eNewsletter - September 2010
Put Calcium in your Diet
Lately, the media has been sensationalizing that taking calcium supplementation is harmful. Many women are misinterpreting what is being said. Here is what Cleveland Clinic Dr. Holly Thacker, Director of the Center for Specialized Women’s Health and Executive Director of Speaking of Women’s Health, recommends.
Most women are advised to get 1000 to 1500 milligrams of calcium a day. The best way to obtain calcium is in food sources like dairy products and leafy green vegetables. If it is difficult to get this much calcium from your food intake, for instance if you are lactose intolerant, you may need a supplement to bring you to these doses. When taking calcium supplements it is better to consume them in divided doses throughout the day, for example one 500mg dose at breakfast and another 500mg at dinner.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture in its food guidance system, MyPyramid, recommends that persons aged 9 years and older eat 3 cups (1 cup equals 8oz.) from the milk group per day. A quick measure is 8oz. glass of milk (any kind) equals approximately 285mg to 300mg of calcium, yogurt 8oz equals about 245 to 384mg, and, 1 cup Chinese raw cabbage is about 74mg. of calcium.
Groups at risk for inadequate intake of dietary calcium from food and supplements:
- Postmenopausal women
- Amenorrheic women and female athletes
- Individuals with lactose intolerance
- Vegetarians
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