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Educate your patients on the importance of 3-A-Day of Dairy: Here's
a great
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
BUILDING STRONG BONES: STARTING IN THE EARLY YEARS
Volume 77, Number 5 September/October 2006
Introduction
Osteoporosis, a skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and increased susceptibility to fractures, affects 44 million U.S. adults over the age of 50 (1). This chronic disease results in considerable morbidity and mortality and incurs direct healthcare costs reaching $18 billion a year (1). Even though this bone disease strikes late in life, its prevention begins in childhood and adolescence (1). Achieving genetically-determined peak bone mass, reached sometime during late adolescence and the early 20s, reduces the risk of osteoporosis later in life (1). In addition to genetics, environmental factors such as diet and physical activity influence bone health (1).
With respect to diet, dairy foods such as milk, cheese, and yogurt contribute a number of nutrients including calcium, vitamin D (if fortified), phosphorus, protein, potassium, magnesium, and zinc, which are important for bone health (1,2). Most attention has focused on calcium because of its critical role in bone structure and its generally low dietary intake (1). Approximately 99% of total body calcium is found in the skeleton. The amount of bone accumulated during growth is related to the amount of calcium consumed (1). Because of the increased rate of bone growth during childhood and adolescence, calcium needs are high during these years (3). Unfortunately, many youth, especially those older than 8 years of age, fail to meet their needs for calcium, primarily because of their low intake of dairy foods, the major dietary source of calcium (4,5).
The proportion of children consuming an adequate intake of calcium is lowest between the ages of 12 and 19 years when accumulation of bone mineral peaks and the requirement for calcium is highest.
Studies in children and adolescents demonstrate that increasing intake of dairy foods or calcium increases peak bone mass and possibly reduces risk of fractures during childhood (1,3,6). The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (7) acknowledges the important role of milk and other dairy foods such as yogurt and cheese for children’s bone health. The Guidelines report recommends 2 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk or equivalent milk products a day for children 2 to 8 years and 3 cups of milk a day or its equivalent for children 9 years of age and older (7). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), recognizing the wide gap between typical calcium intakes and dietary calcium recommendations, issued a report on optimizing children’s and adolescents’ bone health and calcium intakes (8). This report recommends 3 servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt a day for children aged 4 to 8 years and 4 servings a day for children and adolescents 9 to 18 years of age, as well as other calcium-rich foods (8).
This Digest reviews children’s calcium needs, intake, and factors influencing their dairy food and calcium intake; scientific findings supporting a beneficial role for dairy foods and calcium in bone health; and recommendations to optimize children’s and adolescents’ bone health.
Table of Contents:
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