Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Only 46% of postmenopausal women get enough calcium and the NAMS recommends increasing the RDA of vitamin D to 800 IU for several groups.  

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, contributing to muscle contraction, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, (1) and colon cell health, (2) helping control blood sugar (3) and blood pressure (4) and even helping recovery from thyroid surgery (5) However, the most well-known role for calcium is for bone health, since 99% of all the calcium in the body resides in the skeleton. (6)

But despite these known health benefits of calcium, particularly for bone health, a new study (7) has found that most postmenopausal women are still at risk for both calcium and vitamin D deficiency.

In the study, which is a position statement by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), researchers cited a 2004 report by the Surgeon General (8) finding calcium consumption to be “a major public health concern because average consumption is far below the amount recommended for optimal bone health.” Current recommendations for calcium intake range from 1,000 mg per day by the Institute of Medicine (9) to 1,500 mg per day by the National Institute of Health. (10) However, the average intake of postmenopausal women in the U.S. is only 600 mg per day and only 46% of American postmenopausal women get enough calcium.

For vitamin D, where the recommended dietary intake is 400 IU per day for women aged 51 to 70 years and 600 IU per day for women older than age 70 years. (9) The NAMS recommends an intake of up to 800 IU per day for the following groups:  elderly who get inadequate sunlight exposure; chronically ill, housebound, and institutionalized women or those who live in northern latitudes. (11)

For the researchers, “there is strong support for the importance of ensuring adequate calcium intake in all women, particularly those in peri- or postmenopause” and that “calcium supplements offer a convenient alternative to women unable to consume enough calcium from diet alone.”

Source: North American Menopause Society. “The role of calcium in peri-and postmenopausal women: 2006 position statement of the North American Menopause Society.” Menopause (New York, NY) 13, no. 6 (2006): 862.

© 2006 The North American Menopause Society

Posted August 27, 2008.

References:

  1. Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington DC: The National Academies Press, 1997.
  2. Meunier, P. J. (1999). “Calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K in the prevention of fractures due to osteoporosis.” Osteoporos Int 9 Suppl 2: S48-52.
  3. Hu FB.  Vitamin D and Calcium Intake in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes in Women.  Diabetes Care 29: 650-656.
  4. Arends LR. Blood pressure response to calcium supplementation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Hum Hypertens 20: 571-580.
  5. Roh JL.  Routine oral calcium and vitamin D supplements for prevention of hypocalcemia after total thyroidectomy.  Am Jou Sur 2006; 192(5): 675-678.
  6. Shils ME. Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. 9th ed. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1999.
  7. North American Menopause Society.  The role in calcium in peri- and postmenopausal women: 2006 position statement of the North American Menopause Society.
  8. US Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Humans Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004.
  9. Institute of Medicine, Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
  10. National Institutes of Health. NIH Consensus Development Panel on Optimal Calcium Intake. Optimal calcium intake. JAMA 1994;272:1942-1948.
  11. Holick MF, Siris ES, Binkley N, et al. Prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy among postmenopausal North American women receiving osteoporosis therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2005;90:3215-3224.