No Bones About It

(May 15, 2012) – Are you absorbing those calcium supplements you’ve been taking? Find out what you really need for strong bones, and understand your options. Clinical dietician Erika Johnson, at Inova Fairfax Hospital, gives you the facts here.

Three keys

• Add 3 servings of dairy to your day, for example, 1 cup of milk, 2 oz of cheese and 1 cup of yogurt. If you are lactose intolerant there are great non-dairy calcium sources like, fortified soy milk, fortified cereal, salmon and broccoli.
• If a doctor recommends that take calcium supplements: Calcium carbonate is better absorbed with food and calcium citrate can be absorbed with food or on an empty stomach. The amount recommended differs according to age . For those 19 years and older 1000-1500 mg per day is recommended.
• Make sure when you select calcium pills it has the stamp USP® which helps ensure they are manufactured to a certain level of quality.

Learn more about calcium.