Boneing Up on Calcium
Boneing Up on Calcium
By SurgeryConcerns.com Consultant, Mary K. Sawyer Morse, PH.D, RD.
The pictures are frightening. Porous, fragile bones. Broken hips and hunched backs. A lack of calcium may result in the bone thinning disease osteoporosis, which affects older American men and women. Osteoporosis is a condition of gradually weakening brittle bones. As bones lose calcium and other minerals, they become more fragile and porous. Osteoporosis is the cause of more than 1.5 million bone fractures each year. These fractures often lead to permanent changes in lifestyle. Calcium is a key ingredient in maintaining good bone health and slowing bone loss later in life.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. It plays two important roles. First, it is an essential part of bone structure. Second, bone calcium serves as a reservoir that releases calcium to the body fluids when there is a drop in blood calcium concentration. Calcium in body fluids plays several important roles including maintaining normal blood pressure and nerve transmission.
The establishment of recommended intakes for calcium is
difficult because absorption varies not only with age, but also
with a person's vitamin D status, the calcium content of the
diet, and calcium binders in foods. In general, calcium
recommendations are high for young people and for those over age 51 because calcium absorption declines with age.
The current recommendations are:
* Adolescents 1,300 milligrams per day (the equivalent of 4 glasses of milk)
* Women and men (19-50) 1,000 milligrams per day
* Women and men (51 years and older) 1,200 milligrams per day
To get
enough calcium, it is recommended that you eat at least three servings of calcium-rich foods daily. Dairy foods provide the greatest amount of calcium and the nutrients that help with its absorption. Calcium fortified foods like fruit juice, breads, cereals, and breakfast bars can also help meet calcium needs.
The final option is a calcium supplement. For best absorption choose products containing calcium citrate or calcium caltrate. Avoid calcium supplements with dolomite or bone meal. They may contain very small amounts of lead and other metals. In addition, avoid calcium-containing antacids that contain aluminum and magnesium hydroxide, which cause calcium loss. Remember to drink plenty of fluids with calcium supplements to avoid constipation.
Consider however before reaching for that supplement that the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research recommends foods as a source of calcium in preference to a supplement.
In addition to calcium intake, weight-bearing exercise like walking, jogging and ballroom dancing helps keeps bones dense. No matter what your age, making choices to keep your bones healthy is the right decision.
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Dr. Morse is a consultant for Surgeryconcerns.com Where she's available for private consultations. For more information visit http://www.SurgeryConcerns.com
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