No matter your age or gender, everyone needs calcium and vitamin D in their diet. Before birth and throughout life, calcium is important for developing healthy bones and teeth and maintaining a strong skeleton. Vitamin D is also crucial, since it helps the body properly absorb calcium.

If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, your body takes it from your bones. Over time, this could lead to osteoporosis, which occurs when bone loss is greater than bone growth, increasing the risk of fractures.

You can take steps to keep your bones strong. Physical activity may reduce the risk of osteoporosis, as well as adequate calcium and vitamin D as part of a well-balanced diet.

How Much Calcium?

The amount of calcium you need depends on your age and gender. The National Academy of Sciences offers these guidelines for calcium:

• Babies and toddlers ages 1 to 3 years need 700 mg each day.
• Children ages 4 to 8 years need 1,000 mg each day.
• Older children and teens ages 9 to 18 years need 1,300 mg each day.
• Adults ages 19 to 50 need 1,000 mg each day.
• Adults ages 51 and older need 1,200 mg each day.
• Pregnant and nursing people younger than 19 need 1,300 mg each day.
• Pregnant and nursing people ages 19 and older need 1,000 mg each day.

Though calcium is important at any age, the most important time of life to get enough calcium is ages 9 through 20, when nearly half of adult bone mass is formed. Bone density is usually highest between the ages of 30 and 35.

Dietary Sources

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food sources of calcium include:

• Dairy products such as cheese, milk and yogurt
• Fortified soy, rice and almond beverages
• Tofu made with calcium sulfate
• Fortified orange juice
• Canned seafood with bones, such as salmon and sardines
• Green vegetables such as kale, spinach and collard greens

Vitamin D is necessary for your body to absorb calcium. Vitamin D is produced by the body when your skin is exposed to sunlight, and it also can be found in some foods. According to the FDA, food sources of vitamin D are:

• Fortified dairy products such as milk and yogurt
• Fortified soy, rice and almond beverages
• Fortified orange juice
• Fish such as flounder, herring, salmon, trout and tuna
• Fish oil and cod liver oil
• Mushrooms, raw

Habits for Bone Strength

In addition to getting enough calcium and vitamin D, you can keep your bones strong and healthy by:

• Being as active as possible, especially with weight-bearing exercises such as walking briskly or climbing stairs. Using free weights and weight machines is also helpful for keeping bones strong.
• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables in addition to calcium- and vitamin D-rich foods.
• Limiting alcohol and sodium.
• Quitting smoking, if you are a smoker.