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Calcium can help you keep your teeth for a life time
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An adequate calcium intake can play a role in maintaining healthy gums by strengthening the underlying jawbone. Yet, nearly 75 percent of women don't get enough calcium each day, and over 50 percent don't get even half the recommended daily allowance, according to studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Sadly, because there are no immediate, obvious symptoms of calcium deficiency, many women don't realize they're short on this vital nutrient until later years, when they develop gum disease and osteoporosis.
Dentists have long been aware of the need for calcium, especially for women, for overall well-being, as well as for dental health. Calcium is a critical ingredient of healthy teeth, which begin developing before birth. That's why pregnant women need plenty of food high in calcium every day in order to start their babies on a lifetime of good dental health. Calcium also fortifies teeth during childhood, and helps to keep them intact throughout life.
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According to the National Institutes of Health, the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences, adults over age twenty-five should get at least 1000 mg. of calcium each day. It's best to get your calcium by eating calcium-rich foods, including dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Other excellent food sources of calcium are green, leafy vegetables, canned sardines and salmon with edible bones, and tofu. But for those who can't meet their daily calcium needs with conventional foods, calcium-fortified foods and calcium supplements are another method by which optimal calcium intake can be reached.
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Calcium Products |
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Over-the-counter calcium supplements are an easy, inexpensive way to ensure you're getting enough calcium each day. However, choosing a calcium supplement can be confusing, as there are a number of different forms of this mineral. Your physician or pharmacist can tell you which form of calcium would be most appropriate for you.
You can enhance absorption of calcium from supplements by taking them with meals, taking them at night when absorption levels increase naturally, and taking them in chewable form. Missing a few doses of calcium can also be beneficial, as this appears to maintain a high level of absorption of calcium by the body.
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If you're lactose intolerant, you're probably all too familiar with the intestinal distress (abdominal cramping and bloating, gas, and/or diarrhea) you suffer each time you consume milk or some other dairy product. These unpleasant symptoms are caused by your body's inability to properly digest milk sugar (lactose). So it's likely that you steer clear of these calcium-rich foods, and risk a deficiency of this mineral that's so vital to your overall well being as well as your dental health.
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Get calcium into your diet, even if you're lactose intolerant
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Continue to eat dairy foods, but space your servings several hours apart.
Eat other foods, for example, a piece of fruit, a high carbohydrate food, or a protein-rich food, together with the dairy item.
Try eating hard, aged cheeses like cheddar or Swiss; they contain less lactose than milk.
Eat yogurt with active cultures; it contains enzymes that break down the lactose.
Try reduced-lactose or lactose-free milk and cheese. You can purchase a liquid that you add to milk that breaks down most of the lactose.
You can also take special enzymes in pill form before consuming dairy products; the enzymes help your body digest the lactose.
Try drinking soy milk fortified with calcium or vitamin D. Check the label and purchase the brand that contains the most calcium.
You can also buy calcium-fortified orange juice. Like soy milk, the calcium content varies by brand, so read labels and compare.
Finally, many non-dairy foods are rich in calcium. Try broccoli, kale and collard greens, canned sardines or salmon (eaten without removing the small bones), or tofu.
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For more information:
Nelson Family Dentistry
4491 W. Northern Ave.
Glendale, AZ 85301 US
Email: 2uthdoc@cox.net
Office: (623) 931-5321
Fax: (623) 939-5108
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© Copyright 2007 Nelson Family Dentistry. All Rights Reserved.
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