Q: I’ve recently been diagnosed with osteopenia and am trying to gather information about calcium from natural food sources. How do I get relevant information from food labels?
– GMW, Denver
A: Calcium helps keep bones and teeth healthy and strong. It is also necessary for healthy blood pressure, regular heart rhythm, blood clotting, muscle contraction, the transmission of nerve impulses, and as ordnance against heart attack, PMS and colon cancer.
Unfortunately, Americans get only half of the calcium we need. If we don’t provide it via food, supplements or both, the body takes it from bone. And when it is gone from bone, it is mighty difficult to get it back.
The main sources of calcium are milk and milk products (cheese, yogurt), salmon and sardines (canned with bones), grain cereals (such as Total, oatmeal), fortified fruit juices, vegetables (bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, turnip greens, kale) and beans (black, kidney, pinto, chickpeas). It is still too early to say if soy products can provide the bone support lost to menopausal women. Still, calcium-fortified soy milk is available.
Daily calcium needs change as we age. Adolescents, teens and young adults (11-24) must get 1,200 to 1,500 milligrams a day. These are prime bone-building years, and it is critical this age group get as much bone density as possible to have healthy bones in adulthood. Adults (25-50 years) need 1,000mg; pregnant and nursing women 1,200-1,500mg; postmenopausal women (and all adults over 65) 1,500mg daily.
Food labels show a “percent daily value” that is based on a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet. The daily value the government uses for calcium is 1,000mg. This makes it easy for calculation purposes because all you need to do to find out how much is in the product is remove the percent symbol and add a zero in its place. For example, an ounce of cheese provides 20 percent of the daily value for calcium. This means 200mg.
Exercise (particularly weight-
bearing exercises that work against gravity and put strain on the bones), vitamin D, magnesium and potassium are also necessary for bone health. Excessive alcohol, soft drinks, caffeine, sodium and too much vitamin A (specifically retinol over 3,000 IU) can harm bones.
Supplements can’t replace food but provide a safety net. The easiest and best absorbed is calcium citrate; it can be taken and absorbed without food.
Send questions to Body Language, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 or LJBalance@aol.com.
