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Nutrition and Bone Health
Updated March 2005
Calcium Intake Tools
Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General highlighted calcium's major contributions to bone health regardless of an individual's age. Yet most Americans do not get the recommended amounts of calcium they need every day to promote strong bones. The following tools were excerpted from the Surgeon General's report in an effort to help individuals achieve their daily calcium goals.
- "Your Body Needs Calcium" - an age-based chart that reminds us of how much calcium we and our family members need each day.
- "Calcium Calculator" - a list of common foods and the amount of calcium they contain. This tool also includes a scoring system to help keep track of your daily calcium intake.
- "A Guide to Calculate Calcium Intake" - a guide on how to compare your daily calcium intake to the recommended amounts.
- "How to Use the Nutrition Facts Panel on Food Labels for Calcium" - a tool to help you read a nutrition label and identify foods that are high in calcium.
Bone Up on Your Diet
Calcium
To keep your bones strong, eat foods rich in calcium. Some people have trouble digesting the lactose found in milk and other dairy foods, including cheese and yogurt. Most supermarkets sell lactose-reduced dairy foods. Many nondairy foods are also calcium-rich.
Your body needs calcium.
| If this is your age, | then you need this much calcium each day (mg). |
|---|---|
| 0 to 6 months | 210 |
| 6 to 12 months | 270 |
| 1 to 3 years | 500 |
| 4 to 8 years | 800 |
| 9 to 18 years | 1,300 |
| 18 to 50 years | 1,000 |
| Over 50 years | 1,200 |
(A cup of milk or fortified orange juice has about 300 mg of calcium)
Excerpted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 2004 Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis: What It Means to You. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004, page 12.
Calcium Calculator
Help your bones. Choose foods that are high in calcium. Here are some examples.
| Food | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fortified oatmeal, 1 packet | ||
| Sardines, canned in oil, with edible bones, 3 oz. | ||
| Cheddar cheese, 1½ oz. shredded | ||
| Milk, nonfat, 1 cup | ||
| Milkshake, 1 cup | ||
| Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 1 cup | ||
| Soybeans, cooked, 1 cup | ||
| Tofu, firm, with calcium, ½ cup | ||
| Orange juice, fortified with calcium, 6 oz. | ||
| Salmon, canned, with edible bones, 3 oz. | ||
| Pudding, instant, (chocolate, banana, etc.) made with 2% milk, ½ cup | ||
| Baked beans, 1 cup | ||
| Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat, 1 cup | ||
| Spaghetti, lasagna, 1 cup | ||
| Frozen yogurt, vanilla, soft-serve, ½ cup | ||
| Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with calcium, 1 cup | ||
| Cheese pizza, 1 slice | ||
| Fortified waffles, 2 | ||
| Turnip greens, boiled, ½ cup | ||
| Broccoli, raw, 1 cup | ||
| Ice cream, vanilla, ½ cup | ||
| Soy or rice milk, fortified with calcium, 1 cup | ||
| Your total today | ||
Points Needed:
| Age | Points |
|---|---|
| babies/toddlers (ages 0-3) need | 2-5 |
| children (ages 4-8) need | 8 |
| teens need | 13 |
| adults under 50 need | 10 |
| adults over 50 need | 12 |
Fast Fact: Lack of calcium has been singled out as a major public health concern because it is critically important to bone health. The average American consumes far less than the amount recommended.
Excerpted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The 2004 Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis: What It Means to You. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004, page 13.
A Guide to Calculate Calcium Intake
As shown in Figure 6-4 of Chapter 6, most Americans above age 9 on average do not consume recommended levels of calcium. The following guide allows an adult to compare a rough estimate of his or her intake of calcium to the recommended amounts:
- Start by writing down the following amount:
- 290 if you are a female, regardless of age, or male age 60 or older
- 370 if you are a male under age 60
This is the average amount of calcium that most people eat from non-calcium rich food sources (Cook and Friday 2003, Wright et al. 2003, Weinberg et al. 2004).
- Add 300 mg for each 8-ounce serving of milk or the equivalent serving of other calcium-rich foods (e.g., yogurt, cheese).
- For those taking a calcium supplement or a multi-vitamin containing calcium, add the amount of calcium from that source:
- Check the supplement label for the amount of calcium per supplement dose.
- Multiply the amount per supplement dose times the number of doses taken per day.
- Add the amount from supplements to the base amount and the amount from calcium-rich foods.
- Compare this rough estimate of total calcium intake to the recommended levels shown in Table 7-1. Individuals should try to meet their recommended level of calcium on most days.
- A useful calcium calculator for children can be found at: http://www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones/parents/toolbox/calculator.html
Excerpted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004, page 163.
Excerpted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004, page 163.
NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center
2 AMS Circle
Bethesda, MD 20892-3676
Phone: 202–223–0344
Toll Free: 800–624–BONE
TTY: 202-466-4315
Fax: 202-293-2356
Email: NIAMSBoneInfo@mail.nih.gov
Website: http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/bone/default.asp
The NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center provides patients, health professionals, and the public with an important link to resources and information on metabolic bone diseases. The mission of NIH ORBD~NRC is to expand awareness and enhance knowledge and understanding of the prevention, early detection, and treatment of these diseases as well as strategies for coping with them.
The NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center is supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases with contributions from:
- National Institute on Aging
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- NIH Office of Research on Women's Health
- DHHS Office on Women's Health.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
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