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free tools for patients, expert nutrition advice and information on updated
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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
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tool (PDF: 618k) to show families how to get their 3-A-Day of Dairy
every day for stronger bones.
Developed in conjunction with The American Academy of Family
Physicians, The American Academy of Pediatrics, The American Dietetic
Association, and The National Medical Association.
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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Calcium-fortified Foods: Is There a Reason for Concern?
Americans' Low Calcium Intake
Currentdaily dietary recommendations or Adequate Intakes (AIs) for calcium are500mg for children aged 1 to 3 years, 800mg for children aged 4 to 8 years,1,300mg for adolescents aged 9 to 18 years, 1,000mg for adults aged 19to 50 years, and 1,200mg for adults aged 51 years and older (5). Unfortunately, calcium intakes of most population groups are below dietary recommendations for calcium (6,7). According to the Third National Health and NutritionExamination Survey of 1989-1994 (NHANES III), most American females of all race/ethnic groups over age 11 fail to consume recommended intakes of calcium (6). Similarly, data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intakesby Individuals (CSFII) 1994-96 reveal that many population groups, particularlya dolescent and older females, and adults in later years, consume diets containing significantly less calcium than recommended (7). In general, at all ages males have higher calcium intakes than do females, presumably due to males' higher energy intakes.
Americans' low calcium intake is of particular concern given increasing scientific evidence supporting calcium's beneficialrole in health (8,9,23). Consuming an adequate intake of calcium or calcium-richdairy foods has been demonstrated to reduce the risk for osteoporosis(24,25), hypertension (26,27) and other risk factors for cardiovasculardisease (28,29), certain cancers such as those of the colon (30-32) andbreast (33,34), stroke (35), and kidney stones (36,37). Research supportsa potentially beneficial role for calcium and dairy products in weight control (38-41), as well as in other disorders such as premenstrual syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome, lead intoxication, and periodontal disease(9). Clearly, there are many good health and economic reasons to optimize calcium intake. The question is how to best meet calcium needs.
For individuals who have difficulty meeting their calcium needs from foods naturally containing calcium, such as dairy foods, calcium-fortified foods and calcium supplements are options to help optimize calcium intake (3,10). In response to the nation's critical shortfall in calcium consumption, a plethora of calcium-fortified food productsand beverages have appeared on supermarket shelves (17-22). Although calcium-fortified foods and beverages can help individuals meet their calcium needs, their indiscriminate use, especially at the expense of foods and beverages naturally containing calcium, is of concern (17-22). Many food manufacturers are fortifying their products with high levels of calcium to gain a market advantage without
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