Go to any book store and you’ll see books on the low carb diets being followed these days. Yesterday someone called to ask for good sources of calcium since the diet she was following didn’t allow for a lot of milk or dairy products; an excellent source of calcium. She was concerned about osteoporosis since she recently attended one of Cooperative Extension’s “Boning Up on Health- Understanding Osteoporosis” workshops.
Good nutrition with a wide variety of foods is critical to overall health and healthy bones. Healthy bones need a variety of nutrients including calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and others. Calcium plays an important role in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and bone health. When your diet provides enough calcium, your body deposits it in your bones, where it rebuilds and strengthens bone tissue. Bone formation starts in childhood, increases during adolescence, and continues until about age 25. After 25, your daily calcium intake helps maintain bone health. If calcium levels in the body drop below normal, calcium will be taken from bones and put into the blood to be used for other body functions. That's why it's important at all ages to consume enough calcium to maintain adequate levels in the body.
Nearly half of U.S. children and adults do not eat enough calcium. The National Academy of Sciences recommends the following amounts of calcium per day for various ages. Children age 4 - 8 years old need 800 mg calcium, youth age 8 -18 years old need 1300 mg calcium, adults aged 19 -50 years old need 1000 mg of calcium and adults 51 years and older need 1200 mg calcium
The National Institute of Health Consensus conference and the National Osteoporosis Foundation support a higher calcium intake of 1,500 milligrams per day for postmenopausal women not taking estrogen and who are adults 65 years or older. No one should take more than 2500 mg of calcium daily. In addition, the body can only absorb 500mg of calcium from food or supplements at a time. Therefore, calcium intake should be spaced out throughout the day.
Everyone needs calcium in their diet, everyday, to build and maintain healthy bones. Milk and foods made from milk are the most concentrated sources of calcium. One cup of reduced fat milk has 300 mg of calcium and one cup of nonfat yogurt has 490 mg. Some people avoid milk products because they don't like these foods, do not eat any animal products, or have lactose intolerance. Calcium fortified juices, cereals and pasta have 300 to 400 mg calcium per serving.
Even if you don't drink milk, you can get the calcium you need by eating high-calcium foods. Milk and foods made from milk are not the only sources of calcium. Other good choices are calcium-rich, low fat foods from the other food groups. Some fruits and vegetables that are high in calcium include kale, collard greens, bok choy, broccoli, and oranges. Other calcium-rich foods that are low in saturated fat include calcium-treated tofu and cooked dried beans. Foods that are fortified with added calcium, such as soymilk, juices, cereals, and pasta, are also excellent sources of calcium.
If you believe you are not getting enough calcium, talk to your doctor or dietician about your diet and whether calcium supplements are needed to meet your calcium needs.
For more information about bone building, go to:
http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/fcs/bb/index.htm
—Maria Pippidis,
Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Science.
Originally published in “Newark Outlook,”
The Newark Post
Articles Index | Staff | NCC Home
Copyright © 2004 NCC Cooperative Extension. Last revised March 11, 2004.
It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin.