The Ca and P balance studies were carried out with two different diets varying Ca levels : the current Korean RDA level(normal Ca diet) and the high level (High Ca diet) which was determined by adding 2SD to mean Ca intake of all subjects. The subjects were sever healthy adult woman, aged from 25 to 32 years old. The metabolic studies were conducted for two weeks with a days recess in between : during the fist week with normal Ca diet and during the second week with high Ca diet. The composition of nutrients excepting Ca of both diets was similar to subjects usual intake. The result were summarized as follows: Mean daily Ca intake was 728.8mg from norma Ca diet and 945.5mg from high Ca diet. Fecal excretion of Ca increased significantly(p<0.05) on high Ca diet, but urinary excretion of Ca did not show any differences between the two diet periods. There were also no significant differences in Ca retention between the two diet periods but it tended to be greater during high Ca diet period: 112.1mg/day during normal Ca diet period vs 208.2mg/day during high Ca diet period. Mean apparent Ca absorption was 41.2% on normal Ca diet and 42.1% on high Ca diet, indicating it was not affected by high Ca intake level used in this study. On the contrary, P retention was significantly increased up to 109.4mg/day with high Ca diet as compared to- 41mg/day with normal Ca diet. There were no significant differences in fecal and urinary excretion of P but those to be lower during high Ca diet period. The above results showed that higher Ca intake more than current RDA(700mg/day), in the level of 945.5mg/day, could increase Ca retention through Ca absorption comparable to the rate appeared on RDA level intake. P retention was also improved by high Ca intake. Therefore, higher Ca intake than the current RDA level seemed to produce favorable effects on bone health in adult women. However, the current RDA level seemed to be relatively appropriate, considering the results that all the subjects but one maintained positive Ca balance with normal Ca diet. (Korean J Nutrition 34(1):54-61, 2001)