menopause supplements

• Postmenopausal women who are getting adequate calcium from dietary intake alone (approximately 1200 mg daily) do not need to take calcium supplements.
• Women with inadequate dietary intake should take supplemental elemental calcium (generally 500 to 1000 mg/day), in divided doses at mealtime, such that their total calcium intake (diet plus supplements) approximates 1200 mg/day.
• Women should also ingest a total of 800 international units of vitamin D daily. Higher doses are required if they have malabsorption or rapid metabolism of vitamin D due to concomitant anticonvulsant drug therapy. Most postmenopausal women with osteoporosis require vitamin D supplementation as it is difficult to achieve goals with diet alone.