Remember that Children Need Calcium

Children and teens need calcium for bone growth, yet many are not getting enough, according to the International Food Information Council. More than half of American children and teens do not meet their daily calcium requirements—only 19 percent of teen girls get the recommended amount of calcium.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium is 270 mg for infants, 500 mg for children ages 1-3, 800 mg for children 4-8, and 1,300 mg for young people ages 9-18, because their bones are growing more than at other times. For most adults, the RDA is 1,000 mg.

Children require an adequate supply of calcium not only to build strong and healthy teeth and bones for their growing bodies, but also to prevent disease and chronic illnesses later in life, including hypertension, arteriosclerosis, diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer’s.

Calcium can be found in milk and other dairy products, and can also be obtained through calcium supplements. Consult with a medical doctor or nutritionist for good sources of calcium. It is important for these sources of calcium to be enjoyable to children, otherwise they will not continue to take them. #

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