According to about.com, people our age should be taking in about 800-1200 mg of calcium per day. According to the US National Institute of Health, a glass of milk has about 300 mg of calcium. Which works out to about what I thought - you should be drinking three glasses per day. Or taking in calcium in other ways. Milk products such as yogurt and cheese still contain calcium. NIH has a list of other foods such as oranges, broccoli, and almonds.
Calcium is also often included in multivitamins. A daily multivitamin is generally a good idea, and generally best taken with food for better absorption.
However, a calcium supplement on top of that... it wouldn't hurt. Particularly if it also has vitamin D. We spend too much time indoors these days, which cuts down on our ability to make vitamin d.
As for bone loss... you're right; you're probably too young for that. But it has been known to start early. (Seems to depend on estrogen levels, which vary from one individual to another.) I can't seem to find exact figures, though I've heard of it starting in the 40s or even 30s. Seems, though, that there are rare cases of it happening much earlier than that, for one reason or another. And having strong bones now can help fortify you for later years. About.com has an interesting FAQ. Including the fact (as I'd suspected) that the phosphoric acid in cola can reduce calcium absorption.
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Calcium is also often included in multivitamins. A daily multivitamin is generally a good idea, and generally best taken with food for better absorption.
However, a calcium supplement on top of that... it wouldn't hurt. Particularly if it also has vitamin D. We spend too much time indoors these days, which cuts down on our ability to make vitamin d.
As for bone loss... you're right; you're probably too young for that. But it has been known to start early. (Seems to depend on estrogen levels, which vary from one individual to another.) I can't seem to find exact figures, though I've heard of it starting in the 40s or even 30s. Seems, though, that there are rare cases of it happening much earlier than that, for one reason or another. And having strong bones now can help fortify you for later years. About.com has an interesting FAQ. Including the fact (as I'd suspected) that the phosphoric acid in cola can reduce calcium absorption.