With only 1 out of 10 teenage girls getting enough calcium, every month should be National Osteoporosis Prevention Month. But only one month qualifies, May. This month is the catalyst for building awareness to prevent osteoporosis and promote the importance of building and maintaining good bone health. Osteoporosis is a debilitating, and even killer disease that afflicts nearly 10 million women in the U.S. alone. Although many factors contribute to the risk of osteoporosis, one good way to reduce the risk is to ensure an adequate intake of dietary calcium throughout life, particularly at a young age. Unfortunately, Americans are doing dismally in meeting their calcium needs, particularly during adolescence, the most critical life phase for developing bone mass.
Dietary intakes of calcium in the U.S. are far below that needed to build proper bone mass. The gap between the amount we need and the amount we're eating is large and growing. For example, recommended intakes for pre-teens and teenagers (age 9 through 18) is between 1200 and 1500 mg per day (1996 National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference) while actual intakes are around 800 mg for girls and 1100 mg for boys.
One problem in getting enough calcium is that not many foods are naturally a good source of calcium. The list is small and primarily limited to dairy foods like milk, cheese and yogurt. For the millions of Americans who suffer from lactose intolerance and, therefore, have difficulty digesting dairy foods, this makes getting enough calcium particularly difficult.
"The message for moms is really simple," said William J. Klish, MD, Head of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. "If your teens and pre-teens are not eating 4 to 5 servings of dairy products every day, then they're not getting enough calcium and you need to consider including calcium fortified foods."
Source: PRNewswire
Additional resources: Reversing Osteopenia: The
Definitive Guide to Recognizing and Treating Early Bone Loss in Women of All
Ages McIlwain,
Bruce, Henry Holt & Co. 2004
*The purpose of this page and linked pages is to answer common questions for health problems as well as to present unique ideas towards taking care of your health. The ideas, procedures and suggestions are not intended as a substitute from the medical advice of a trained health professional. All matters regarding our health require medical supervision. Consult your physician before adopting the suggestions in this book, as well as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The authors disclaim an liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of techniques described here.
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