Calcium

Do you have a 9-18 year old daughter? Did you know between the ages of 9-18 girls establish almost ALL of their bone mass. If they aren’t getting enough calcium during these critical years, they will very likely have poor bone density. The problem is, teenage girls aren’t exactly the best eaters. So, we parents need to encourage them.

How much do they need? 1300 mg!!

Here are some common foods and their calcium contents:

Yogurt, plain, skim milk- 8oz 488 mg
Collard Greens, chopped, cooked, 1 cup 350 mg
Ricotta cheese, part skim, 1/2 cup 340 mg
Sardines, canned with bones 325 mg
Skim milk, 1 cup 306 mg
Spinach, frozen, cooked 1 cup 291 mg
Milk, 2%- 1 cup 314 mg
Swiss Cheese, 1 oz 225
Kale,frozen, cooked- 1cup 179 mg
Cooked cabbage 160 mg
Tofu, enriched with calcium 4oz 140 mg

You may have heard calcium from dairy sources aren’t as readily absorbed as calcium from plant sources! This is an interesting chart from a Nutrition Text Book

FOOD
Serving Size
Calcium per serving
absorption rate
Estimated amount of calcium absorbed

Plain Yogurt
8oz
488
32%
156

2 % milk
1cup
314
32%
100

skim milk
1cup
306
32%
98

Kale, frozen cooked
1cup
179
59%
106

Broccoli, cooked
1cup
197
52%
103

Cauliflower boiled
1cup
20
69%
14

Spinach, cooked
1 cup
291
5%
14

I find this chart so interesting because although cauliflower absorbs the best, there is less total calcium overall.

So, obviously, it’s best to get your calcium from a variety of sources.

Here is a great recipe, sent in by reader Stacey, to get your girls eating some calcium

•1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (I prefer greek yogurt)
•1/2 cup almond butter
•1/4 tsp cinnamon
•1/4 cup mini chocolate chips or organic chocolate chips
•Fruit and pretzels for dipping
•Combine yogurt, almond butter and cinnamon. Stir in chips and enjoy
This website has some great recipes and ideas for getting your kids to have more calcium.
www.bestbonesforever.gov

This is the product I take and recommend.
After the age of 35, bone is lost at about .5 percent annually. By age 65, the average woman can lose one quarter of her bone mass if precautions are not taken. Because it is nearly impossible to get the necessary milligrams of calcium each day in a regular diet, calcium supplementation is critical. Calcium increases bone strength and cardiovascular health, and helps prevent osteoporosis, muscle pains, insomnia, hyperactivity, menstrual cramps and blood clotting problems. Unlike antacid or press tab sources of calcium, M'lis CALCIUM is easily absorbed by the body, as it is packaged in a soluble liquid gel form. It provides the necessary 100-2000 mg of calcium each day, and is free from yeast, corn, wheat, milk, sugar, starch, preservatives, soy, and artificial colors. Active Ingredients: Calcium, Vitamin D2 Other Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Lecithin, Yellow Beeswax, Gelatin, Glycerin, Purified Water, Titanium Dioxide

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