Am I at risk of calcium deficiency?

Are there symptoms that can indicate whether I have calcium deficiency?

There is no simple way to know or test to see if you are getting enough calcium in your diet. The best approach is to ensure an adequate intake through a balanced diet and talk to your doctor if you are concerned.

Should people at risk of calcium deficiency consider taking a calcium supplement?

If you are concerned that you are not getting enough calcium in your diet you should discuss this with your doctor or GP. Some medical conditions mean you may need tailored advice as to whether you should take a calcium supplement and how much you need.

If your doctor agrees that a supplement will be beneficial for you, they are likely to try to calculate roughly how much you are getting from food and drink in a day and work out how much supplement you may need. One or two tablets a day are usually recommended, if necessary, along with topping up the amount that you get from your food and drink. If you've been prescribed calcium, you may find the amount of calcium on the box is higher than you expect. This is because your body won't use all the calcium. The amount of calcium that your body should be able to use is called 'available' calcium. And this can be found in the leaflet that comes with your supplement. Always take the number of tablets recommended by your doctor as too many calcium supplements can be harmful.

Can you take too much calcium, and what are the risks of this?

If you are prescribed a calcium supplement then it will usually be 300mg-1000mg a day. Taking more than 1,500mg of calcium supplements a day can be bad for your health. It can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea and lead to kidney stones. Too much calcium might also interfere with the absorption of other minerals such as iron and magnesium.

There are some medical conditions that cause high blood calcium levels (the body stops regulating levels in the blood in the normal way) which can make you very unwell and in this situation, your doctor would advise you not to take supplements.

If you are concerned that you are at risk of taking too much calcium you should discuss this with your doctor or GP.

I’ve heard that calcium supplements may be linked to heart attacks. Is this true?

You may have read that calcium supplements increase the risk of heart attacks. But there’s not enough evidence to prove that it increases your risk.

Some research studies have suggested you may have a small increased risk of heart attack if you take high doses of a calcium supplement alone, or calcium and vitamin D together. Although the chance of a heart attack was still low. Other research has found that taking calcium and vitamin D supplements does not increase your risk of a heart attack.

The UK drugs regulatory organisation MHRA looked at the research findings and recommended that doctors still need to ensure you are getting sufficient calcium especially if you are taking osteoporosis drug treatments. The guidance says that doctors should continue to prescribe calcium supplements when necessary.

If you are concerned about taking your prescribed calcium supplements because of the link with heart disease you should discuss this with your doctor.

A high calcium intake from food and drink doesn’t seem to increase heart attack risks. For the majority of people, it makes sense to get calcium from healthy balanced eating as far as possible and only supplement if necessary (and if approved by your doctor) to top up to recommended levels.

Now read...

The best calcium-rich foods
What is osteoporosis and what affects bone density?
More health & nutrition tips
Best calcium supplements

This article was published on 04 March 2025.

The information was supplied by Sarah Leyland, Osteoporosis Nurse Consultant at the Royal Osteoporosis Society in collaboration with the ROS's expert clinical and scientific advisors.

The Royal Osteoporosis Society is the UK’s largest national charity dedicated to improving bone health and beating osteoporosis. A healthy lifestyle, including exercise, is important for bone health and osteoporosis. You can find out more information by visiting their website.

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