THE IMPORTANCE OF CALCIUM and WHY WE ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH CALCIUM

No one disputes that calcium is essential for building strong bones and teeth.

Women, men and children need it. In fact. While the message about osteoporosis

prevention and bone strength seems directed at the older women, it is even more

important to bolster calcium intake during childhood and adolescence, when there is rapid

and significant bone growth, than it is when we are older and losing bone mass.

According to medical experts, humans build bone mass between age nine and 18.

Ninety percent of it develops before age 20 and the rest by age 30. Thus, what we build

then is most important because after that we cannot build more bones mass. After the

age of 30, we take in calcium just to maintain the bone strength.

That makes it critically important to begin a diet high calcium as children and

continue it throughout our lives. Children should be given calcium-rich food beginning at

age 4.

Unfortunately, available data indicates that most children older than eight don’t get

enough calcium, leaving the at risk for fractures or for developing osteoporosis in

adulthood. It is recommended that doctors evaluate children for calcium intake three

times during childhood – at ages of two to three, eight to nine and teens – by asking few

questions about diet, milk consumption, the amount of exercise they get and whether

there is a family history of osteoporosis.

Guidelines by doctors recommended vitamin D supplements for breast-fed only

babies and older children who don’t get adequate amounts of vitamin D, either because

they don’t drink vitamin D fortified milk or don’t get enough sunlight. The human body

needs 10 to 15 minutes per week of sun exposure to produce adequate vitamin D.

It is not always easy to get children to consume calcium rich foods. Some are

allergic to dairy products which are the best source of calcium. Some parents act before

there is a problem and give soy formulas to their children.

Another obstacles is that when children become teenagers, parents don’t have the

same control over their diets as the lattes are always trying to keep their weight down.

Many stop eating breakfast where there is plenty of yoghurt and fresh food available and

are exposed to a whole new level of tastes. A study showed that when children reach age

19, they are drinking three times more soft drinks and 25% less milk than they did as

children. Those who drank less milk had less calcium overall in their diets which

contributes to osteoporosis at a later age.

In general, food that contain the most concentrated amounts of calcium are dairy

products such as milk, yoghurt, cheese and ice-cream. There are also other good calcium

sources: beans, tofu, canned salmon, almonds, sesame seeds, dried figs, broccoli, kale

and some grains.

It is important to use products like calcium-enriched soy milk and calcium-fortified

orange juice if they don’t eat dairy products. Calcium supplements are important in

calcium- poor diets. It is best to get your calcium needs through food intake, but when that

is not possible, supplements can help make up what the diet lacks.

Whatever the dietary source of calcium, it must be absorbed properly for it to be

beneficial. Some nutrients that interface with calcium absorption are sodium, caffeine, too

much protein, oxylates found in tea and high calcium food and phosphorus. Smoking,

stress and lack of exercise may also contribute to the body not being able to absorb

calcium effectively.

Exercise is important to prevent osteoporosis. Weight bearing exercise helps

maximize bone strength by making bones and muscles work against gravity. Examples of

weight-bearing exercises are walking, running, dancing, aerobics and skating.

bolster calcium intake during chidhood and adolescence important to begin a diet high in calcium rich foodvitamin D supplementssmoking, stress and lack of exercisecalcium-enriched soy milk and calcium-fortified orang juicemost concentrated amounts of calcium are dairy products

CONCLUSION

Humans need sufficient calcium to build strong bones and teeth. Calcium intake

must be increased and is critical during childhood and adolescence, a period of rapid

significant bone growth. Ninety percent of bone mass is built before age 20 and after 30,

calcium intake maintains bone strength. Calcium-rich food is vital but children above 8 get

inadequate calcium placing them at risk for fractures. Some children don’t consume

calcium-rich foods as they are allergic to dairy products, the best source of calcium. Some

parents give soy formulas. Weight-conscious teenagers stop eating calcium rich breakfast

and consume copious amounts of soft drinks leading to osteoporosis at old age. Calcium-

enriched products, fortified drinks and supplements are important but certain nutrients,

smoking, stress and lack of exercise interfere with calcium absorption.