What You Need to Know About Calcium and Bone Health
What You Need to Know About Calcium and Bone Health
By Chris Rosenbloom, PhD, RDN
Olivia is a 13-year old swimmer. Her mom told me that Olivia wants to be vegan and she is concerned about getting enough protein on a plant-based eating plan. We talked about protein, but the conversation soon turned to bone health. When I asked Olivia about calcium-rich foods, she said, “I eat broccoli.” True, broccoli contains some calcium, but she would need to eat 62 cups of broccoli to get the needed 1300 milligrams of calcium. Adolescence is a crucial time for bone health. Dr. Anastasia Fischer, a sports medicine doctor and clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Ohio State University, stresses that “most bone development occurs in early childhood and adolescence, and up to 60% of bone mass is acquired during adolescence. Bone mineral density shows a high degree of tracking over time, that is, a child with low bone mineral density will continue to have low bone mineral density throughout adolescence.” While it takes over a dozen nutrients to build healthy bones, calcium is a crucial nutrient.
