Roll Call

“Calcium (as D-calcium pantothenate, dicalcium phosphate)?”Here!Calcium

Mineral

Appears in 4 scanned products.

As a supplement

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.

This is elemental calcium supplied incidentally through two compounds used mainly to deliver other nutrients: D-calcium pantothenate (a source of pantothenic acid) and dicalcium phosphate (a common calcium and phosphorus mineral salt used as a filler and nutrient source in supplements).

Why it’s used

Taken to contribute to overall calcium intake, which the body uses for bone and teeth structure, muscle function, and nerve signaling.

What the evidence is for

maintaining bone mineral density when overall intake is adequate.

What the evidence says

NIH ODS describes calcium as well established for maintaining bone density and reducing fracture risk when intake is adequate, particularly in combination with sufficient vitamin D. Evidence for benefit from calcium supplementation specifically, beyond meeting overall dietary needs, is more mixed, and some research has raised questions about cardiovascular effects at very high supplemental intakes.

Dose studied

1000–2500 mg — adult RDA up to the tolerable upper intake level, per NIH ODS.

Context

The adult RDA ranges from about 1,000 to 1,200 mg/day depending on age and sex, with a tolerable upper intake level of 2,000-2,500 mg/day, per NIH ODS. The amount contributed by a given supplement depends on the total formulation, not just these two ingredient sources.

Rumors

  1. Maintaining bone mineral density when overall intake is adequate.

    Unresolvedhealth and safety evidence

    Studied in: adults age 60 and older.

    Measured as a biomarker.

How much is a reference amount

  • 1,000 mg a dayfor adults 19–50 · Recommended Dietary Allowance

    Upper limit 2,500 mg a day, from food and supplements together.

  • 1,200 mg a dayfor adults 51–70, women · Recommended Dietary Allowance

    Upper limit 2,000 mg a day, from food and supplements together.

  • 1,000 mg a dayfor adults 51–70, men · Recommended Dietary Allowance

    Upper limit 2,000 mg a day, from food and supplements together.

  • 1,200 mg a dayfor adults 71 and over · Recommended Dietary Allowance

    Upper limit 2,000 mg a day, from food and supplements together.

Both the RDA and the UL move with age, and only the 51–70 band differentiates by sex. The UL falls as the RDA rises.

Every applicable line is shown because we don’t know which one is yours, and a reference intake is a target for a population, not a threshold for harm.