400IU vitamin D; the two fight bone loss hand in hand.

So you take your 600mg calcium/400IU vitamin D supplement every morning, with your bowl of cereal and cup of skim milk (another 300mg calcium — hey, 600 + 300 = 900, you’re 60% there!)

Your latte grande, grabbed on the way to work, gives you another 300mg calcium. So you’re at 1200mg. Settle into your desk, scarf down a carton of yogurt as you read your morning emails, and Eureka! You’ve basically hit your 1500mg goal.

Or not.

Guess what? “Calcium loading” doesn’t work. If you take a 1000mg calcium supplement with an 8-ounce glass of milk (300mg), you’ll absorb less than half the calcium you’ve just ingested: between 500mg and 600mg, max. That’s your body’s limit for calcium absorption at one sitting; the rest will be excreted.

So much for checking “daily calcium” off your list first thing in the morning, huh? 

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. But don’t give up; you can get your recommended calcium the most effective way with a minimum of hassle. Here’s a plan.

Start the day by ingesting a minimum of 500mg of calcium via food: at breakfast. Eat whatever you like (eggs, pancakes… go easy on the toaster pastries), and accompany whatever you eat with a glass of skim milk. 1 cup of milk will give you 300mg calcium; 1 1/2 cups, 450mg, approaching the max you should have.

Personally, I drink a 12-ounce glass of skim-milk Ovaltine every single morning. It satisfies my calcium need and chocolate jones at the same time!

Don’t care for milk? Enjoy calcium-fortified cereal. A half-cup of Total Raisin Bran has 500mg calcium; add a splash of milk, a piece of peanut-buttered toast, and a glass of juice, and you have a tasty breakfast that satisfies more than a third of your daily calcium requirement.

Not into Total? Heck, Lucky Charms are fortified with calcium; Golden Grahams, too. In fact, a whole line of General Mills kids’ cereals (Trix, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the Honey Nut family—Cheerios and Chex) are fortified with 100mg calcium per serving. Not nearly as much as Total, but go ahead, satisfy your inner child—just watch the calories.

So, breakfast is over. Notice you didn’t take your daily vitamin and calcium/vitamin D supplement. That’ll come later. I know, we’re creatures of habit… but you don’t HAVE to take your vitamins first thing in the morning. Work with me here.