Health Report: Tips on Calcium
Who doesn’t get enough calcium? I will sheepishly raise my hand. I can’t tell you how many times my doctors have told me that I need more calcium in my diet. And no, the milk in my Froot Loops does not count. I have always taken their advice with a grain of salt, but as I’m getting older and more aware of my health choices, I realize that I need to consume more calcium. In May’s edition of Better Homes and Gardens, they had a full article on the importance of calcium for women. Did you know that women under fifty need 1,000 mg a day, older women need 1,200 mg. When reading that, I didn’t know exactly what my daily consumption was, but I could bet it wasn’t anywhere close. Reading through the article, I was pleased to see that BH&G offered five tips and tricks to hitting your mark.
1. Low-fat diary delivers more. This example was used: 8 ounces of whole-milk yogurt has about 274 mg of calcium, while an equal amount of low-fat yogurt has about 400 mg.
2. Don’t just reach for the milk. What do you think of right away when someone says you need calcium- milk. But this isn’t your only option. BH&G suggest dry roasted almonds, green leafy vegetables, canned salmon, and even sardines as alternatives.
3. Absorption depends on D. Vitamin D regulates calcium in the small intestine, so it is important that you are getting enough of this. Skin makes vitamin D in response to sunlight, but you can also get this vital vitamin through foods such as fortified milk or even sockeye salmon- or take a supplement.
4. Divide big doses. I learned something new with this tip- the body can’t handle too much calcium at once. BH&G says 500 mg or so at one time is enough. Something to keep in mind.
5. Dose and pill size aren’t synonymous. Be sure to check all labels thoroughly to know how much supplement is in each tablet. This goes for all pills and supplements.
I felt that I really took a lot away from this great article in Better Homes and Gardens. Not only did it reiterate the fact that calcium is much needed in the body, but the tips and advice that was given was easy to understand and better- easy to do. I’m happy to report that since reading the article, I have been drinking more milk (I’ve found I really enjoy milk with pasta dishes- who would have guessed?) started eating more yogurt, and even found out that I can tolerate spinach. Do you have tips of your own that you use to get enough calcium?
Research and facts retrieved from : Better Homes and Gardens, May 2011
