Calcium

What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country

For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.

What it is

Calcium is found in the body mainly in bones and teeth, and it takes part in many functions such as muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and enzyme action. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Calcium is an essential dietary mineral and an integral component of the skeleton. (European Food Safety Authority)
Calcium is a mineral your body needs to build and maintain strong bones and to carry out many important functions. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
Almost all calcium in the body is stored in bones and teeth, giving them structure and hardness. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.

Getting too little

In growing infants and children, a chronic low calcium intake slows growth and raises the risk of tetany, rickets, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Calcium deficiency causes a reduction in bone mass, leading to a lower than normal bone mineral density, as well as various skeletal disorders including rickets, osteomalacia (adult rickets), osteoporosis and fractures. (European Food Safety Authority)
Getting too little calcium can cause several conditions, including osteoporosis, which causes weak, fragile bones and increases the risk of falls and fractures (broken bones); rickets, a disease in children that causes soft, weak bones; and osteomalacia, which causes soft bones in children and adults. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.

Getting too much

Harmful effects from excessive calcium intake are mostly due to supplements rather than food. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
In adults aged 19–64 years, taking in too much calcium may raise the risk of kidney stones. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
About the number: Age range (who this applies to), from the source section heading "Adulthood (19–64 years)" — not an intake amount
Some research suggests that high calcium intakes might increase the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
High levels of calcium in the blood and urine can cause poor muscle tone, poor kidney function, low phosphate levels, constipation, nausea, weight loss, extreme tiredness, frequent need to urinate, abnormal heart rhythms, and a high risk of death from heart disease. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.
However, high levels of calcium in the blood and urine are usually caused by a health condition such as high levels of parathyroid hormone or cancer, not by high calcium intakes. (US National Institutes of Health)
Wording taken from the NIH ODS fact sheet by SuppleBoard, with some details left out.

Daily reference values by country

Korea · US · EU — tap to open

These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL

Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)

Group	EAR	RNI	AI	UL
0–5 months			200 mg	Checking
6–11 months			300 mg	Checking
1–2 years	400 mg	450 mg		Checking
3–5 years	450 mg	550 mg		Checking
Male · 6–8 years	600 mg	700 mg		Checking
Male · 9–11 years	700 mg	800 mg		Checking
Male · 12–14 years	800 mg	950 mg		Checking
Male · 15–18 years	700 mg	800 mg		Checking
Male · 19–29 years	650 mg	800 mg		Checking
Male · 30–49 years	650 mg	800 mg		Checking
Male · 50–64 years	650 mg	800 mg		Checking
Male · 65–74 years	650 mg	800 mg		Checking
Male · 75+ years	650 mg	800 mg		Checking
Female · 6–8 years	600 mg	700 mg		Checking
Female · 9–11 years	700 mg	800 mg		Checking
Female · 12–14 years	700 mg	850 mg		Checking
Female · 15–18 years	550 mg	700 mg		Checking
Female · 19–29 years	500 mg	650 mg		Checking
Female · 30–49 years	500 mg	650 mg		Checking
Female · 50–64 years	650 mg	750 mg		Checking
Female · 65–74 years	600 mg	750 mg		Checking
Female · 75+ years	600 mg	750 mg		Checking
Pregnancy	+0 mg	+0 mg		Checking
Lactation	+0 mg	+0 mg		Checking

US — NASEM (National Academies)

Group	EAR	RDA	AI	UL
1–3 years	500 mg	700 mg		2500 mg
4–8 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Male · 9–13 years	1100 mg	1300 mg		3000 mg
Male · 14–18 years	1100 mg	1300 mg		3000 mg
Male · 19–30 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Male · 31–50 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Male · 51–70 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2000 mg
Male · 71+ years	1000 mg	1200 mg		2000 mg
Female · 9–13 years	1100 mg	1300 mg		3000 mg
Female · 14–18 years	1100 mg	1300 mg		3000 mg
Female · 19–30 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Female · 31–50 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Female · 51–70 years	1000 mg	1200 mg		2000 mg
Female · 71+ years	1000 mg	1200 mg		2000 mg
Pregnancy · 14–18 years	1000 mg	1300 mg		3000 mg
Pregnancy · 19–30 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Pregnancy · 31–50 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Lactation · 14–18 years	1000 mg	1300 mg		3000 mg
Lactation · 19–30 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
Lactation · 31–50 years	800 mg	1000 mg		2500 mg
0–6 months			200 mg	1000 mg
7–12 months			260 mg	1500 mg

UL — applies to: Unless otherwise specified, the total intake from food, water, and supplements combined.

EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)

Group	AR	PRI	AI	UL
7–11 months			280 mg
1–3 years	390 mg	450 mg		—
4–10 years	680 mg	800 mg
11–17 years	960 mg	1150 mg
18–24 years	860 mg	1000 mg
25+ years	750 mg	950 mg
Pregnancy · 18–24 years	860 mg	1000 mg
Pregnancy · 25+ years	750 mg	950 mg
Lactation · 18–24 years	860 mg	1000 mg
Lactation · 25–60 years	750 mg	950 mg
18+ years				2500 mg
Pregnancy · 18+ years				2500 mg
Lactation · 18+ years				2500 mg
4–6 years				—
7–10 years				—
11–14 years				—
15–17 years				—

UL — applies to: The total chronic daily intake from all dietary sources, including food.

Sources

EFSA DRV Finder (Dietary Reference Values) · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 3: Minerals (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Calcium Fact Sheet for Consumers · checked 2026-10-13

The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-17.

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