Calcium And Osteoporosis

GENERAL INFORMATION:

What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis (os-tee-oh-po-ROH-sis) is a disease in which the bones become weak, brittle, and more likely to fracture (break). Your body normally makes new bone as old bone is reabsorbed (broken down). Osteoporosis occurs when your body reabsorbs more bone than it makes, causing a loss of bone mass (amount of bone). Some loss of bone mass is normal as people age, especially for women after menopause. Bone loss can also be caused by other factors. Some of these factors include genetics (inherited from family), medicines such as steroids, or not eating enough calcium-rich foods.

What role does calcium have in bone health?

• Calcium is important to bone health because calcium helps to build bone mass. Bones are growing very fast during adolescence and teen years so calcium needs are high during this time. Your calcium needs decrease after 20 years of age. When you are 30 years old, your body has reached its peak bone mass. Peak bone mass is the maximum amount of bone your body will have. The stronger your bones are at age 30, the slower your rate of bone loss will be as you get older. It is important to get enough calcium each day. If you do not, your body will break down bone to get the calcium it needs. When this happens, you will lose bone mass.
  
  
• Calcium is absorbed best if your body has stored enough vitamin D. Sources of vitamin D include sunlight, vitamins, vitamin D-fortified foods (milk and some yogurts) and fish oils. Most people can get enough vitamin D by exposing their skin to sunlight for about 10 to 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a week.

What are some things I can do to prevent osteoporosis?

• Get enough calcium and vitamin D. The best source of calcium is food because you get other healthy nutrients at the same time. Dairy foods are good sources because they are high in calcium and the calcium is absorbed well from these foods. Ask your caregiver about calcium supplements if you cannot get enough calcium from the foods you eat. Your body can absorb the most calcium from supplements by taking 500 mg or less at one time. Do not take more than 2500 mg of calcium each day. Some people may also need to take vitamin D supplements if they do not get enough from sunlight or food sources. Do not take more than 800 IU of vitamin D per day.
  
  
• Do weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercises regularly. Regular exercise will help your bones absorb and store calcium. Examples of weight-bearing exercises are walking, running, aerobics, and dancing. Muscle strengthening or weight training exercises help to improve muscle and bone strength.
  
  
• Quit smoking. Smoking may increase your risk of fractures.
  
  
• Drink alcohol in moderation. Drinking alcohol in excess (more than two drinks per day) may cause bone loss. Alcohol is found in beer, wine, and liquor such as vodka and whiskey.

How much calcium do I need? Using steroid medicine may decrease how much calcium your body can absorb. If you use steroid medicine, talk to your caregiver. The following shows how much calcium a person needs each day for bone health based on age:

• Infants:
  
  
  • 0 to 6 months: 210 milligrams (mg)
    
    
  • 7 to 12 months: 270 mg
  
  
• Children:
  
  
  • 1 to 3 years: 500 mg
    
    
  • 4 to 8 years: 800 mg
    
    
  • 9 to 18 years: 1,300 mg
  
  
• Women and men:
  
  
  • 19 to 50 years: 1,000 mg
    
    
  • Over 50: 1,200 mg
  
  
• Pregnant or nursing women:
  
  
  • Pregnant or nursing, 14-18 years: 1,300 mg
    
    
  • Pregnant or nursing, 19 years to 50 years: 1,000 mg

What are food sources of calcium? The amount of calcium (in milligrams) in each food is shown next to the food. The actual amount of calcium may differ slightly depending on the brand of the food.

• Dairy:
  
  
  • One cup of lowfat plain yogurt (415).
    
    
  • One and one-half ounces of shredded cheddar cheese (306).
    
    
  • One cup of skim milk (302).
    
    
  • One cup of 2 percent milk (297).
    
    
  • One cup of whole milk (291).
    
    
  • One cup of buttermilk (285).
    
    
  • One cup of lactose reduced milk (285-302).
    
    
  • One-third cup of powdered nonfat milk (283).
    
    
  • One and one half ounces of part skim mozzarella cheese (275).
    
    
  • One cup of lowfat fruit yogurt (245-384).
    
    
  • One cup of cottage cheese made with one percent milk fat (138).
  
  
• Fruits and vegetables:
  
  
  • One cup of calcium-fortified orange juice (300).
    
    
  • One-half cup of cooked collard greens (220).
    
    
  • One-half cup cooked turnip greens (99).
    
    
  • One-half cup of steamed broccoli (47).
    
    
  • One-half cup cooked kale (45).
  
  
• Seafood:
  
  
  • Four canned sardines, with bones (242).
    
    
  • Three ounces of cooked crab (50).
  
  
• Protein foods:
  
  
  • One-half cup of tofu (with added calcium) (204).
    
    
  • One cup of Pinto beans (102).
    
    
  • One-half cup of tempeh (77).
  
  
• Desserts:
  
  
  • One-half cup of frozen yogurt (103).
    
    
  • One-half cup of vanilla ice cream (85).

What are some ways to add extra calcium to the foods I eat? You can increase your calcium intake by adding foods that contain calcium to the foods that you normally eat. For example, non-fat powdered dry milk has about 52 mg of calcium in one tablespoon. You can add powdered milk to several different foods. The following are some ideas for adding extra calcium to your foods:

• Add three tablespoons of powdered milk to each cup of milk in puddings, cocoa, or custard.
  
  
• Add four tablespoons of powdered milk to each cup of hot cereal before cooking.
  
  
• Sift two tablespoons of powdered milk into each cup of flour in cakes, cookies, or breads.
  
  
• Use lowfat or fat free milk instead of water in pancake mix, mashed potatoes, pudding, and hot breakfast cereals.
  
  
• Add lowfat or fat free cheese to salad, soup, or pasta.
  
  
• Add tofu (with added calcium) to vegetable stir-fry.

CARE AGREEMENT:

You have the right to help plan your care. To help with this plan, you must learn about your diet. You can then discuss treatment options with your caregivers. Work with them to decide what care may be used to treat you. You always have the right to refuse treatment.

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