Calcium: Essential Mineral for Strong Bones and Overall Health

Overview

As one of the most important and widely discussed minerals, you likely already have some information about calcium. Found abundantly in dairy products and other foods like leafy greens, this vital nutrient keeps the bones and teeth strong, the heart beating, and performs other significant functions in the body.

Despite its importance, many people do not take in enough calcium from food, making it important to boost levels by supplementing in many cases. Mark J. Bolland, PhD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, explains:

“The average calcium intake in most countries is a lot less than the recommendations, and so many people take supplements to increase their intake. For example, in recent studies, more than 50% of older women in the USA took calcium supplements (1).”

Are you getting enough of this mineral from the foods you eat, or should you consider taking a calcium supplement? Read on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about this mineral, including its functions in the body, benefits, recommended intake, and more.

What is Calcium?

Calcium is the most plentiful mineral in the body, with 99% stored in the bones and teeth to keep them strong. In addition to this essential role, calcium is important in supporting cardiac health, cellular function, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and blood clotting.

Calcium may also help balance blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and it plays a central role in insulin secretion. To maintain optimal levels and maximize absorption, your body also requires an adequate intake of vitamin D.

Our bodies do not produce calcium naturally, so we have to derive it from foods rich in this mineral or take supplements. You can take a product that includes calcium plus other vitamins and minerals, as we require a range of nutrients for optimal functioning, or supplement with this mineral specifically. Let’s delve into the calcium benefits in detail.

Health Benefits of Calcium

What does calcium do in the body, and how does it function to support your overall health? These are the top calcium benefits:

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found a link between low calcium intake, depleted bone mineral density, and increased risk of osteoporosis (2).

Supports Healthy Muscle Contraction

Calcium is stored in the muscle fibers, and it plays a central role in helping them to contract and relax – including the heart, smooth muscle, and skeletal muscle. It does this by helping to transmit nerve signals to the muscles to allow them to flex.

In addition, calcium supports muscle growth and helps speed up repair and recovery. A review published in the Biophysical Journal explains the process by which calcium regulates muscle contraction (3).

Supports Cardiovascular Health

Calcium helps support healthy contraction and relaxation of the heart muscle and transmits the electrical signals that allow the organ to beat properly. In addition, it supports the blood flow to the heart, and it plays an essential role in healthy blood clotting.

Calcium also helps support healthy blood pressure levels, and it may also lower cholesterol. A review of the research published by the Cochrane Library concluded that daily supplementation with high doses of calcium helped balance systolic and diastolic blood pressure in adults (4).

Supports Nerve Transmission

Calcium plays a central role in supporting the central nervous system and promoting healthy nerve transmission. It helps maintain nerve cell stability and supports the release of key neurotransmitters. In addition, calcium ions help destroy free radicals to repair injury to damaged nerve tissue, as explained in a review published in the Journal of Neurotrauma (5).

Supports Cellular Function and Overall Health

Calcium plays a key role in cellular function, growth, and proliferation (6), and it helps relay signals to cells. It is also involved in mitochondrial function, helping to increase levels of ATP to boost body-wide cellular energy. This helps support repair and healing in the body, making this mineral essential for overall health and well-being.

What Are the Best Food Sources For Calcium?

The best way to ensure optimal levels of this vital mineral is to consume calcium-rich foods daily. Add some of these to your daily meals and recipes:

• Diary Products: milk, cheese, yogurt
• Leafy Greens: kale, spinach, collard greens, bok choy
• Fruits: kiwi, oranges, apricots, berries, figs, papaya, pineapple, raisins
• Nuts: Almonds, Brazil nuts, pine nuts
• Calcium-fortified cereal or orange juice
• Tofu or soy milk

Recommended Daily Intake

How much calcium should you be taking in daily, including both foods rich in this mineral and supplements? According to the National Institutes of Health (7), these are the recommended daily values for adults:

• Adults 19 -50 years – 2,500 mg
• Adults over 50 years – 2,000 mg
• Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding – 2,500 mg

Individuals who do not derive enough calcium from their diets should consider taking a supplement. In addition, there are medical conditions like celiac and Crohn’s disease that could prevent absorption, and menopausal women may want to boost intake to help prevent bone loss during this stage of life. Pregnant women require more calcium to help prevent preeclampsia.

Side Effects and Safety

If you stick to the recommended daily intake, there are no serious associated calcium side effects, but some individuals may experience symptoms like gas, constipation, and bloating. These may be a particular issue when taking calcium carbonate supplements.

In addition, people with an intolerance may experience an allergic reaction in the form of a skin rash or itching. Some medications or supplements may have contraindications with calcium, so check with a healthcare practitioner before adding more to your regimen.

Can you take too much calcium? An excess intake of calcium from both food and supplements can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia, and this may also occur due to certain health conditions or medication interactions. Symptoms may include:

• Muscle weakness
• Fatigue
• Bone pain
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Confusion
• Kidney stones

If you experience these symptoms and think you have excess calcium in your bloodstream, it’s important to see a physician for assessment and treatment.

