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C A L C I U M
What is calcium?
Calcium is a mineral that primarily functions in your body by making your bones and teeth hard. The rest is in your blood and soft tissues; it helps your muscles contract and your blood clot, and helps your nervous system work properly.
There is a conflict between the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance and what the dairy advocates would have you do; the latter bases its numbers on a National Institutes of Health symposium on calcium consumption.
RDA NIH
"Optimal Calcium Intake"Adults 800 mg 1,000 mg Adults over 65 N/A 1,500 mg Pregnant and nursing women 1,200 mg 1,200 mg Young adults (11-24) N/A 1,200-1,500 mg Children under 11 800 mg 800-1,200 mg
According to the National Institutes of Health, yes. Although it should be safe for adults to consume up to 2,000 mg of calcium every day without adverse side effects, the institute says, going over that may lower the absorption of certain medications, such as tetracycline, and of some nutrients, including iron. Overuse of calcium carbonate (available commercially as the active ingredient in Tums and other antacids) can also lead to severe renal damage and other problems related to calcium toxicity.
Some studies have indicated that men with a history of kidney stones may make the problem worse by increasing their intake of calcium. In other studies, men with low calcium intake suffered fewer kidney stones when they consumed more calcium. The NIH says more study on the calcium-kidney stone link is needed.
Getting enough calcium is one of the best ways to prevent osteoporosis, a debilitating disease in which the bones deteriorate and take a long time to heal. One-half to one-third of post menopausal women will get varying degrees of osteoporosis; of the 25 million Americans with osteoporosis, one in five is male.
Some foods high in calcium
Source: USDA - Nutrient Data Lab (Sept. 1996) - all data rounded to nearest 0.5
CHEESE: ITEM SERVING CALOR. FAT SAT. FAT PROT. SOD. CALCIUM RICOTTA, PART SKIM 1 cup 339.5 19.5g 12g 28g 307mg 669mg RICOTTA, WHOLE MILK 1 cup 428 32g 20.5g 27.5g 207mg 509mg PARMESAN, GRATED 1 oz. 129 8.5g 5.5g 12g 528mg 390mg PARMESAN, HARD 1 oz. 111 7.5g 4.5g 10g 454mg 335.5mg ROMANO 1 oz. 109.5 7.5g 5g 9g 340mg 301.5mg ITEM SERVING CALOR. FAT SAT. FAT PROT. SOD. CALCIUM GRUYERE 1 oz. 117 9g 5.5g 8.5g 95.5mg 286.5mg SWISS 1 oz. 106.5 8g 5g 8g 73.5mg 272.5mg SWISS, PASTEURIZED* 1 oz. 94.5 7g 4.5g 7g 388.5mg 219mg PROVOLONE 1 oz. 99.5 7.5g 5g 7g 248mg 214.5mg MONTEREY 1 oz. 106 8.5g 5.5g 7g 152mg 211.5mg MILK: ITEM SERVING CALOR. FAT SAT. FAT PROT. SOD. CALCIUM GOAT 1 cup 168 10g 6.5g 8.5g 121.5mg 325.5mg SKIM W/VIT.A 1 cup 85.5 0.5g 0.5g 8.5g 126mg 302.5mg 1% W/VIT.A 1 cup 102 2.5g 1.5g 8g 123mg 300mg 2% W/VIT.A 1 cup 121 4.5g 3g 8g 122mg 296mg WHOLE MILK 1 cup 150 8g 5g 8g 119.5mg 291.5mg YOGURT: ITEM SERVING CALOR. FAT SAT. FAT PROT. SOD. CALCIUM PLAIN, SKIM MILK 8 oz. 126.5 0.5g 0 13g 173.5mg 452mg PLAIN, LOW FAT 8 oz. 143.5 3.5g 2.5g 12g 159.5mg 414.5mg FRUIT, LOW FAT 8 oz. 231.5 2.5g 1.5g 10g 132.5mg 345mg PLAIN, WHOLE MILK 8 oz. 139.5 7.5g 5g 8g 105.5mg 274mg
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