What is the potential importance of taking calcium?

Compared with recent calcium intake recommendations, most people have calcium-deficient diets, and less than 10% of women in the U.S. have adequate dietary intakes. Good calcium nutrition throughout life is essential for achieving peak bone mass and preventing deficiency-related bone loss. Calcium supplements are effective in increasing bone mass in children and slowing bone loss in adults according to most, though not all, double-blind studies. Calcium supplements have also been shown to reduce the risk of bone fractures in some elderly adults.The protective effect of calcium on bone is one of very few health claims permitted by the FDA. In order to achieve the 1,500 mg per day calcium intake deemed optimal by many researchers for postmenopausal women, 800 to 1,000 mg of supplemental calcium are generally added to diets that commonly contain between 500 and 700 mg of calcium per day.