How much calcium does a person take before and after the menopause?
A. The current thinking is that before menopause a person should take 1,000 mg of elemental calcium and then after the menopause this increases to 1,500 mg of elemental calcium per day. Calcium citrate is absorbed better than most forms of calcium and so the amount of calcium citrate (Citracal) that is needed is less than traditional forms of calcium such as oyster shell calcium and calcium carbonate. Citracal due to its increased absorption may only require 800 to 900 mg per day to have the same effect as 1,500 mg of oyster shell calcium.
