New research conducted at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis found a majority of the 1,500 teenage and young-adult study participants reduced their calcium intake in high school and the years immediately following high school. The researchers found that more than half of the males and more than two-thirds of the females consumed less than the daily recommended level of calcium. The study findings are published in the July issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
Human bone mass peaks when a person is in his or her early 30s. Consuming sufficient amounts of calcium, protein and vitamin D—all found in dairy products—during the teen and young-adult years is considered key to lowering the risk of osteoporosis and other health issues later in life. For children aged 9 – 18, the recommended daily intake of calcium is 1,300 mg and 1,000 mg a day is recommended for young adults.
The authors noted that those who consumed higher amounts of dietary calcium during these critical years more often had increased availability of milk at mealtime, a healthy attitude and approach toward weight, health and nutrition and a taste for milk. Excessive television watching and lactose intolerance were associated with lower calcium levels.
"The findings of this study indicate that future interventions designed to promote improvements in calcium intake should encourage the families of adolescents to serve milk at meals," the team concluded in their report. The authors also suggested that specific efforts should target concerns particular to each sex.
Larsen, et
al. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
Volume 41, Issue 4,
July-August 2009, Pages 254-260
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