| Used for
| Amount | Why |
|---|
Gestational Hypertension | 1,200 to 1,500 mg daily |  [3 stars] Supplementing with calcium may reduce the risk of gestational hypertension. |
|
Lactose Intolerance | 500 to 1,200 mg daily depending on age and other calcium sources | [3 stars] As lactose-containing foods are among the best dietary sources of calcium, lactose-intolerant people may want to use calcium supplements as an alternative source. |
|
Osteoporosis | 800 to 1,500 mg daily depending on age and dietary calcium intake
| [3 stars] Calcium supplements help prevent osteoporosis, especially for girls and premenopausal women. It is often recommended to help people already diagnosed with osteoporosis. |
|
Preeclampsia | 1,200 to 1,500 mg daily | [3 stars] An analysis of double-blind trials found calcium supplementation to be highly effective in preventing preeclampsia. |
|
Premenstrual Syndrome | 1,000 to 1,200 mg daily | [3 stars] Calcium appears to reduce the risk of mood swings, bloating, headaches, and other PMS symptoms. |
|
Rickets | Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner | [3 stars] Calcium supplements may be helpful in preventing and treating rickets. |
|
Breast-Feeding Support | 1,000 mg daily |  [2 stars] Continuing to take prenatal vitamins will help ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs for breast-feeding. Especially important is continued calcium intake. |
|
Celiac Disease | Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner | [2 stars] The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. Supplementing with calcium may correct a deficiency. |
|
High Cholesterol | 500 to 1,000 mg daily | [2 stars] Some trials have shown that supplementing with calcium reduces cholesterol levels, and co-supplementing with vitamin D may add to this effect. |
|
High Triglycerides | 800 mg daily | [2 stars] Calcium supplementation has been shown to reduce triglyceride levels. |
|
Obesity | 800–1,200 mg daily | [2 stars] Calcium supplementation, especially in conjunction with vitamin D and in people with calcium-poor diets, may support healthy weight and body fat loss. |
|
Pregnancy and Postpartum Support | Obtain a total of 1,500 to 2,000 mg daily, including both supplement and food sources | [2 stars] Calcium needs double during pregnancy. Supplementing with calcium may reduce the risk of preeclampsia and pre-term delivery and improve the bone strength of the fetus. |
|
Tension Headache
(Vitamin D) | 1,000 to 1,500 mg per day (plus the same amount of calcium)
| [2 stars] In preliminary research, people with chronic tension-type headaches who were also suffering from severe vitamin D deficiency experienced an improvement in their symptoms after supplementing with vitamin D and calcium.
|
|
Amenorrhea and Osteoporosis
(Vitamin D) | Refer to label instructions
|  [1 star] Despite the lack of evidence that calcium and vitamin D supplements alone are helpful to amenorrheic women, they are still generally recommended to prevent the added burden of calcium and vitamin D deficiency from further contributing to bone loss. |
|
Colon Cancer | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Through a variety of mechanisms, calcium appears to reduce precancerous conditions in the colon and the risk of colon cancer. |
|
Depression | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Taken with vitamin D, calcium significantly improved mood in people without depression in one study. |
|
Dysmenorrhea | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Muscles that are calcium-deficient tend to be hyperactive and therefore might be more likely to cramp. Calcium may help prevent menstrual cramps by maintaining normal muscle tone. |
|
Gingivitis | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Some doctors recommend calcium to people with gum diseases. Calcium given to people with periodontal disease has been shown to reduce bleeding of the gums and loose teeth. |
|
Hypertension | 600 to 2,000 mg daily to prevent pregnancy-related hypertension, and not more than 600 mg per day for other adults | [1 star] Calcium supplementation can help to prevent pregnancy-related hypertension; however, calcium supplements may actually increase cardiovascular risk in older women. |
|
Kidney Stones in People Who Are Not Hyperabsorbers of Calcium | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Calcium appears to interfere with the absorption of oxalate, which reduces the risk of stone formation. |
|
Metabolic Syndrome | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] One study found that supplementing with calcium improved insulin sensitivity in people with hypertension. |
|
Migraine Headache | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Taking large amounts of the combination of calcium and vitamin D has been reported to produce a marked reduction in the incidence of migraines in several women. |
|
Multiple Sclerosis | Refer to label instructions
| [1 star] Calcium levels have been reported to be low in people with MS. In one study, people given a combination of cod liver oil, magnesium, and calcium had a significantly reduced number of MS attacks. |
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