Am i getting enough calcium each day?!


Question: Am i getting enough calcium each day?
I'm 15 years old, and i'm not sure if i get enough calcium. I don't want to drink glasses of milk alone, but i don't wanna be at risk of osteoporosis etc either! :(

Right now, i eat 1 55g yogurt pot, and 1 120g yogurt pot. Only the larger one is 'fat free'

I also have a nutrigrain bar that is fortified with calcium, thiamine, and other things.
I also take vitamin c, zinc, iron and multivitamin supplements.
I have about 2 tbsp of peanut butter a day for protein.
Am i getting enough calcium? How can i get more without gaining a tonne of weight?

Answers:

You get enough Calcium through the yogurt but you need vitamin D to be present for the body to absorb it.
Whole grain contains a little bit calcium and Broccoli, nuts, beans and fruits.
Sun is a natural Vitamin D source (makes the body produce it in the beginning of the tanning process)
Butter and margarine is also added with vitamin D.

Calcium is seldom present in foods that has high GI, that makes your blood sugar level lncrease fast and makes the body store fat. (easy explained)
Margarine doesn't make you fat it is the blood sugar level you need to have at a stabile level.

You need to read yourself up on this as you are growing and building a body that you shall be using for about 70 years. So you better build it well and wise. Good luck!



You should know that countries that get little calcium have fewer instances of osteoporosis than countires that get a lot. This is probably because absorbency is more of an issue: meaning even if a diet is high in calcium, but is lacking in other nutrients that help absorption, that's a problem. Dairy is not your best bet for calcium absorption, it is very low in nutrients that help. There is no evidence that eating a lot of dairy lessens your risk for osteorporosis. Try green leafy vegetables.

The answer above me is very informative.

nutrition textbook



There is no need to take supplements if you are getting enough calcium in your diet. Plant-based foods like broccoli, kale, are excellent sources of calcium. Soy products, legumes (lentils, navy beans, etc), some grains like quinoa, are also great, low-fat sources. Sesame seeds are packed with calcium as well.

Have done my research & follow a 100% organic plant-based diet.



Calcium also comes from broccoli, kale, and other leafy green vegetables. Not just dairy products.



Dumb Texan and Ren speak the truth.



yea`



Milk builds bones and promote bone health?
To assume that osteoporosis is due to calcium deficiency is like assuming that infection is due to penicillin deficiency." To assume that height is due to drinking cow milk instead of genetics, regular exercising, and a well-balanced diet is stupid! Bone loss and deteriorating bone tissue that take place in osteoporosis are due not to calcium deficiency but rather to its destruction. It's not that our bodies don't get enough calcium, rather that they excrete too much of what they already have.

In the U.S. today, 44 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone density, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and broken bones. Osteoporosis is a major public health threat which afflicts 55% of Americans aged 50 and above. Fragility fractures of ribs are also common in Western men. 1 in 3 British women have osteoporosis. Milk builds/protects bones?

Yet, in countries such as India, Japan, and Peru where average daily calcium intake is as low as 300 milligrams per day (less than a third of the U.S. recommendation for adults, ages 19 to 50), the incidence of bone fractures is quite low. Yet in countries where dairy is high/common, the rate of osteoporosis highest.
The role of calcium in preventing and treating osteoporosis is unclear — some populations with extremely low calcium intake also have extremely low rates of bone fracture, and others with high rates of calcium intake through milk and milk products have higher rates of bone fracture. Other factors, such as protein, salt and vitamin D intake, exercise and exposure to sunlight, can all influence bone mineralization, making calcium intake one factor among many in the development of osteoporosis.
The huge push for high consumption of dairy products is really not based on good science, yet the public's been led to believe it's absolutely essential to have your three glasses a milk a day.Don't get me wrong calcium is important. But is calcium excretion leading to bone loss that is the cause of osteoporosis, not how much calcium intake is. There is no calcium deficiency crisis in the western.

Vitamin D and magnesium is more important than calcium. vitamin D plays a critical role in maintaining bone health and is needed in calcium absorption.Several studies have shown that a high intake of vitamin D reduces fractures in the elderly. Vitamin D deficiency is why causes calcium and phosphorous excretion. Magnesium is needed for calcium absorption because it works with calcium in muscle contraction and relaxation. It also works with vitamin D, potassium and other minerals.
There is no conclusive evidence milk promotes bone health. It's all marketing hype and based on no body of evidence perpetrated by the dairy industry can its cronies the USDA and FDA.

At this time, the optimal intake of calcium is not clear, nor is the optimal source or sources of calcium. the National Academy of Sciences currently recommends that people ages 19 to 50 consume 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day, and that those age 50 or over get 1,200 milligrams per day. Reaching 1,200 milligrams per day would usually require drinking two to three glasses of milk per day—or taking calcium supplements—over and above an overall healthy diet. Plus, these recommendations are based on very short-term studies, and are likely to be higher than what people really need.

The calcium in milk is not very bioavailable in the human body and only has a 20-30% absorption. Because of unresolved concerns about the risk of ovarian and prostate cancer, it may be prudent to avoid higher intakes of dairy products.
Drinking cow's milk will result in more calcium being lost than gained. Many are not aware of this and rely on milk for their calcium. Bones are better served by getting calcium from fruit and vegetable, exercising regularly, getting adequate vitamin D, and getting Calcium from plant sources.

Food Sources:
Green leafy vegetables (kelp, parsley, dandelion leaves, chopped spinach, swiss chard), whole grains (wheat bran, wheat germ, buckwheat, whole wheat bread, brown rice, millet, barley, rye, shredded wheat, 100% bran cereal, oat bran), nuts (cashews, almonds, brazil, peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, dried coconut), sunflower seeds, bean curd, blackstrap molasses, dried apricots, corn, avocado, garlic, fresh green peas, sweet potato, blackberries, broccoli florets, cauliflower, carrots, white fish, celery, chicken, asparagus, stewing beef, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, black-eyed peas, lima beans, , okra, hard water, and banana.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsou…

National Osteoporosis Foundation




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