Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found mostly in the bones and teeth. The best way to get enough calcium is to consume a variety of vegetables, dairy products, and fortified cereals and juices. Obtaining enough calcium during growth helps ensure that the skeleton will be strong and dense. One of the "Healthy People 2010" goals is to increase the proportion of persons aged 2 years and older who meet dietary recommendations for calcium," according to Eleanor Whitney and Sharon Rolfes in the text "Understanding Nutrition."
Adequate Intake
The recommended dietary intake, RDI, of calcium for children has not been established. The adequate intake, AI, is used as a guide for nutrient intake when evidence is insufficient to determine an RDA. AI is more tentative than RDA, but can be used as a guide. The AI represents the average amount of calcium that appears sufficient to maintain health.
For infants from birth to 6 months, the AI is 210 mg per day; from 6 months to 1 year it is 270 mg per day. Children aged 1 to 3 years need 500 mg per day and children ages 4 to 8 need 800 mg per day. Adolescents ages 9 to 18 need 1,300 mg of calcium per day, according to Whitney and Rolfes.
For infants from birth to 6 months, the AI is 210 mg per day; from 6 months to 1 year it is 270 mg per day. Children aged 1 to 3 years need 500 mg per day and children ages 4 to 8 need 800 mg per day. Adolescents ages 9 to 18 need 1,300 mg of calcium per day, according to Whitney and Rolfes.
Calcium Deficiency
Blood levels of calcium are closely regulated by a system of hormones and vitamin D. Even when children do not get enough calcium in food, blood calcium remains normal, but at the expense of bone loss. Calcium deficiency symptoms include stunted growth in children and bone loss or osteoporosis in adults.
Functions of Calcium
Calcium plays two roles. As an integral part of the bone structure, it contributes to holding the body upright. Calcium in bone also serves as a storage repository to make readily available a source of the needed mineral in case a drop in blood calcium occurs. Other important functions of calcium include nerve functioning, blood clotting, blood pressure and immune defenses.
What Provides Calcium
Many foods contain calcium. Significant sources of calcium for children include milk and milk products such as yogurt and cheese. Milk products are the primary source of calcium for people in the United States. Diets that provide three servings of milk products per day can improve bone mass, according to the USDA MyPyramid Food Guide.
Other foods high in calcium include tofu, legumes and greens such as broccoli, kale and chard. Split peas, chickpeas, lentils, canned salmon and sardines with bones also provide calcium. In addition, calcium-fortified juices and cereals provide calcium.
Other foods high in calcium include tofu, legumes and greens such as broccoli, kale and chard. Split peas, chickpeas, lentils, canned salmon and sardines with bones also provide calcium. In addition, calcium-fortified juices and cereals provide calcium.
What Decreases Calcium
The American Academy of Pediatrics cautions that drinking lots of soda pop instead of milk and other calcium-rich drinks can decrease a child's calcium and interfere with bone health. Diets that exclude milk and dairy or that include excessive amounts of caffeine interfere with calcium use by the body. Certain medicines and diseases cause the body to rob calcium from the bones. Talk to a pediatrician about medicines or changes in diet.
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