Calcium and Osteoporosis

Filed in archive Osteoporosis on March 28, 2007

According to the Osteoporosis Connection at Health Central:

In the life of a human bone, it's all downhill after 30.

That's the typical cut-off point for bone-building, so experts say it's crucial that younger people take in enough calcium and another nutrient, vitamin D, to maximize the skeleton's potential.

Ouch! So what can people over 30 do to help prevent or perhaps even reverse bone loss? Increase calcium. Foods rich in calcium include dairy products like milk and yogurt.

The Osteoporosis Blog goes on to tells us that calcium is beneficial to more than just the bones:

"It's also important to help prevent colon cancer and for good muscle contraction, including heart muscle," said Katharine Tallmadge, a Washington, D.C., dietitian and a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "It might even be important for lowering blood pressure and helping to burn off fat."

If the fat in dairy products is a drawback for you, use skimmed milk and reduced fat products. You'll get the calcium without the fat.