Jacksonville Certified Advanced Personal Trainer, Fitness Training, Pilates Instructor, Flexibility, Diet and Nutrition Coach in Jacksonville FL, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Ponte Vedra, Sawgrass and the Beaches Area. Phone (904) 422-6218 Private Studio One-on-One Personal Fitness Training. Serving the Jacksonville Beaches Area. Home "Calcium is the most important mineral, not only for your bones, but also for your heart, nerves and muscles." "Calcium is the most important mineral, not only for your bones, but also for your heart, nerves and muscles," says Ruth Frechman, R.D., spokesperson for the California Dietetic Association. Low calcium consumption is a leading cause of osteoporosis, a condition that leads to weak, brittle bones. Studies suggest that a calcium-rich diet may help reduce the risk of some types of colon cancer. And the mineral may even have some weight-loss benefit: In a recent study, scientists found that mice on high-calcium diets burned more fat. While the theory has yet to be tested on humans, some companies are already hyping calcium as a weight-loss tool. Yet, despite these positive nutrition benefits, confusion about calcium among the public abounds. A survey conducted in 2003 by the American Dietetic Association found that 89 percent of women believed calcium was important to their health, yet 40 percent were confused over how to calculate their daily intake. The median intake is 625 mg per day, but the National Academy of Science recommends daily calcium intakes of 1,000-1,200 mg per day for adult men and women, an increase from the 1989 recommendation that advised taking 800-1,200 mg per day. For years there have been rumors claiming that calcium causes kidney stones, and some people believe that mature adults don't need calcium. But the evidence easily dispels these myths. Research shows that people need calcium throughout their lives, and that calcium might actually reduce the risk of kidney stones. Furthermore, post-menopausal women who are dieting and getting the standard recommendation of 1,200 mg of calcium per day actually absorb almost 20 percent less of the mineral, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Women who consume 2,000 mg absorb sufficient amounts of calcium. New spins on calcium continue. For example, coral calcium supplement, which hit the market with claims that it is derived from remnants of living coral and, as such, has myriad healing properties. These claims were quickly dispelled when it was revealed that since law protects coral reefs, coral calcium is essentially ground limestone (calcium carbonate with some magnesium and trace minerals) with no presence of living organisms. Many people turn their backs on a good source of calcium, dairy products, because of lactose intolerance, a genetically determined decline in lactase. the enzyme that breaks down lactose, which cause gastrointestinal distress when lactose-rich foods are consumed. Yet a recent study indicated that people who can't digest lactose but who got 1,200 mg per day of calcium from dairy foods did not experience any negative symptoms. Lactose intolerants may be able to tolerate milk with a meal or snack, or dairy products (such as cheese, ice cream and yogurt), when they also take lactase tablets/preparations. Dairy foods, consumed daily, provide most adult calcium needs, along with protein, vitamin D and phosphorus, which together help the body absorb and deposit calcium in bones. Other calcium-rich foods include deep green, leafy vegetables and fish with bones. In addition, many processed foods, such as orange juice and breakfast cereals, are fortified with calcium. Supplements bridge the gap between the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium and intake from food sources. The calcium found in foods and supplements is a compound form, which, during digestion, dissolves, leaving just the elemental calcium to be absorbed into the blood. Differences abound over what compound is best, but the amounts of elemental calcium in the most common forms found in supplements are: Calcium carbonate: 40 percent Calcium phosphate: 38 percent Calcium citrate: 21 percent Calcium lactate: 13 percent Calcium gluconate: 9 percent To help get the recommended 1,200-1,500 mg of calcium per day, try these calcium-rich foods: Plain fat-free yogurt (1 c) 487 mg Fruit yogurt, low fat (1 c) 372 mg Swiss cheese (2 oz.) 448 mg Mozzarella cheese -art skim (2 oz) 444 mg Parmesan cheese (1 oz.) 314 mg Cottage cheese, 2-percent fat (1 c) 156 mg Orange juice with calcium (1 c) 350 mg Soy beverage w/added calcium (1 300 mg Milk, 1-percent fat (1 c) 264 mg Canned salmon (wlbones) (3oz 212 mg Tofu (prepared w/calcium sulfate) (11 g) 135 mg Collard greens, cooked 133 mg Sesame seeds, whole, dried (1 T) 88 mg Almonds, dry roasted 1oz 75mg Broccoli, cooked (1/2 c) 31 mg Certified Advanced Personal Trainer in Jacksonville FL Phone (904) 422-6218 © 2007 JaxTrainer.com