Question
Is calcium important for patients with arthritis? What about other vitamins?
Answer
Calcium and vitamin D are important nutritional supplements for patients with arthritis, particularly women. Some medications, namely corticosteroids, used to treat arthritis can be detrimental to your bone health in the long run and calcium and vitamin D can help combat those side effects. We usually recommend calcium intake be between 1000-1500mg per day (in divided dosed) and vitamin D be between 800-1000 units daily. However, your requirements may be more or less based on your inflammatory disease, medication regimen, and tolerability of the supplements so be sure to check with your doctor about exactly how much is right for you.
