Hi Everyone

A good food for good health is calcium and is great for bones and staying slim after 50. As you all probably know I am closer to fifty now than forty, even though I still feel as I did in my twenty’s, (some friends may add I still act like it sometimes).

Recently it has dawned on me that if I still want to feel this good for the next twenty years that I really should take steps now, so that I can maintain the good health that I am enjoying at the moment.

I have been looking in general at women’s health of my age and how to keep up good health through the next twenty years.

Middle-aged women, like myself I guess, have been told for years that they should take calcium and vitamin D tablets to protect their bones against osteoporosis that is why recently I have increased my intake of calcium.

I always eat a good balanced diet and as you know my theory is ‘good food good health’, so when I checked on the amount of dairy products Ted and I consume to calculate our daily intake, I was a little surprised that it was myself not Ted that was not always getting the required amount.

Our two daughters easily reach their required amount from their normal diet, as one of the cereals they eat is fortified with vitamins and they also drink a couple of milk shakes a day.

Osteoporosis is a disease due to loss of bone density with a break down of bone structure. Diseased bones become brittle, porous and thin, resulting in bones becoming easier to break especially those in the legs, hips and arms.

Women are far more prone to osteoporosis, in fact 80 per cent of all sufferers are women. So making sure we maintain a healthy balanced diet rich in dairy products is essential, and to check that our levels of calcium and vitamin D intake is correct.

Although 99 per cent of calcium in the body is found in the teeth and bones, the other 1 per cent plays a major role in our health and is found in muscles, blood, soft tissue, organs and nerves.

Meeting your calcium need is quite easy if you like milk and dairy products. Generally 8 ounces of milk provides about 300mg of calcium and general daily requirements are: -

Children 1 – 8 years 500 – 800mg

9 – 18 years 1300 mg

19 – 50 years 1000mg

Women 51+ with HRT and men 51+ 1200mg

Women 51+ without HRT 1500mg

Breastfeeding and pregnant women 1200mg

The best sources of calcium and vitamin D are Milk, cheese and yoghurt, and also foods made with milk, such as custard, rice pudding, ice cream etc.

Fish and shellfish are an excellent source of Vitamin D – salmon, tuna, herring, halibut, shrimps and oysters as well as eggs, milk and cod liver oil.

Low fat foods also contain good amounts of calcium including low fat yoghurt, skimmed and low fat fluid milk and buttermilk. Cheese contains varying amounts of calcium and in general, the more firm the cheese the more calcium in contains. Soft cheese has a low amount present and cream cheese is not a good source at all.

Keeping good bone health is essential for all of us at any age, and therefore our intake of calcium is beneficial. Calcium moves in and out of the bones throughout our lives.

The need for good supplies of calcium throughout childhood and teen years is crucial, as bones grow in size and density through this period.

Calcium combines with phosphorous to form teeth and bones, making them hard and resistant to decay and breaks, it also: -

Is vital in blood to help it clot normally.

Helps muscles to contract normally. A deficiency can cause spasms and cramp.

Is essential in the nervous system for messages to be passed from the brain to other parts if the body and back again.

Helps to regulate blood pressure. A deficiency or low intake of calcium has been associated with high blood pressure.

Calcium may help with the prevention of colon cancer. This is thought to work in tow ways, one if that it binds with fat and bile acids in the large intestine to keep them from causing harm, the other that it prevents the excessive growth of cells in the intestines that could otherwise lead to cancer.

Also new research has found that another incentive for taking calcium is that
It can help you stay slim, and this interested me greatly. The study found that women who were over 50 and took regular calcium and Vitamin D supplements are less likely to gain weight than those who do not, and what was surprising the women who had previously been deficient in Vitamin D and calcium had the greatest benefits.

The slimming effect is thought to be down to the fact that there is an improved breakdown of fat cells and also an increase in the production of leptin, a chemical that curbs your appetite.
Also experts said that stimulation of the metabolism is likely to be increased with a better balance of nutrients in our diet, and so I cannot stress to much the importance of the ‘good food good health’ benefits, and equally if you can get the required amount of calcium from a balanced diet can only be a plus, helping your body fight many diseases and the ever ageing process.

I have mentioned vitamin D several times and this is very important as calcium is not readily absorbed and used without this fat-soluble vitamin.

Vitamin D is often referred to as the ’sunshine vitamin’, as the action of the suns ultra violet rays forms vitamin D in the skin.

Specialists say that we need 15 minutes of sunlight to produce enough vitamin D in fair skinned people which should last for a couple of days, darker skinned people however need up to 3 hours.

