Low-fat dairy products, including milk, are some of the best sources of calcium you can include in your diet. Calcium is necessary for building and maintaining strong bones throughout your life. Beginning in early childhood, it is important to drink milk or consume other sources of calcium to build up strength in your bones over time and prevent the loss of minerals in later years that lead to bone-thinning diseases such as osteoporosis.
Building Bones
With the help of bone-building cells called osteoblasts, calcium and other nutrients are absorbed into your bones, where they are stored until they are needed elsewhere in the body. At that point, cells called osteoclasts break down bone and release some of these nutrients back into your bloodstream. Up until about the age of 30, if you are healthy, get enough exercise and drink enough milk, or get enough calcium from other sources, you will build up more bone than you lose. Once you reach age 30, osteoclasts can become more active than osteoblasts, and you start to lose more bone than you build, which can weaken your skeleton and lead to bone-thining diseases such as osteoporosis. You can help maintain a strong skeleton and prevent bone loss by continuing to drink milk or consume other foods or supplements that contain calcium and other bone-building nutrients.
Calcium
The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommends 1,000 mg of calcium each day for adults age 19 to 50 and 1,200 mg a day for adults over 50. The recommendations for children are 500 mg for ages 1 to 3, 800 mg for ages 4 to 8 and 1,300 mg for ages 9 to 18.
One glass of milk provides 300 mg of calcium. Other dairy products made from milk, such as yogurt and cheese, are also excellent sources of calcium that is used to build bone. A 6-oz. container of yogurt supplies approximately 300 mg of calcium and 2 oz. of Swiss cheese supplies approximately 530 mg.
Other Bone Nutrients
Milk also supplies the minerals magnesium and phosphorus, which are essential for calcium absorption from food into your bloodstream. Most milk and some milk products are also fortified with vitamin D, which helps your body use calcium more effectively.
Milk Alternatives
Milk and other dairy products not only supply large amounts of calcium, but they also supply a form of calcium that is well-absorbed by your body. If you do not consume any milk or do not consume sufficient amounts of milk or other dairy foods, you can still get enough calcium to build and maintain strong bones from other sources in your diet. Foods that are naturally high in calcium include leafy greens such as bok choy, kale, dandelion and mustard, dried fruit such as figs and canned fish with softened bones, such as salmon and sardines. Calcium-fortified foods available in supermarkets and health food stores include cold cereals, juices, frozen waffles and tofu and milk substitutes such as soy and rice beverages.
Member Comments