The Basics: Overview

Your body needs calcium to build strong bones when you’re young and to keep bones strong as you get older. Everyone needs calcium, but it's especially important for women and girls. Many people — including more than half of all women — don't get enough calcium.

How much calcium do I need every day?

Women:

• If you're age 19 to 50, get 1,000 mg (milligrams) of calcium every day
• If you're age 51 or older, get 1,200 mg of calcium every day

Men:

• If you're age 19 to 70, get 1,000 mg of calcium every day
• If you're age 71 or older, get 1,200 mg of calcium every day

Kids:

• Babies ages 6 to 12 months need 260 mg of calcium every day
• Kids ages 1 to 3 need 700 mg of calcium every day
• Kids ages 4 to 8 need 1,000 mg of calcium every day
• Kids ages 9 to 18 need 1,300 mg of calcium every day

Calcium can help prevent osteoporosis (weak bones).

Osteoporosis is a disease that makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Some people don’t know they have it until they break a bone.

Five in 20 women and 1 in 20 men over the age of 65 in the United States have osteoporosis. Calcium helps keep your bones strong and makes them less likely to break.