title: The calcium requirement and factors causing calcium loss.
abstract: Studies carried out under strictly controlled conditions during different calcium intakes in adult males have shown that the average calcium balance was only slightly positive (+22 mg/day) during a calcium intake of 800 mg/day, the recommended dietary calcium intake, not taking into consideration dermal losses of calcium. During this calcium intake, the calcium balances were negative in 34% of the subjects studied. Increasing the calcium intake to 1200 mg/day resulted in a significant increase of the calcium balance; further increases to different intake levels up to 2300 mg/day did not improve the calcium balance further. Increasing the phosphorus intake up to 2000 mg/day as well as increasing the protein intake from 1 g/kg body weight to 2 g/kg, given as meat, did not have an adverse effect on calcium metabolism. A variety of drugs, notably aluminum-containing antacids, induced calcium loss. Increasing the calcium intake more than 10-fold from 200 to 2500 mg/day did not lower the blood pressure in a large number of normotensive patients and in a small number of hypertensive patients studied.
mesh_terms: D000863:Antacids / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002136:Calcium, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000863:Antacids; D002136:Calcium, Dietary; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D010758:Phosphorus; D002118:Calcium