Download Get More Bone-Building Calcium into Your Diet

September 2010 • Volume 13 • Number 9
bone health
Get More Bone-Building
Calcium into Your Diet
It’s no secret that calcium is essential to bone health. While many
women take calcium supplements
to meet their daily quotients, it
would be wise to get more of your
calcium from your diet than from
a pill, according to Naina Sinha,
MD, a specialist in metabolic bone
diseases and assistant professor of
medicine at Weill Cornell Medical
College: “Food is the best source of
calcium; dietary sources of calcium
are better absorbed than calcium
supplements,” she says.
Calcium’s role. Adequate calcium
intake is necessary for optimum
health, says Dr. Sinha. The Institute
of Medicine of the National Academies recommends 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium per day for
women ages 19 to 50 and 1,200 mg
for women age 50 and over.
“More than 99 percent of the calcium in your body is stored in your
teeth and bones. When you do not
get enough calcium in your diet,
then calcium is taken out of your
skeleton, and this contributes to
weaker bones,” explains Dr. Sinha.
“Calcium is needed for normal
muscle and nerve function as well.”
Calcium-rich foods. While dairy
foods are excellent sources of cal-
cium, there
are plenty of
non-dairy
sources for
those who are
lactose-intolerant, vegetarian,
or who just don’t
like dairy foods.
And some foods,
listed below, are fortified with calcium.
Dairy foods are rich in calcium, but non-dairy foods, including
➤ Dairy foods: All
some greens, beans, and nuts, and fortified foods also provide a
healthy dose of this bone-strengthening mineral.
foods and beverages made from milk
contain calcium. “The highest
broccoli, kale, and collard greens,
amount of calcium is in cheese. A
contain a significant amount of calsmall amount—just one ounce—is
cium. “The calcium in broccoli is as
packed with about 200 mg of
bioavailable as the calcium in milk.
calcium, because many ounces of
However, spinach contains phytates
milk are used to make one ounce
that bind with the calcium, so not
of cheese,” says Kathy Isoldi, PhD,
all of the calcium in spinach gets
RD, CDE, coordinator of nutrition
absorbed,” says Dr. Isoldi.
services at the Weill Cornell-affiliCanned salmon, sardines, and
ated Comprehensive Weight Consome types of beans, peas and nuts
trol Program. Choose reduced-fat
also are good calcium sources.
products, like skim milk, fat-free
yogurt, one-percent cottage cheese,
➤ Fortified foods: Many readyand reduced-fat cheeses, to keep
to-eat breakfast cereals are fortiyour saturated fat and cholesterol
fied with calcium, although they
intake under control.
contain as much as 1,000 mg per
serving, which is more than the 500
➤ Non-dairy foods: Some darkto 600 mg your body can absorb
green vegetables, like spinach,
Continued on p2 …
Originally published in Weill Cornell’s Food & Fitness Advisor. For more information, call 1-800-424-7887.
… Bone-Building Calcium, p2
at one time. “Calcium is added to
beverages like orange juice and soy
milk, but some of the calcium can
settle to the bottom of the container, so shake these beverages before
drinking them,” advises Dr. Isoldi.
Other foods sometimes fortified
with calcium include fruit juices,
breads, and baked goods. Some
tofu contains calcium, but only if
it has been processed with calcium
chloride or calcium sulfate
(check the nutrition
label).
Supplement specifics. If you’re not
getting
enough
calcium
from your
diet, you may need to supplement.
“Calcium citrate is a form of calcium that is well absorbed and can be
taken with or without food. You can
also use liquid or chewable forms
of calcium. No more than 500 to
600 mg of calcium should be taken
at one time, as this is all your body
can absorb at once,” advises Dr.
Sinha. However, taking too much
calcium can increase your risk of
developing kidney stones. “In general, you should not consume more
than 2,000 mg of calcium per day,
whether from your diet or supplements,” says Dr. Sinha. “If you are
getting 1,200 mg of calcium a day
from your diet, you do not need to
supplement.”
Drs. Sinha and
Isoldi stress
WHAT YOU CAN DO
To keep your bones healthy:
Do weight-bearing activities
(walking, jogging) at least
five days a week.
Consume 5-6 ounces of
healthy protein each day;
good sources include
fish and shellfish, skinless
poultry, lean beef and
pork, and legumes (beans,
peas and lentils).
Avoid consuming
excessive amounts of
sodium and caffeine; both
can cause calcium loss.
the importance of getting adequate
vitamin D, which is needed to assist
with calcium absorption. “Vitamin
CALCIUM IN NON-DAIRY FOODS
D, which is mainly found in fatty
Sardines, canned in oil, 3 oz
325 mg
fish such as salmon, is harder
Spinach, frozen, cooked, 1 cup
291 mg
to get from your diet,” says Dr.
Collard greens, cooked, 1 cup
266 mg
Sinha. “Most people are
deficient in vitaSoybeans, green, cooked, 1 cup
261 mg
CALCIUM IN DAIRY FOODS
min D and would
Black-eyed peas, cooked, 1 cup
211 mg
be wise to take it in
Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 1 cup
415 mg
White beans, cooked, 1 cup
191 mg
supplement form,”
Ricotta cheese, part-skim, ½ cup
335 mg
adds Dr. Isoldi.
Salmon, canned, with bones, 3 oz
181 mg
Milk, low-fat, 1 cup
305 mg
The International
Almonds, 1 oz
75 mg
Cheese, Swiss, 1 oz
224 mg
Osteoporosis
Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup
62 mg
Cheese, mozzarella, part-skim, 1 oz 207 mg
Foundation
recently increased
its
recommendation
of daily
CALCIUM IN FORTIFIED FOODS
vitamin D for adults age 60
Whole-grain Total, ¾ cup
1,000 mg
and older to 800-1,000
Total Raisin Bran, 1 cup
1,000 mg
International
Units (IU).
Soymilk, plain, 1 cup
300 mg
Rice milk, 1 cup
300 mg
Orange juice, 1 cup
300 mg
Tofu, firm, processed with calcium
chloride or calcium sulfate, 1 cup
260-550 mg
Originally published in Weill Cornell’s Food & Fitness Advisor. For more information, call 1-800-424-7887.