Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Calcium in Foods

Calcium is essential to life. Calcium is a mineral that is essential for building strong bones. Children need good amounts of calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Adults (especially women) need calcium to prevent osteoporosis (porous bones).


Tweens and teens need 1,300 milligrams (mg) of calcium a day to build strong bones for life. (Adults up to age 50 need about 1,000 mg a day.) Milk and milk products are excellent sources of calcium and other nutrients. Tweens and teens can get most of their daily calcium from 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk (approximately 900 mg), but they also need additional servings of foods that provide calcium to meet their calcium needs. Most milk is fortified with vitamin D, an important nutrient that helps the body absorb more calcium.


Calcium intake between the ages of 9 and 18 is critical for bone development because most bone mass (bone strength and density) accumulates during this time. Bones stop increasing in density after about age 30.


Benefits of Calcium

By getting the right amount of calcium, it helps:

  • Strengthen bones
  • Prevent osteoporosis later in life (Osteoporosis is a condition that makes bones weak so they break more easily.)
  • Improve lifelong dental health (helps make teeth, gums, and jawbones healthy and strong; helps protect teeth against decay)


Calcium-Rich Foods

For Lacto-Ovo Vegetarians

  • Cheese
  • Dried beans
  • Green leafy vegetables like broccoli, chinese cabbage (pechay)
  • Legumes
  • Milk (fortified with calcium, nonfat, skim, whole)
  • Nuts 
  • Seeds
  • Soybeans
  • Soymilk
  • Hard soybean cheese/curd (tokwa)
  • Soft soybean cheese/curd (tofu)
  • Yogurt
  • Whole graincereals

For Non-Vegetarians

  • Fish with edible bones like anchovy (dilis), sardines, salmon, tuna  


Weight-Bearing Physical Activity


Bones are living tissue. Weight-bearing physical activity causes new bone tissue to form, which makes bones stronger. Weight-bearing activities are those that keep you active and on your feet so that your legs carry your body weight.


Activities such as walking, running, dancing, climbing stairs, and playing team sports such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball help make bones stronger. Older teenagers can build even more bone strength through weight training, but they should check with a health care provider before starting weight training.


Some activities, such as swimming, do not provide weight-bearing benefits. But they are good for cardiovascular fitness and overall good health.


References:
Healing Wonders of Diet Effective Guide to Diet Therapy p.240 © 2003 Philippine Publishing House ISBN 971-581-013-6
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/teachers/upload/mm_calcium_fact_sheet.pdf Retrieved on April 18, 2011