calcium for better health

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, all age groups fall short in getting the recommended amount of calcium in the diet, but women and older people have the most trouble getting the calcium they need.

Calcium is essential for building stronger, denser bones and teeth early in life and for slowing the rate of bone loss later in life. Bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break.

To get more calcium in the diet, look for calcium-rich foods. Calcium is found in dairy products, calcium-fortified foods such as orange juice and breakfast cereals, legumes, greens, fish where the bones are eaten (canned sardines, salmon and mackerel), tofu (bean curd) and dietary supplements. The most concentrated natural source of calcium is milk.

Ohio State University Extension offers these tips to add calcium to the diet:

• If plain milk gives you gas because you are lactose intolerant, try using one of the lactose digesting products on the market (Lactaid®, Dairy Ease®). You can buy fresh lactaid milk with extra calcium.
• Use cheese -There are many lowfat and nonfat options. Eat cheese plain or combine it with other foods where it calls for traditional cheeses.
• Use yogurt - Use as a substitute for mayonnaise in salad dressings, replace sour cream with it in dips, salads, desserts and main dishes. If a thicker product is desired, drain the yogurt by placing it in a coffee filter and strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Use frozen yogurt for dessert instead of ice cream.
• Use dry milk as an additive in cooking and baking - Add dry milk to main dishes like meatloaf, cream soups, Stroganoff, spaghetti, lasagna, chili, enchiladas, tacos, chicken and broccoli casserole, macaroni and cheese (even from the box), and most casseroles with a cream soup base. It also can be added to baked products such as cookies, brownies (marble), cake mixes, coffee cake, muffins, biscuits, pancakes, French toast, quick breads, yeast breads and rolls and their fillings, and bread dressing.
• Add dry milk to other milk-based products such as puddings, pudding popsicles, cheese sauces, milk shakes (made from dry milk, sugar, fruit or flavoring, ice cubes or frozen yogurt), milk gravy, cheesecakes, custards, cream soups, and creamy salad dressings (make it with a yogurt base, not a sour cream or mayonnaise one). Most recipes will tolerate 1/4 to 1/2 cup dry milk added. Serving size portions may take 1/2 to 1 tablespoon.
• Use nondairy sources if you have a severe allergy to milk. Drink juices fortified with calcium, and combine this with a daily dose of higher calcium vegetables (greens), legumes (dried beans, peas and lentils), tofu or fortified grain products. Use canned fish with bones (salmon, sardines, mackerel). When simmering bones to make soup stock, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the pot. This will dissolve a small amount of the calcium from the bones and leave it in the meat broth.

Use a dietary supplement of calcium, with or without vitamin D added, or a general vitamin-mineral supplement containing calcium. Make sure the calcium supplement will disintegrate properly by placing it in 6 ounces of vinegar for 30 minutes. If it disintegrates your body will be able to absorb the calcium in the pill.

Often calcium is lost in cooking some foods even under the best conditions. To retain calcium, cook foods in a minimal amount of water for the shortest possible time.

A note about vitamin D

Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium from foods that you eat. You can get vitamin D from fortified foods such as milk. Your body can also make vitamin D during exposure to sunlight. Ten to 15 minutes of sun on your face and hands each day is enough for your body to make a day's supply of vitamin D.

Sources: Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheets HYG-5506-93 and HYG-5557-97, Centers for Disease Control

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