The use of sunscreen 8 SPF of higher will form a barrier and prevent the formulation of vitamin D, so just wait 15 minutes before applying, but so not do this through the hottest hours. Clouds and window glass also prevent penetration of ultra violet rays.

So for good bone health – which means having the most dense and strong bones possible at reaching adulthood, a regular good intake of calcium is needed and continuously required after this age to help eliminate the chance of osteoporosis in latter years.

If to little calcium has been stored before the age of thirty in the bones or calcium is drawn out to fast in later life, then osteoporosis is at a greater risk.

All our bodies after the age of forty lose calcium quicker in the bones than going back in, and because of this we all need to be made aware just how important calcium in the diet is.

Many people have been put off from consuming dairy products over the past twenty or so years, and because of this health specialists are concerned about the future female population and the risk of osteoporosis. Also the specialists are watching the worrying trend of teenagers and fad diets that will cause complications to well being in future generations.

So for all of us the message is do not skimp on your dairy product intake, skimmed milk is just as rich in calcium, check you are consuming the correct amount in your diet. If you cannot get the required amounts in your daily diet then think about supplements. Always check with your doctor or medical practice before taking supplements as a sensible precaution, as it is with any medication.

Remember good food is good health

Ted and Sandra

By: Ted Wosko

If you pay attention to the various misleading ads in the media, you are probably aware that calcium is not only important to health, but it’s critical to women to avoid osteoporosis as they age. Playing on fear about health is one way to sell things. There’s a little truth in those ads, but not much, as the whole truth doesn’t sell the product. Let’s look at the whole story.

In order to change calcium from blood calcium into bone calcium takes a complex chemical change requiring several chemical catalysts in lots of steps. In the body, these chemical catalysts are actually enzymes, and each of these steps requires a particular enzyme to do this job. Enzymes are basically protein – differing combinations of amino acids – along with a vitamin or a mineral as well.

This means that if you are short in any vitamin or mineral or particular amino acid required for this complex process, at any step in the process, it may not happen. Thus, you don’t just need lots of calcium, but you also have to have every vitamin and mineral needed at each step in this complex process. And, to complicate it further, your ability to digest foods changes as you age.

One of the most used minerals in enzyme making is magnesium, and it is also used in the body to “balance” the calcium. The ideal balance is about 2/1, and that’s what most nutritionists recommend as a supplement. (I used to do the same.) Calcium and magnesium also make
up the “battery” the powers the heart, and these two minerals are ones required in the largest amounts of all.

Surprisingly enough, most people in our culture of milk, cheese, and ice cream etc get plenty of calcium. It’s rare for a real calcium deficiency in an individual, although it certainly is possible. What is much more probable is that a magnesium deficiency is present, and the top priority (triage in doctorese) of the body is keeping the heart beating, along with all the other enzymes necessary that need magnesium (over 6000 at last count) . Making bone just isn’t that high on the priority scale.

A common result is that we wind up with much more calcium than magnesium for good balance. So, what happens to the excess calcium?

1. The body tries to take it out the kidney/urine pathway, but without enough vitamin C to make it water soluble, it might cause kidney stones. (There’s absolutely no truth to the idea that too much vitamin C causes kidney stones. The opposite is actually true.)

2. Excess calcium may be deposited in bone spurs or cysts in various spots on the skeleton. Arthritis and back problems are often to due to this.

3. It can also be deposited in lungs, breasts and other various body tissues, causing calcareous spots on x-rays in these areas. Sarcoidosis is a possible lung problem.

4. Calcium is the “backbone” of plaque found in blood vessels, and on teeth. Remove excess calcium and these problems lessen. Another way that vitamin C helps health.

Where is magnesium found, and why do we not get enough? One of the prime sources of magnesium is green vegetables. I hate them, from early childhood, and as a result, I have been plagued with bone spurs, cysts, and back problems. (They taste extremely bitter to me for no good reason). Vegetables are excellent for health in three ways – fiber, magnesium and folic acid.

Much of the water in the world flows thru limestone (dolomite) which is mostly composed of a 2/1 mix of calcium and magnesium. This makes the local water in many areas “hard”, because the soft dolomite is dissolved into the water as calcium and magnesium carbonate. Many local water systems are so loaded with this “hard” water that they have to use an ion exchange system to wash clothes. (Along with various other minerals found locally – but that’s another issue).

By the way, drinking “hard” water is actually better for you. The ion exchange method of “softening” water exchanges sodium ions for the calcium and magnesium ions. This adds sodium to the water, usually not very good for persons with heart problems.)

So, a BALANCE between magnesium and calcium is required. How can you, as an individual different in many ways than anyone else, obtain that balance?

1. Make sure you take sufficient vitamin C to help get rid of excess calcium. I recommend and take 4 grams per day (4000 mg) in two doses 2 grams in AM, and 2 in PM.

2. Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, and take a good vitamin/mineral supplement. (Better than those cheap once daily types.)

3. This is a bit tricky – How much milk product do you consume every day? These only have calcium so you have to supplement with magnesium to keep the balance. A hair mineral analysis (not very accurate, but it will show balance) may help.

There are a few useful symptoms that may help:

1. Do you have bone spurs, kidney stones, calcareous cysts or spots, etc? If so, you have or have had excess calcium. More vitamin C will gradually take this out.

2. How about cramps? They are a very useful symptom of either a shortage of calcium or magnesium. You have to decide which. Look at your recent diet for few days or weeks.

3. How fast are your hair and your fingernails growing? Hair and fingernails are pretty good indicators for most people. It is an often overlooked excretion route, and both use calcium. If very fast, perhaps you have too much calcium. If very slow, perhaps too little.

YOUR nutrition needs are somewhat different from everyone else. You uptake vitamins and minerals at least somewhat differently, even from those in your immediate family. This idea of INDIVIDUALITY is very important and needs to be more fully understood.

Very few enlightened persons in our culture get enough Vitamin C. The RDA is a joke, and while 75 mg will prevent outright scurvy, it just isn’t enough for good health in this polluted world. (By the way, the zoo vets know that a 150 lb ape requires a minimum of 4000 mg (4 grams) of Vitamin C per day, and our body requirements are exactly the same.)

Oh, also by the way, don’t fall for the hype in the health food stores. Any source of calcium or magnesium works. The cheapest forms work almost as well as the most expensive. (Another myth, dolomite does NOT contain lead, and if you want a 2/1 mix, it works well.)

For more free info on vitamin/mineral requirements and recommendations, go
to: http://www.alternate-health.com/vitmin.html. Good luck and better
health.

By: Phil Bate PhD

Your body needs calcium at a young age to develop strong bones and teeth. This may not mean a lot when you’re young, but later on when your bones are brittle, your spine is bent over with osteoporosis and your teeth are falling apart, you’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t get enough calcium when you were young.

Osteoporosis reduces your bone mineral density, basically making your bones weaker and prone to fracturing. Preventing osteoporosis should be a concern early in life, as bone mass development culminates at the age of 30. After that it is imperative to continue to maintain the strength of your bones and teeth with calcium, Vitamin D and exercise, although this maintenance system would be a lot easier if you helped build your strong bones and teeth with calcium at an earlier age, from ten years old onwards.

Calcium also works at developing the body’s lymphatic fluids, which is important to the immune system.

Vitamin D is required in order for your bones to be able to absorb calcium. Good sources of vitamin D are eggs and milk, and fifteen minutes of sunlight each day. Our bodies absorb the sunlight to create our own Vitamin D. The best time to harvest all this sunlight is early in the morning when the light is not yet harsh.

Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging, dancing and weight-lifting, also help strengthen our bones and teeth and fight calcium depletion.

Research has shown that individuals who were breast fed as babies are noted to have stronger teeth than those who were weaned to drinking cow’s milk right away, and especially those who stopped drinking milk at an early age. Pregnant women should take more liberal amounts of calcium than normal, because their babies are often depleting their mothers’ calcium. Smoking and drinking also deplete calcium and weaken the bones.

We need different levels of calcium at different ages. Infants from birth to six months should get 210 mg of calcium a day, while the calcium levels are raised to 270 mg a day from 7 to 12 months. Children up to three years should then get an average of 500 mg of calcium daily, rising to 800 in the next four years, then to 1,300 mg throughout their teenage life. At the age of 19, the recommended daily allowance of calcium has lowered to 1000 mg a day, until the age of 50. Those 50 years old and older must increase their intake of calcium up to 1,200 mg.

Too much calcium, on the other hand, can also be inadvisable as it could lead to hypocalcaemia, which will lower your body’s ability to absorb other nutrients. It could also weaken your kidneys.

Calcium is best found in milk and other dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt. People who are allergic to dairy products, are lactose intolerant and/or are vegans, or vegetarians who refuse to consume any kind of animal products, could also get their calcium from other sources, such as seaweed, particularly kelp and hijiki, nuts, oranges, vegetables such as broccoli, okra, collard greens and kale, and sardines, among others. Soy milk is also used as a substitute for milk, as with fortified orange juice. And of course, there are many excellent calcium supplements on the market. Calcium supplements usually also contain some amount of Vitamin D in their formulation.

So, whether you are lactose intolerant or not, there are no excuses not to get your recommended doses of calcium daily. In the long run, your bones and teeth will thank you for it.

By: Colin Albert