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What Parents Need To Know About Children's Bone Health
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Why is calcium important for girls?
Calcium is essential for building stronger, denser bones and teeth early in life and for slowing the rate of bone loss later in life. Bone loss can lead to osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and are more likely to break.
How much calcium do girls need?
Girls ages 9 to 18 need 1,300 milligrams (or 130% daily value) of calcium each day. Why 130%? The percent DV shown on food labels is calculated for a person who needs 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day and girls need more calcium than that.
Can my daughter get too much calcium?
It is recommended that children consume no more than 2,500 milligrams of calcium per day. Whether it is safe for children to get more than the recommended calcium limit has not been studied.
Which foods have calcium?
You may know that dairy foods like nonfat or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt, have calcium. But there are also many other foods with calcium — vegetables like broccoli, kale, and collards; almonds; and tofu made with calcium sulfate (check the ingredient list). Also, foods such as orange juice, some breakfast cereals, and cereal bars are available with added calcium. Look for foods that say they have calcium and be sure to read the label. Take a look at the calcium content in some everyday foods. Choose fat-free or low-fat versions of foods, when available.
The chart below lists the calcium content of foods and drinks that many young girls like.
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FOOD
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PORTION SIZE
|
CALCIUM (Milligrams)*
|
|
Plain, fat-free yogurt
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1 cup
|
450
|
|
Grilled cheese sandwich**
|
1 sandwich
|
371
|
|
American cheese
|
2 ounces
|
348
|
|
Ricotta cheese, part skim
|
½
cup
|
337
|
|
Fruit yogurt
|
1 cup
|
315
|
|
Cheddar cheese
|
1-
½
ounces
|
305
|
|
Milk (fat-free or low-fat)
|
1 cup
|
300
|
|
Orange juice with added calcium
|
1 cup
|
300
|
|
Soy beverage with added calcium
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1 cup
|
250-300
|
|
Tofu (made with calcium)
|
½
cup (about five
1-inch cubes)
|
204
|
|
Macaroni and cheese
|
½
cup
|
204
|
|
Cheese pizza
|
1 slice
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111-147
|
|
Frozen yogurt (fat-free or low-fat)
|
½
cup
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105
|
|
Broccoli, cooked or fresh
|
1 cup
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90
|
|
Ice cream
|
½
cup
|
84
|
|
Bok choy, cooked or fresh
|
½
cup
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80
|
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Almonds, dry roasted
|
1 ounce (About 20-25 almonds)
|
71
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White bread
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2 slices
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70
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* Calcium content varies depending on the ingredients of many foods.
**Using 2 slices of white bread, 1-
½
ounces of cheese, and nonstick cooking spray.
Can girls take supplements to get calcium?
The best way for minerals, like calcium, to enter the body is through food. Food also provides other minerals and vitamins that are important for bone health, as well as for overall health.
What if my daughter is lactose intolerant or doesn't like milk or other dairy products?
For a spin on milk, introduce her to flavored low-fat milk, like strawberry or chocolate. Soy and rice beverages with added calcium are also available in a variety of flavors.
Some people are unable to digest lactose found in dairy products. Your daughter can still meet the daily recommended level of calcium by choosing:
- Lactose-free dairy products
- Soy products with added calcium
- Vegetables such as bok choy, kale, collards, and broccoli
- Foods with added calcium (fortified) such as juice and cereals
What is weight-bearing activity?
It's any activity in which the body works against gravity, so the feet, legs, or arms are supporting or carrying the body's weight. Resistance activities like weight training or using resistance bands also build strong bones and can be good alternatives for girls who cannot participate in weight-bearing activity. Weight-bearing activities include basketball, dancing hiking, hopscotch, jogging, soccer, tennis, volleyball, walking and jumping rope. While swimming and riding a bike are activities that will keep your daughter fit, they won't help her build strong bones. The water or bike actually bears your daughter's weight, so her bones aren't getting the impact of the activity.
Girls should engage in weight-bearing physical activity every day for bone development.
How does weight-bearing physical activity help build strong bones?
Bones are living tissue. When bones work against gravity, new bone tissue forms, making the bones stronger. Also, weight-bearing physical activity makes muscles stronger, and when muscles push and tug against bones, they make bones even stronger.
Why is weight-bearing physical activity so important for my daughter?
During their pre-teen and teen years, girls build toward their peak bone mass — the highest level of bone density a person can achieve. If your daughter misses this window of opportunity to build strong bones, she may increase her risk for osteoporosis later in life.
Doesn't my daughter already get enough physical activity?
Maybe not. Not all schools require PE class, and even if they do, participation may not provide girls with enough bone-building physical activity. Although organized sports give girls an important way to get physically active, not all girls get involved. Also, as girls get older, they tend to become less active — only about 25% of high school girls get 30 minutes of moderate activity five or more days per week. If physical activity becomes a part of a girl's daily routine, she'll be more likely to keep those healthy habits when she's older.
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