How To Get Enough Calcium

Everybody needs Calcium, right? If you aren’t getting enough in your diet, just drink some milk or take a supplement, right? Wrong!

First off: If you are eating even close to a balanced diet, you’re getting plenty of calcium. It’s everywhere and in all kinds of foods – dairy, of course – but also in green vegetables, fish, nuts and fruit.

Here’s the gem: Calcium uptake isn’t a function of how much extra calcium you ingest. It is a function of how much muscle mass you have. It makes perfect sense: When you build muscle mass, your body says “I’d better strengthen my bones to support these muscles”. You release chemicals that signal for the absorption of more calcium.

The lesson: Take all the supplements you want. Unless you start moving around – or, better yet, lift some weights, they’ll do you no good at all. Stop mega-dosing. The best way to avoid osteoporosis is a diet rich in calcium and regular light weight lifting.