Smart food choices and regular physical activity help your body build and maintain strong bones throughout life. Food choices for strong bones include good sources of calcium as part of a well-balanced eating plan.
Which foods are good sources of calcium?
Good sources of calcium include milk, cheese, yogurt, broccoli, canned sardines or salmon with bones, and calcium-fortified products, such as orange juice, breads, cereals, and cottage cheese.
How much of these food do I need?
Most Americans need about 800 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day, typically two to three servings of calcium-rich foods. Children, teenagers, young adults (up to age 24), and pregnant and breast-feeding women need 1,200 mg of calcium each day, or four servings of calcium-rich foods.
Some health experts recommend higher levels of calcium to prevent bone loss. The following provides some serving size examples of calcium-rich foods:
One calcium-rich serving
1 cup skim or low-fat milk, or low-fat or nonfat yogurt
1-1/2 ounces cheese
1 cup calcium-fortified juice
3 ounces canned sardines with bones
1/2 calcium-rich serving
1 ounce calcium-fortified cereal
1 cup kale or broccoli, cooked
3 ounces canned salmon with bones
4 ounces tofu (made with calcium)
1/4 calcium-rich serving
1/2 cup ice cream, frozen yogurt
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 cup dry beans, cooked
One and one-half ounces of cheese is about the size of a thumb, one-half cup of cottage cheese, ice cream, and frozen yogurt is about the size of a tennis ball, and 4 ounces of tofu is about the size of a deck of cards. If you don’t eat enough servings of calcium-rich foods one day, you can make up by eating more the next day.
What about other nutrients?
You may have heard that consuming too much phosphorus or caffeine can weaken bones, but evidence suggests this is not true. In fact, your bones need phosphorus along with calcium. Phosphorus is found in many foods, including meat, fish, poultry, breads, cereals, rice, and pasta.
Two nutrients that may weaken bones if you eat too much are protein and sodium (salt). Your body needs moderate amounts of protein and sodium, and eating too much of them can make you lose excess calcium through your urine.
Be sure to include plenty of calcium-rich foods to replace the calcium you may have lost. The Food Guide Pyramid can help you choose the right balance of foods that provide nutrients for bone health.
Food choices based on the Pyramid can help you get enough calcium and phosphorus, and enough, but not too much, protein and sodium. The Nutrition Facts label on most packaged foods can help you plan an eating pattern low or moderate in sodium.
Choosing calcium-rich foods as part of a healthful eating pattern, including regular physical activity, and talking with your doctor about ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat bone disease will help keep your bones strong for a lifetime.
Can I get enough calcium without eating too many calories or too much fat?
To choose lower-calorie sources of calcium-rich foods, try low-fat or skim milk, nonfat yogurt, low-fat cheeses, and calcium-fortified orange juice. Low-fat and skim (nonfat) dairy products have less fat and calories but just as much calcium as dairy products made from whole milk.
What happens if I don’t eat enough calcium-rich foods?
Your bones are not the only part of your body that needs calcium. Your heart needs calcium to beat, your muscles need calcium to contract, and your blood needs calcium to clot. Over time, if you do not consume enough calcium, your body depletes calcium from your bones to keep your heart and muscles working properly. This gradually weakens your bones, and therefore they break more easily.
Should I take a calcium supplement?
Health and nutrition experts recommend that you eat enough calcium-rich foods by selecting a balanced and varied diet. Foods contain many nutrients that work with calcium to keep your bones healthy. If you rely on a supplement instead of eating foods that supply calcium, you may not get enough of other important nutrients. Some people may not eat enough calcium-rich or calcium-fortified foods to satisfy the recommended daily intake of calcium.
Others may have food allergies or limit their food choices for other reasons. Consult your doctor or registered dietitian if you think you may need a calcium supplement.
National Osteoporosis Foundation
1150 17th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20036-4603
800/223-9994
This fact sheet is supported by a grant from the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
? ADAF 1996. Used with permission. The ADA does not endorse the products or services of any company.
Reproduction of this fact sheet is permitted for educational purposes. Reproduction for sales purposes is not authorized.
Copyright ?1996, The American Dietetic Association
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