en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_metabolism

Eat plenty of dark leafy greens and legumes. Drink your fortified soy/rice/almond milk. Get plenty of sunlight (for vitamin D). Stay away from caffeine. Calcium supplements are useless in my opinion.

In my opinion, Matt's right on with his recommendations. Leafy greens every day because they're such a FABULOUS source of calcium. (For instance, kale provides approximately 90 mg of calcium per 1/2 cup, compared to eggplant which has 3 mg per 1/2 cup.) Calcium requires vitamin D to be properly absorbed, so those who can't get the 15 minutes or so of sun per day should consider taking a vitamin D supplement.

Personally, I have this sort of love/hate relationship with supplements.

Diva, I feel supplements are relied on far too heavily by most people. Lots of people feel they can eat whatever they want, giving no thought to what they put in their mouth, and then feel they can just pop some supplements and call it a day. Supplements, when used, should simply "supplement" a HEALTHY diet.

"what do you do to make sure you get enough calcium?"
I include calcium-fortified foods in my diet (non-dairy milk and OJ, for instance). I DO take vitamin D, but only in the winter when I can't jog outside to get that sunshine. But that's the only supplement I take, besides whole food supplements (like blue-green algae). I've learned over the years that it's BEST to spread your calcium intake throughout the day (i.e. calcium-fortified OJ in the AM, hummus w/tahini and a handful of almonds for a snack, a tempeh dish with a side of kale for dinner).

"do you think the requirements out there are too high or make sense?"
These are simply my thoughts. I feel that because high amounts of animal protein can rob the calcium from our bones, the requirements are rather high to make up for this loss. For those of us who are vegetarian, we tend to eat more of the calcium-filled plant foods. And vegans are in an even better position since we contain NO animal protein (milk, eggs) which further ensure our bones hold onto that calcium.

Supplements have their place when used cautiously and with smarts, with the emphasis on trying to do everything in your power to get the nutrients you need from whole food sources.

Sassy :O)

You know where the RDAs came from? In the 1940s, they surveyed what people were currently eating, assessed what vitamins made sense based on that info. So in other words, the numbers are a bunch of bunk.

Also, people who drink milk and eat meat need more calcium to offset the acidic waste that comes from these things. And despite the fact that Americans eat more calcium than anywhere else, they still have some of the highest osteoperosis rates in the world. That's not because we're not eating enough calcium, it's because we're eating too many things that require calcium, so it's not going to our bones, where it needs to be.

Thanks everyone for the good info, this has been a very informative/useful post for me! :-)

HIGHLIGHTS from link and paste below ...

* "—and this is why 'disease of calcium deficiency' from any natural diet is non-existent"

* "Many people think osteoporosis is due to calcium deficiency; but this bone loss is primarily due to excess animal protein with its associated dietary acids."


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October 2007 Vol. 6, No. 10
www.drmcdougall.com/misc/200.../fav5.htm

Calcium Requirements Much Lower Than Previously Estimated

Calcium requirements: new estimations for men and women by cross-sectional statistical analyses of calcium balance data from metabolic studies by Curtiss D. Hunt published in the October 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded, “The findings suggest that the calcium requirement for men and women is lower than previously estimated…the new balance data also concur with the recognition that saturation of the active transport component of calcium absorption occurs at an intake of 500 mg/day. The new estimation is in line with the previous consideration that individuals with low, but nutritionally adequate, intakes of sodium and protein may have calcium requirements as low as 500 mg/day.”

Data was used from a series of tightly controlled metabolic in-house feeding studies conducted between 1976 and 1995 by the US Department of Agriculture to estimate the amount of dietary calcium needed to maintain a neutral calcium balance. The diets consumed by subjects were composed of ordinary Western foods. Diets lower in protein, acid, sodium, and caffeine (like the McDougall diet) would reduce human calcium requirements even further.

Comment: Commonly recommended requirements for calcium are 1000 to 1200 mg a day. However, this study found that neutral calcium balance (when the calcium consumed equals the calcium lost in the urine and feces) was on average an intake of 741 mg/day. However, when calcium intakes were varied in the studies from 415 mg to 1740 mg per day the subjects still remained in a neutral balance. In other words, when fed a relatively low calcium diet (415 mg/day) the body would adjust; the intestines would more efficiently absorb calcium, the kidneys would conserve calcium, and the person’s needs were met (always). When overfed with calcium (1740 mg/day) the body also adjusts; the intestines block calcium absorption, the kidneys eliminate more calcium, and injuries (such as soft tissue calcification) from excess calcium are avoided. The body is so smart.

Because of the innate intelligence of our intestines the most basic diets of starches, vegetables and fruits (without a speck of dairy foods) have sufficient calcium in them to meet our needs—and this is why “disease of calcium deficiency” from any natural diet is non-existent. Many people think osteoporosis is due to calcium deficiency; but this bone loss is primarily due to excess animal protein with its associated dietary acids. On the opposite end of intake, when we overdose with calcium by consuming glassfuls of milk or handfuls of calcium pills our gut saves us by blocking the absorption of this potentially toxic element. As mentioned above, “…saturation of the active transport component of calcium absorption occurs at an intake of 500 mg/day.”

This review of the basic research should put to rest the message that large intakes of calcium are necessary for healthy bones—but it won’t, because of the money to be made by the dairy and calcium supplement industries. In addition to large quantities of calcium being unnecessary, dairy consumption brings these added risks: the fat and cholesterol cause heart disease, the sugar causes intestinal distress from lactose intolerance, and the contamination with environmental chemicals and microbes, including leukemia and AIDS viruses, is a very real threat.

For more on dairy foods and calcium see my Hot Topics. ...
www.drmcdougall.com/med_hot_calcium.html

Hunt CD, Johnson LK. Calcium requirements: new estimations for men and women by cross-sectional statistical analyses of calcium balance data from metabolic studies. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Oct;86(4):1054-63.