About Low Calcium Diet & Osteoporosis

Calcium is an essential mineral that plays a major role in the bone-building process. In fact, the bones and teeth make up close to 99 percent of the body's calcium. Dairy products are high in calcium, as are some green vegetables and other foods. Many foods, such as cereal, bread and juices are fortified with calcium, and calcium supplements are readily available in most grocery stores. A lack of calcium early in life can lead to the crippling disease, osteoporosis, later in life. Despite aggressive calcium awareness campaigns, it has been estimated that less than one-fourth of the American population gets enough calcium in their diet.

Identification

• Osteoporosis is often thought of as an elderly woman's disease because it affects nearly one-third of all women over the age of 70. But it is in reality an adolescent disease with a geriatric outcome. The density of the skeletal system is determined primarily during the childhood and adolescent years, so if sufficient calcium is not ingested during these years osteoporosis will likely set in as the person ages, causing the bones to become fragile and break.

History

• The National Institutes of Health established optimal levels of calcium intake necessary for the prevention of osteoporosis in 1994 during a consensus conference on the mineral. At that time the consensus was that most Americans did not get enough calcium in their diet. Recent studies published by the "Journal of the American Medical Association" indicates that less than one-fourth of American adults get the recommended amount of calcium.

Misconceptions

• Because kidney stones are comprised primarily of calcium it was at one time believed that too much calcium was the culprit. As a result some doctors encouraged their patients who suffered from kidney stones to eat a low-calcium diet. Recent studies published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" and reported in "Medical News Today" indicate that an alternative diet that is low in salt and animal protein was much more effective in preventing the formation of kidney stones than a low-calcium diet. The study also indicated a low-calcium diet deprives the body of the calcium necessary for bone growth and maintenance, which can lead to osteoporosis.

Warning

• In addition to being the major contributing factor in the development of osteoporosis, a low-calcium diet has numerous other derogatory effects. A study reported by the University of Colorado Extension indicates a link between diminished calcium intake and high blood pressure. Researchers in Japan concluded in a study published in the January 2009 issue of the "Journal of Periodontology" that nursing mothers who did not get enough calcium risked bone loss in the tissue surrounding their gums and teeth.

Significance

• Calcium supplementation could significantly reduce the cost of osteoporosis-related health care in the United States. Calciuminfo.com estimates a cost savings of more than $12 million per year for each 1 percent of the population that gets enough calcium in their diet.