Hopefully ever woman knows that calcium is good for her bones and that it can help prevent osteoporosis. A new study indicates that eating your calcium, as opposed to taking a calcium supplement, may be more effective in creating strong bones.
Though not definitive, the study found that women who obtained most of their daily calcium from food had healthier bones with a higher bone density than women whose calcium came mainly from supplemental tablets. What I find even more fascinating is that this held true even though the supplement-takers had higher average daily doses of calcium.
Although more studies are necessary, the evidence should not be ignored. So do eat your calcium and this doesn't mean chow down on ice cream.
First thing's first, the RDI for calcium is 1,000 mg and milk is not the only source for this bone fortifying mineral. You can find calcium in nuts, broccoli, fortified orange juice, even sardines. Click here for a very complete list of foods and their calcium content.
Another simple way to add calcium to your diet is to have a latte in the morning - it doesn't have to be from Starbucks - you can make your own.
Great article and I like the list of foods with calcium. I see the chart is important for me to expand my dietary needs.
I want to add that I read soda can weaken bones. According to an article titled "Soft Drinks, Hard Facts" by Sally Squires. She said, "Animal studies demonstrate that phosphorus, a common ingredient in soda, can deplete bones of calcium. And two recent human studies suggest that girls who drink more soda are more prone to broken bones. The industry denies that soda plays a role in bone weakening.
Animal studies -- mostly involving rats -- point to clear and consistent bone loss with the use of cola beverages. But as scientists like to point out, humans and rats are not exactly the same." For those that are concerned about bone loss, reduce your soda consumption in order to keep strong bones. The bone loss in the article refers to children and adolescents that are in more danger to significant bone loss later in life.