Calcium supplements, dairy or fruit and vegetables for children and adolescents?

June 26, 3:46 PMMadison Children's Health ExaminerJeana Meyer

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Calcium supplements vs dairy and fruit, vegetables

Are our children and teens getting adequate calcium for bone development that lasts long into adulthood? If they drink calcium fortified drinks or take calcium tablets, they are – right? Well, maybe not.

Bones are constantly turning over calcium, especially when growing, and bone formation must outweigh bone loss. According to the latest research on rats from Dr. Connie Weaver, Purdue University, Sciencedaily.com, to be published in Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, August, 2009, bone density achieved with calcium carbonate supplements is not retained, while that achieved with non-fat dairy powder, is.
 

The dairy-fed group’s bones achieved 8% higher strength, density and length than the calcium carbonate group. If the calcium source was later replaced by inadequate calcium nutrition, the dairy-fed rats still outperformed rats who had only received supplements and no dairy. The researchers believe the superior dairy results were not caused by an increased mineral absorption, but rather by some mechanism protecting against calcium loss.

But rats aren’t children …Other studies on adolescent girls, and later on girls of 11 and 12, at Sheffield University, Britain, BMJ.com, 1997 showed similar results to Purdue: increased milk consumption improved bone density that was retained. The later study, reported to BBC, 2001 by Dr. Richard Eastell, Chairman of the National Osteoporosis Society, stated that girls receiving calcium fortified orange juice also increased bone density by 1.2%, but after two years, this had been lost. A study on 5,700 men over 25 years by Andy Ness, Bristol University, BBC, 2001 reported- “those who drank milk in childhood were healthier than those who did not.”   So what’s this about dairy having no health benefits? Examiner, Suzanne Olson   

So how can our kids get enough retained calcium? Dr. Larson, University of Minnesota, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 2009, 41 (4):254, showed that 72% adolescent females and 55% males sampled had insufficient calcium intake. According to Dr. Weaver’s Purdue report, the calcium requirement of 1,300mg for people between 9 and 18 years can be met with 4 cups of milk or the equivalent of yogurt and cheese. Children who love leafy vegetables, fruit and tofu can meet their calcium needs through those sources sciencedaily.com as long as they get enough Vegetarian resource group. If supplements are to be used, they must be taken continually.