Building strong healthy bones!

My formula for strong healthy bones is rather simple:

calcium + vitamin D + magnesium + weight bearing exercises = strong healthy bones!

Of course this is oversimplified as other elements like phosphorous and hormones are needed but overall it provides a good guide to what’s important to incorporate. It’s equally important to limit certain things like sodas and caffeine containing drinks (e.g. tea, coffee, red bull or some sports drinks). Caffeine and phosphoric acid (in some sodas) leach calcium out of bones making them brittle.

Let’s take a closer look at calcium

Calcium is one of the most important minerals for growing children. Not only is it needed to form healthy bones and teeth it’s also vital for our blood vessels, heart and muscles to function optimally.  Calcium is especially important for children as this is the peak time when bones grow and bone mass is established. So good bone density in childhood means less risk of fractures and less risk of osteoporosis.

Although very severe calcium deficiencies can affect muscles and blood clotting, it’s usually bones that are the first to feel the impact of in adequate intake. This is because bones are the body’s storage of calcium, so when intake of calcium rich foods is low, the body essentially breaks down bone to release the calcium to be used elsewhere.

What’s really concerning is that most Australian children don’t get enough in their diets.  According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics more than a half of all  children and more than two thirds of teenage girls diet is too low in calcium. I personally found these statistics surprising and scary! And if you think of a teenager going through a growth spurt increasing their need for calcium coupled with not eating enough calcium and then also drinking caffeinated drinks, they are definitely at risk.

Clues of low calcium:

• no symptoms or signs
• weak bones
• tooth decay
• muscle aches & cramps that can progress to tetany- uncontrolled muscle contraction
• brittle and/or dry nails including peeling of nails
• dry skin (may be itchy)
• extreme fatigue

Most commonly calcium deficiency is silent and also hard to diagnose as the calcium levels in the blood isn’t a good reflection of calcium in the body. Remember I said that most (>90%) is actually stored in bones which isn’t represented in standard blood tests. So to me it’s important to look to our children’s diets to ensure they’re getting enough in order to prevent any problems.

Recommended daily calcium intake

Age	Milligrams/day
1-3yo	500mg
4-8yo	700mg
9-11	1000-1300g
12-18	1300g

What does this look like?

Milk- cows, goats	1 cup	300mg
Hard yellow cheese	1 slice (20g)	160mg
Yoghurt	1 cup	300mg
Kale	1  cup cooked	100mg
Bok choy	1 cup cooked	75mg
Spinach	1 cup cooked	250mg
Almonds	10	40mg
Broccoli	1 cup	40mg
Sardines (with bones)	Small can (100g)	300mg
Tofu	1 cup	400mg
Salmon (with bones)	Small can (100g)	200mg
Tahini	1 tablespoon	60mg
Dried figs	2	90mg
Poppy seeds	1 table spoon	120mg
Chia seeds	1 tablespoon	70mg

This all being said too much calcium can cause problems too so as with most things it’s all about getting the right amount. And the safest way to do this is through diet and if this isn’t possible with recommended supplements.