How do calcium and vitamin D affect your health?

First of all I think women have been made crazy about calcium. They don’t know how much to take, what
kind of calcium to take.
 
Women are at higher risk for losing mineral density from bones at earlier ages than men because women’s
sex hormones begin to decline in midlife and that affects calcium status.
 
We have been telling women to take very large doses of supplemental calcium. That may be way too much.
 
There is some very good research showing that countries with the highest calcium intake have the highest
rates of bone fractures, hip fractures, and also the countries with the highest rates of dairy intake have the
highest rates of hip fracture. Now that’s pretty astounding news but that’s the fact.
 
I think the key to calcium balance is vitamin D. If women get enough vitamin D they should be able to
maximally absorb and use calcium from their diets.
 
There are many dietary sources of calcium other than milk and dairy products although milk and dairy
products in moderation are fine.
 
But there are leafy, dark leafy greens like collards, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, sesame seeds –
there are many dietary sources.
 
Also things like sardines mashed up with the bones, which are very good.
 
And you can get vitamin D by exposure to sunlight which done carefully and intelligently is your best way to
get it.
 
I think also everybody should be taking 2000 IU a day of vitamin D as a supplement. You have to take that
with your largest meal so that it will be absorbed, needs fat to be absorbed.
 
And on top of that I recommend that women take no more than 500 to 700 milligrams of supplemental
calcium. I usually recommend calcium citrate because that’s the most absorbable form.
 
So if for any reason you don’t want to use dairy products and there are reasons for avoiding cow’s milk and
cow’s milk products, I think if you are eating a balanced diet rich in vegetables you can maximally absorb
dietary calcium if you’ve got enough vitamin D in your system.