We are constantly told to drink milk for healthy bones and teeth but is this really our best source of calcium? Are we victims of the dairy industry marketing campaigns? This quiz will challenge some commonly held beliefs about calcium plus give you new insight into your body’s processing of calcium.

1. What has the most calcium per milligrams (mg) per 100 calories?

 1. Cheddar cheese
 2. Broccoli
 3. Milk (2 percent)
 4. Arugula

2. What is the RDA (recommended daily allowance) of calcium for 19 – 50 year olds in the United States?

 1. 500 mg
 2. 700 mg
 3. 1000 mg
 4. 1200 mg

3. At what age does bone production stop exceeding bone destruction?

 1. 25
 2. 30
 3. 35
 4. 40

4. Does too much Vitamin A affect the processing of calcium by the body?

 1. True
 2. False

If you answered all of the above questions correctly then we will certainly have to give you a gold star because these are tricky questions. Cheddar cheese has 179 mg per 100 calories, broccoli has 387 mg, 2 percent milk has 245 mg and arugula has 1300 mg (whoa!) – arugula is the clear winner! But how much arugula do you have to eat to make up 100 calories, you ask? Well it turns out, quite a lot. It takes 25 cups to make 100 calories of arugula. Not quite so enthusiastic about getting your RDA of calcium all in one place anymore are you. Greens are a very effective source of calcium. Watercress, turnip greens, collard greens, mustard greens and spinach are all excellent sources and contain higher concentrations than milk and cheese. Though greens are great sources, you would have to eat such a large amount to get a significant allowance that it is almost impossible to get your calcium RDA from greens. Dairy is still the most efficient source of calcium.

Which brings us to Question #2 – just how much calcium does a 19 – 50 year old person need? Well here in the USA, it is recommended that 1000 mg per day is needed for that age bracket. What is puzzling is that we are the only country with that high of a recommended allowance. The World Health Organization has an RDA of 800 mg.

Question #3 is one of those trivia questions that probably only a nutritionist could answer. But bone production exceeds bone destruction up to age 30. Bones are in a constant state of building up and breaking down in a process call “remodeling”. Osteoblasts build bone while osteoclasts break bone down. After age 30, destruction typically exceeds production. But we can maintain bone density if we make sure to get sufficient calcium and are active.

Question #4 is kind of like a Catch-22. You need to get enough Vitamin A but not too much or your body could be prone to fractures. Vitamin A is essential in the remodeling process – however, too much “preformed” Vitamin A (Vitamin A that comes from animal sources, i.e. liver, whole milk and certain fortified food products) is not a good thing. So avoid vitamin supplements that get their vitamin A from preformed vitamin A. Carrots and other beta carotene sources do not increase the risk of fractures so they are safe forms.

Hopefully we have given you some food for thought about calcium – where to get it, how much do you need and what to avoid, as well as opened you up to ongoing debates within the nutrition community. But it is still up to you to follow through with this information. Happy Eating!!

Resources:

1. Attwood, Charles R., M.D., F.A.A.P., Calcium Without the Cow, c 1997, http://www.vegsource.com/attwood/milk.htm (Last visited Jan 14, 2008).
2. Calcium & Milk: Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health, c 2007, http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/calcium.html (Last visited Jan 14, 2008).
3. National Institute of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, NIH Clinical Center, Vitamin A: What is it?, June 22, 2005, updated April 23, 2006.

About the Author

Cherie Bernard-Frobish

Cherie is a wife, mother of 3 and a business owner living in San Clemente, CA. She owns Suddenly Slim Body Wraps & More, a slimming spa, whose motto is, ”Successfully Blending Health and Beauty Into One”. Having dealt with weight issues her entire life, Cherie is particularly interested in diet, nutrition, exercise and healthy lifestyles. She has personal experience with almost every diet and weight loss system treatment known, both healthy and unhealthy. After having liposuction and developing blood clots, she vowed never to subject her body to anything that unhealthy again. That event started Cherie on her path to a healthier lifestyle. As a paralegal for over 13 years, she developed a love for research. Now she uses that skill to study nutrition and exercise for herself and her clients.