Most American adults consume only half the recommended calcium

Milk is an excellent source of calcium.

By BARB KAMPBELL
The Trucker Staff

7/31/2008

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body, and has several functions, yet most adults only take in about half of the amount needed for optimum health.

More than 99 percent of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it functions to support their structure. The rest is found throughout the body in blood, muscle, and the fluid between cells.

Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium is critical to help prevent osteoporosis, helps keep blood pressure stable, has been linked to lowered levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, reduced risk of certain cancers, and even weight loss.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that women consume only 10 percent of the three recommended servings per day. Milk is the best source for calcium.

Since the body can only absorb about 500 milligrams of calcium at a time, it’s best to obtain it from a variety of foods during the day. Milk and dairy products, such as yogurt or cheese, make it easy to get small portions throughout the day.

Fortified milk is one of only a few dietary sources of vitamin D, a nutrient that helps your body better absorb calcium and one of the nutrients that women need most. A cup of milk contains 100 International Units (IU) of vitamin D, half the amount currently recommended for adults under age 50 and a quarter of the amount needed for those age 51 to 70. Milk is also fortified with vitamin A, a key nutrient for vision and a healthy immune system.

For people under the age of 50, 1,000 milligrams (mg) of calcium is recommended daily. Those over the age of 50 need 1,200 mg. To get these levels a person would need to consume, for example, three of the following per day (each contain about 300 mg of calcium).

• One cup of milk

• A cup of yogurt

• One-and-a-half ounces of cheese

• One-half cup of part-skim ricotta cheese

• One cup of buttermilk

• One cup of black-eyed peas

• Three ounces of canned salmon (with bones)

• One cup low-fat cottage cheese

• One-half cup of boiled spinach, or

• Two tablespoons of medium molasses.

Some other sources of calcium include: sardines (with bones); tofu; orange juice; pudding; some instant breakfast drinks; turnip greens; kale; and bread.

In addition to eating foods containing high levels of calcium, some people may also need to take supplements. In 2002, calcium supplements were the number one selling mineral supplement and the third highest selling supplement overall in the U.S. nutrition industry totaling about $877 million in sales.

According to MayoClinic.com, the key factor to consider when buying calcium supplements is the amount of elemental calcium they contain. The term "elemental calcium" refers to the amount of calcium in a supplement that's available for your body to absorb. Most calcium supplements list the amount of elemental calcium on the label. But some brands list only the total weight — in milligrams (mg) — of each tablet. This is the weight of the calcium, plus whatever it's bound to — such as carbonate, citrate, lactate or gluconate.

The best way to get the proper amount of calcium is through food but if necessary add supplements to ensure that the body gets enough calcium.