Get Your Calcium From Natural Sources
Young girls who obtain extra calcium from food sources tend to
gain more bone mass than those who get it from tablet
supplements. However, children who already receive adequate
amounts of calcium in their diets do not benefit from extra
calcium in any form.
Some 60 percent of adult bone mass accumulatesduring puberty;
understanding how to maximize bone growth during this period may
help prevent later osteoporosis.
Tablets Versus Cheese
A two-year study followed almost 200 girls, ages 10 to 12, with
calcium intake below recommended levels. They randomly assigned
the children to receive either calcium tablets, calcium tablets
fortified with vitamin D, low-fat cheese, or placebo tablets.
More Benefit From Cheese, but No Benefit Pasta Certain Point
The cheese group showed more beneficial effects than any of the
other groups. However, there was no additional benefit to any
group once a certain level of dietary calcium intake was
exceeded.
The authors of the study concluded that, while calcium from
natural sources is best, it is wise to avoid unnecessary calcium
supplementation of any kind in normally growing children.
Journal of Clinical Nutrition November 2005; 82(5):
1115-1126Yahoo News November 22, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:This new study demonstrates just how
important getting the right amount of calcium -- and where you
get it -- can be.
Although the low-fat cheese group enjoyed more health benefits
than those taking supplements, these results are a mixed
blessing, because processed dairy foods are some of the worst
things you can eat.
There are, however, better natural sources for calcium:
1) Finding an authentic raw milk source. This is probably the
best choice. Admittedly a bit difficult to locate but well worth
the effort.
Pasteurized dairy and non-fermented soy products are both
exceedingly poor choices for calcium sources. If your body can
tolerate it, I believe raw milk is the single best source of
calcium you can get, and an outstanding source of a variety of
additional nutrients. Of course, human breast milk would be
best, but cow, sheep or goat milk will also work well.
If you want to start drinking raw milk, I recommend finding
an authentic raw-milk source, where the cows are pasture-fed, in
your area. This will help ensure you are getting a clean source
of milk, with the highest nutrient levels it can have.
If you are unable to find a local dairy farmer in your area
who sells raw milk, I encourage you to visit the Real Milk site
to locate a source close to you.
2) Getting a healthy amount of sunshine, your best source for
vitamin D, every day. Calcium and vitamin D work hand in hand
for your health, which is why vitamin D was included in some of
the calcium tablets used in the study. However, oral vitamin D
is far inferior to your body producing it after being exposed to
sufficient sunshine. At this time of year the best source of
vitamin D for most people reading this is a high-quality cod
liver oil.
3) Increasing your intake of vegetables, ideally through
juicing. Vegetable juice is also rich in vitamin K, which serves
as the biological glue that plugs calcium into your bone matrix.