Health Topics for Nutrition

Calcium: How much is enough?

Calcium is an essential mineral important to our bone health and a key element necessary for:

• normal nerve conduction

• blood clotting and

• muscle contraction (including the contraction of the heart)

Calcium deficiency in the blood is rare. That is because our bones store calcium and release it into the blood stream whenever blood levels dip below certain critical levels. The good news then is our body can withstand a short-term deficit in calcium intake by breaking down bone to meet the immediate need for calcium. The bad news is that if our diets are deficient for long periods of time we will significantly deplete the bone stores causing osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a decrease in the bone matrix, which leads to small holes in the bone tissue. Over time, the accumulation of these holes causes the bone to thin and eventually break, even with the smallest stress such as a soft fall. In order to prevent osteoporosis, adequate calcium must be consumed throughout a person's life span, particularly during adolescence and early adulthood when bone tissue mass is being maximized.

So, who needs calcium and how much? Most health experts agree that many of us may need 1200 to 1500 milligrams per day. About 75 percent of Americans consume less than what is recommended.

The Dietary Reference Intake (also known as DRI) tells us how much calcium we need:

• Adolescents need 1,300 milligrams a day.

• Adults should be getting 1,000 milligrams a day and should increase their intake to 1,200 milligrams a day after age 50.

Other sources of calcium include:

• dark, green leafy vegetables

• calcium-fortified foods such as orange juice

• canned fish with bones such as sardines

• figs and

• tofu

If you are unable to consume adequate calcium in the foods you eat, you will need to consider a supplement. It is best to take calcium carbonate or calcium citrate. Taking a calcium supplement with each meal is advised for best absorption. In addition, supplements with vitamin D may be necessary in areas where sun exposure is low.

Calcium is vital to good health!

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