What Happens if I Get Too Little Calcium?

Calcium is essential to overall healthy functioning, so it’s important to ensure that you are getting an adequate amount. When your blood levels of calcium levels are too low, you may develop a condition called hypocalcemia. Calcium deficiency symptoms may include:

• Bone pain or weakness
• Brittle nails
• Dry skin
• Muscle cramping
• Decaying teeth
• Tingling in the hands and feet

If you don’t eat enough calcium-rich foods and experience some of these symptoms, see your physician for a blood test and to discuss supplementation.

How Do I Choose a Calcium Supplement?

You can purchase calcium in supplement form as a single ingredient or combined with other nutrients like vitamin D. There are several different calcium types that you may find in supplements:

• Calcium Carbonate – One of the most common types included in supplements and the most reasonably priced. In addition to increasing calcium intake, it is often recommended for people with indigestion or heartburn because it decreases acid levels. This form has the highest amount of elemental calcium, so it’s an excellent choice.
• Calcium Citrate – Also very commonly included in health supplements, calcium citrate absorbs more easily than carbonate. In addition, it is ideal for people with low stomach acid or inflammatory bowel conditions, and this form is often recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing.
• Calcium Lactate – This form of the mineral is less common but is sometimes included in supplements. It has a lower calcium content than other forms, so it is not your best choice to boost your levels.

Follow the directions on the label, and you should also consult with your healthcare practitioner regarding optimal dosages and intake. How do you choose the best calcium supplement brand? Look for these features when making your choice:

• Manufactured in an FDA-registered, GMP-certified facility
• Independently third-party tested for quality and purity
• Free of chemical and artificial additives or toxins
• Made by a known, reputable manufacturer

For some top brands, read about the 17 Best Calcium Supplements for 2025, as selected by registered dieticians.

FAQ

Q: What does calcium do for your body?

A: Maintaining normal calcium levels is essential in keeping the bones and teeth strong and supporting cardiac function, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and blood clotting. It also helps promote the release of insulin and may help balance blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Q:Which food is highest in calcium?

A: The best calcium foods are dairy products like milk, cheese, or yogurt, but you can also derive this essential mineral from leafy greens, tofu, nuts, seeds, canned fish, and some carbohydrate foods like pasta, bread, and rice.

Q:Can you take calcium and vitamin D together?

A: Yes, it is safe to take calcium and vitamin D together as long as you stay within the recommended daily intake for each. It is often recommended to take them together, as vitamin D is required to support optimal calcium absorption in the body.

Q:What happens if I get too little calcium?

A: Calcium deficiency symptoms may include weak bones and muscles, tingling or numbness in the hands and feet, dry skin, fatigue, or irregular heartbeat. In severe cases, a prolonged lack of calcium could lead to seizures.

Q:What vitamin should not be taken together with calcium?

A: Avoid taking calcium supplements along with iron, as these two minerals compete for absorption in the body, and iron could lower the body’s calcium levels.

Conclusion

As the most abundant mineral in the body, getting enough calcium daily is essential to
bone health, blood clotting, heart, muscle, and nerve function, and overall well-being.

The best way to derive this key nutrient is by including foods rich in calcium in your diet, but individuals who do not get enough should consider taking a daily supplement. Consult a healthcare practitioner to have your levels tested and discuss adding more calcium to your routine.

12 Sources

We review published medical research in respected scientific journals to arrive at our conclusions about a product or health topic. This ensures the highest standard of scientific accuracy.

[1] The Calcium Debate:https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0116p36.shtml
[2] Interactions Between Dietary Calcium Intake and Bone Mineral Density or Bone Geometry in a Low Calcium Intake Population (KNHANES IV 2008–2010):https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/99/7/2409/2537767?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false
[3] Calcium Regulation of Muscle Contraction:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1334730/
[4] Extra Calcium to Prevent High Blood Pressure:https://www.cochrane.org/CD010037/HTN_extra-calcium-prevent-high-blood-pressure
[5] Role of Calcium in Central Nervous System Injuries:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1588635/
[6] Calcium and Cell Function:https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7885240/
[7] Calcium:https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-Consumer/
[8] The Role of Calcium in Health and Disease:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael-Power-17/publication/12699370_The_role_of_calcium_in_health_and_disease/links/5a5f66420f7e9b964a1cbc53/The-role-of-calcium-in-health-and-disease.pdf
[9] Calcium Intake, Calcium Bioavailability and Bone Health:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12088515/
[10] Calcium Metabolism in Health and Disease:https://journals.lww.com/cjasn/fulltext/2010/01001/calcium_metabolism_in_health_and_disease.4.aspx
[11] Invited Review: Mechanisms of Calcium Handling in Smooth Muscles:https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jappl.2001.91.3.1438
[12] Coronary Calcium Score and Cardiovascular Risk:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30025580/

David Feder, RDN

David Feder, RDN, has been a food, nutrition and health journalist for 26 years. He taught food science and nutrition while practicing Read Full Bio