Raising Your Calcium Intake
Recent changes in recommendations for calcium intake find close to 70% of Americans not consuming enough of this bone-saving mineral. A 1997 report by a committee of the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine encourages an increased calcium intake for nearly all age groups, especially for adults over age 50 and for adolescents. An inadequate calcium intake can lead to decreased bone mass and a greater risk of thin, brittle bones which break more easily. With our population living longer, the bone-crippling disease osteoporosis is of greater concern. Bone is as much as 32 percent calcium. Diets low in calcium may also contribute to hypertension - another name for high blood pressure.
The teenage years are a critical time for gaining bone mass and often a time of low-calcium intake due to preference of other beverages over calcium-rich milk. The new recommendations call for adolescents between the ages of 9 and 18 to consume 1,300 mg. of calcium daily. This is up from the 1989 guidelines of only 800 mg. for 9- and 10-year-olds, and of 1,200 for 11- 18-year-olds. Adults between the ages of 19 and 50 should consume 1,000 mg. of calcium daily, while adults older than 50 should consume 1,200 mg. of calcium per day. This is greater than the 800 mg. recommended for most adults in the old guidelines.
Contrary to previous recommendations, pregnant and breastfeeding women do not need to consume more calcium. Recommendations now are the same as for other women in the same age group. Research has shown that pregnant and breastfeeding women have increased calcium absorption due to more efficient metabolism of Vitamin D.
Dairy products contain the highest amount of calcium among non-fortified or calcium-added foods. There are other foods that supply this nutrient, but some contain substances that bind with some of the calcium so that it is not fully absorbed. For example, to get the same amount of absorbable calcium from one cup of milk, one would need to eat 8 cups of spinach or 7 cups of red beans. A table of calcium-rich foods follows.
FOODS |
Milligrams of Calcium |
MILK GROUP |
|
Yogurt, plain, nonfat (1 cup) |
452 |
Yogurt, plain, low fat (1 cup) |
415 |
Cheese, Swiss (1 2 oz.) |
408 |
Milkshake, chocolate (10 fl. oz.) |
332 |
Yogurt, fruit flavored (1 cup) |
314 |
Cheese, cheddar (1 2 oz.) |
306 |
Milk, skim (1 cup) |
302 |
Milk, 1% low-fat (1 cup) |
300 |
Milk, 2% reduced-fat (1 cup) |
297 |
Milk, whole (1 cup) |
291 |
Buttermilk (1 cup) |
284 |
Cheese, mozzarella, part skim (1 2 oz.) |
275 |
Cheese, American process (1 2 oz.) |
261 |
Pudding, cooked (2 cup) |
155 |
Ice milk, soft-serve (2 cup) |
138 |
Ice milk, hardened (2 cup) |
92 |
Ice cream, hardened, 16% fat (2 cup) |
87 |
Ice cream, hardened, 10% fat (2 cup) |
84 |
Cheese, cottage, 2% low-fat (2 cup) |
77 |
PROTEIN GROUP |
|
Tofu, with calcium sulfate (2 cup) |
434 |
Sardines, canned with bones (3 oz.) |
321 |
Salmon, canned with bones (3 oz.) |
203 |
Almonds (1/3 cup) |
135 |
Tofu, without calcium sulfate(2 cup) |
130 |
Perch, baked (3 oz.) |
87 |
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GROUP |
|
Calcium-fortified orange juice |
300 |
Spinach, fresh, cooked (2 cup) |
122 |
Turnip greens, fresh, cooked (2 cup) |
99 |
Orange, raw (1 fruit) |
52 |
GRAIN GROUP |
|
Waffle, homemade (7" waffle) |
191 |
Biscuit, from mix (1 biscuit) |
105 |
The new Calcium Requirements and corresponding serving recommendations of dairy products are as follows:
|
Age |
Mg/Calcium |
Number of Milk Group Servings* |
| Children 1-3 | 500 mg. |
3 servings** |
Children 4-8 |
800 mg. |
3 servings |
Children 9-18 |
1,300 mg. |
4 servings |
Pregnant or Breastfeeding <=18 |
1,300 mg. |
4 servings |
Adults 19-50 |
1,000 mg. |
3 servings |
Pregnant or Breastfeeding 19-50 |
1,000 mg. |
3 servings |
Adults 50+ |
1,200 mg. |
4 servings |
* A serving equals 8 oz. of milk, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 2 -2 oz. of cheese.
** Serving sizes for children ages 1-3 are 2/3 of adult size.
Ideas for adding more calcium to the diet include:
- Use milk instead of water with cocoa and canned soups.
- Add cheese to sandwiches and hamburgers.
- Use desserts and beverages containing milk such as puddings, custards, milkshakes.
- Add extra cheese to macaroni and cheese and other casseroles.
The WIC Program targets calcium as one of the nutrients to increase in participants' diets. Milk and cheese are part of the WIC food package available to women and children. For more information on the Montana WIC Program please contact your local WIC office.
