If you do not like milk, try the following to boost Calcium intake-
- Pancakes
- Skimmed milk powder added to soups/smoothies/sauces
- Porridge made with water and Chia seeds
Healthy bones are like banks, the more deposits you make, the more withdrawals you can count on. Diet plays a major role in ensuring healthy bones. Calcium and Vitamin D need to be taken in the right amounts throughout life, to help keep your bones healthy. Eating a healthy balanced diet, containing adequate calories and items from all food groups, can help your overall health.
Please see some delicious recipes on our Youtube Channel (173) Irish Osteoporosis Society – YouTube
Bone development
It is important to look after your bones no matter what your age. While 90% of adult bone is laid down by the age of 17, bone continues to grow in strength up until the mid-thirties. After this, it is natural to lose a small amount of bone each year. This is accelerated in women after the menopause when the protective effect of oestrogen is lost. However, calcium, Vitamin D, and regular exercise can help to minimise bone loss.
The Department of Health and Children recommend that children, adults, and senior citizens include three servings of foods with calcium per day
The easiest way to obtain this is through the regular consumption of milk, cheese, and yogurt i.e. three servings each day from the milk group of foods. Teenagers need five servings of calcium each day to meet the requirement for growth and development. Pregnant women need three unless they are expecting twins when five servings are recommended.
A serving is equal to:
Unfortunately, 75% of teenage girls do not meet their calcium needs. Other factors that may have a negative effect on bone health at this time include lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol, fad diets or constant dieting, eating disorders such as anorexia and/or bulimia, or excessive exercise on its own or combined with an eating disorder. Excessive consumption of fizzy drinks in teenagers means that healthier more nutritious drinks like milk and juices are often displaced in the diet leading to poor calcium intakes.
Tips to boost calcium intake
Dairy products are extremely versatile and can be included in the diet in many ways. Cooking does not destroy calcium, so it is easy to get your recommended number of servings each day. Serving suggestions include
| Calcium Recommendation (per day)* | RDA (mg) |
|---|---|
| Adults | |
| Men | 800 |
| Women | 800 |
| Teenagers | |
| Boys 11-18 | 1200 |
| Girls 11-18 | 1200 |
| Children | |
| 1-3 years | 800 |
| 4-6 years | 800 |
| 7-10 years | 800 |
| Pregnancy and Lactation | |
| Pregnant women(second half of pregnancy) | 1200 |
| Breastfeeding women(first six months of lactation) | 1200 |
| Food | Weight | Calcium content (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Whole milk | 190ml | 224 |
| Semi-skimmed milk | 190ml | 231 |
| Skimmed milk | 190ml | 235 |
| Soya milk | 190ml | 25 |
| Goat’s milk | 190ml | 190 |
| Low-fat yogurt | 150g | 225 |
| Ice cream | 112g | 134 |
| Cheddar cheese | 28g | 202 |
| Cottage cheese | 112g | 82 |
| Boiled broccoli | 112g | 45 |
| Baked beans | 112g | 59 |
| Large orange | 1 | 58 |
| Dried apricots | 100g | 92 |
| Brazil nuts | 100g | 170 |
| Whitebait (fried) | 56g | 482 |
| Salmon (tinned) | 56g | 52 |
| Tofu | 100g | 480 |
| Milk chocolate | 56g | 123 |
If you do not like milk, try the following to boost Calcium intake-
Other foods in the diet contain less concentrated amounts of calcium, which is not as easily absorbed by the body as those from dairy products. As a result, large quantities would need to be consumed to meet calcium requirements.
For example, to match the calcium in one glass of milk, you would need to eat 10 servings of baked beans, 8 slices of white bread or 16 portions of spinach, which spinach is not recommended for those with bone loss.
Another crucial nutrient for bone health is Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium which is essential for healthy bones. The best source of this vitamin is sunlight, as the body makes vitamin D through the action of sunlight on the skin. However, due to Ireland’s northerly latitude this means we cannot rely on this source, especially in winter. When we are lucky enough to have a sunny day, 15 minutes of exposed skin, which can be broken up into 3 sets of 5 minutes and then put sunblock on. Those who burn easily should not try to get their Vitamin D from the sun and young babies should be given Vitamin d drops and should not be exposed to the sun.
Sun protection creams also prevent the production of Vitamin D, and as a result dietary sources are becoming more important. Vitamin D is found in eggs, oily fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, fortified milks and spreads. Other foods high in Vitamin D are liver and chicken liver pate, as well as some cereals. These should be included in your diet regularly, if you are at risk of low vitamin D. This is particularly important for senior citizens or those who are house bound.
While Calcium and Vitamin D are extremely important for bone health other lifestyle factors are also important.
Being a healthy weight
Having a healthy BMI [Body mass index} can protect your bones. A healthy BMI is between 20 – 25.
Is you have a BMI less than 20 you are underweight and your bones have very little protection in the event of a fall. If you have a BMI of more than 25 it may mean that you are overweight. This puts extra strain on your joints often preventing you from exercising. To calculate your BMI weight / (height x weight)
Do not cut out dairy products. More and more research shows us that dairy products can protect us from weight gain. Instead continue with the three a day message and choose lower fat options. Low fat or skimmed milk have the same amounts of calcium as full fat milk, but some may be lower or have no Vitamin D, so make sure it contains Vitamin D.
Low fat yogurts are similar. Cheese with lower fat content includes Edam, Emmental and low-fat cheddars.
Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, energy drinks and fizzy drinks and may cause us to excrete calcium in our urine. To prevent this from happening, limit your intake of these drinks to 3 a day. Try to include lattes and cappuccinos to boost milk intake.
Excessive alcohol may increase your risk of Osteoporosis. The health promotion unit in Ireland recommends no more than 11 units per week for women and 17 units per week for men. A unit is equivalent to ½ pint beer or stout, 1 measure of spirits, or a small glass of wine.
Allergy to the protein in cow’s milk is rare in adults and if present must be treated with a dairy free diet. Special attention must be given to other sources of calcium like fortified foods and soya products, which are fortified with calcium.
A healthy balanced diet with adequate calories can help not only your bones, but your overall health.
Some suggestions to replace dairy
Calcium sources from food
Vitamin D sources from food
Protein sources from food
Calcium and Vitamin D3 supplements
If you are unable to get the recommended amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D3 through food, supplementation may be necessary. You need to be careful that you are not taking calcium and vitamin D from both food and supplements, which results in you taking far too much of either of them, which can have a negative effect on your health.
Protein Supplements
There may be inadequate amounts of protein in a person’s diet and supplementation is necessary when dietary intake of protein is inadequate.
Fibre
More than 30 grams of fibre a day may affect absorption of nutrients, so make sure not to take too much fibre.
