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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