Answering your calcium questions Readers send us many queries about calcium supplements. This roundup, we hope, will answer most of your questions. Your goal should be to consume at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, or 1,500 milligrams if you are a woman over 50 or a man over 65. Don't rely exclusively on supplements. Get as much calcium as you can from foods.
Foods contain other important nutrients, some of which promote calcium absorption.
Half a cup of some kinds of tofu contains 250 milligrams. Yes, but this is a non-issue if you take your calcium with food. Some older people are deficient in stomach acid, but all they need to do is take their calcium with meals, when the stomach secretes enough acid to dissolve the supplement. This increases the likelihood of absorption. Not more than 500 milligrams.