OK, so I know most of my lady patients, especially those above 40 are taking calcium to help preserve their bone strength. Good. Now, are you taking the right kind of calcium? Look at your bottle, if it says "calcium carbonate" on it, throw it out. You are only absorbing 20% (at the most) of that calcium.
There are several kinds of calcium out there, all with different absorbtivities. The ones that absorb better are calcium citrate and plant based calciums. Calcium citrate is also the calcium that is found in the orange juice fortified with calcium, and this is good way to boost your intake, but your will probably need more. Calcium supplements work better when taken with vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin C. Calcium and Magnesium need and acidic environment (your stomach) to absorb, so while dairy has a lot of calcium, you are not absorbing much of it because of the basic pH of milk.
Most women need 1200 mg to halt bone loss, but take as directed on the label and under the direction of a physician. It is also important to understand that once bone loss has begun, it cannot be reversed very easily, we can mostly just halt it's progression. This means that most women, especially those that are pregnant and lactating should be supplementing their calcium intake through good quality sources for the rest of their lives. Some excellent food sources are green leafy vegetables, broccoli and nuts.
