Calcium
proves important to diet
By
Davidson Stoneburner
Daily Mississippian
OXFORD, Miss. (U-Wire) — Plenty of Americans don’t intake the recommended
amount of calcium every day.
The National Institutes of Health believes the recommended consumption of calcium
per day, which is set by the National Research Council, is too low.
The National Institutes of Health says the amount of calcium children should
intake is 1,200 milligrams a day. Young adults and postmenopausal women should
consume 1,500 milligrams daily and women who are 25-50 years of age should
have 1,000 milligrams a day.
To reach the goal, young adults should consume an ounce of cheese, two glasses
of milk, about a half of a cup of cooked broccoli and one serving of yogurt
a day.
“I prefer to intake my calcium through feta and goat cheese, and from different
types of vegetables, such as spinach and collard greens,” said Carroll
Moore, a theater major from Orlando.
It is crucial to meet the recommended daily amount of calcium to prevent osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is bone density loss, which brittles the bone and can be prevented
by intaking enough calcium throughout the younger years.
Numerous people, especially older women, take calcium supplements to prevent
this mass decay of their bones.
This is good to do, but calcium supplements should be chosen carefully.
“All calcium supplements are not created equal. The stomach absorbs some
better than others,” said Michael F. Holick, M.D., a Boston University
professor and head of the Bone Healthcare Clinic at Boston Medical Center, in
Internal Medicine News magazine. He created a test that shows whether or not
a calcium supplement is beneficial.
“Take white vinegar and mix in the calcium preparation. In 20 minutes,
if it doesn’t dissolve in white vinegar, guess what? It’s not going
to dissolve in your stomach,” Holick said.
Those who are lactose intolerant can still get an adequate amount of calcium
without having dairy products, which contain the most calcium.
Some non-dairy foods that are abundant in calcium are mustard greens, broccoli,
almonds, baked beans, canned salmon and dried figs.
A significant lack of vitamin D can also lead to osteoporosis, a greater risk
of fractures and many more problems. Your primary source of vitamin D comes
from the sunlight and can come from supplements as well.
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