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There are all kinds of messages in the media today touting the health benefits of milk. Many patients feel that now that they are pregnant, they must drink extra milk. But can you have too much of a good thing?  Dairy products are by far your best source of calcium, but they also tend to be high in fat.

Calcium requirements per day are as follows:
Children (4-8 years) 800mg
Teens (9-18years) 1300mg
Adults (19-50 years) 1000mg
Adults (51 and older) 1200mg
Pregnant and Nursing Women 1200mg
Postmenopausal Women 1200-1500mg

Calcium is stored in the bones, but only a certain amount is absorbed at a time. As adults, we only absorb about 30% of the calcium we eat. In pregnancy we absorb about 50%. Any excess is then eliminated. Our calcium intake then, needs to be spread out throughout the day and be obtained from a variety of sources. According to the Food Pyramid, we only need 2-3 servings of dairy products a day. The other key to remember is serving size.  A serving of milk is 1 cup or 8 ounces.  Calcium supplements are okay especially if you cannot tolerate dairy products. Remember, absorption of vitamins and minerals is best through the foods you eat. Vitamin D must be combined with the calcium in order for the calcium to be absorbed and utilized by the body.  Very few foods are good sources of Vitamin D. How much Vitamin D do I need? A dose of between  400-800 International Units (IU) is usually sufficient. If you are an older adult your dose should be about 800 (IU) a day. Most multi-vitamins contain about 400 IU/day. Milk is fortified with 125 (IU) per serving. Vitamin D is also manufactured in our skin right after direct exposure to sunlight. We only need about 10-30 minutes of sun exposure on our hands and arms 2-3 times per week to produce adequate Vitamin D. African Americans need about 5 times that amount. The use of sun screen and clothing decreases the production of Vitamin D from the skin significantly.

Let’s compare whole milk versus skim milk in calcium, amount of fat and amount of calories:
Milk (whole) 290mg calcium 8g fat 150cal
Milk (1%) 300mg calcium 3g fat 118cal
Milk (fat-free) 301mg calcium  0g fat 80cal

We only need 25-30 grams of fat per day.  If you drink 3 servings of whole milk a day you are getting the amount of fat for the whole day. This does not include any additional fat from other sources. Studies show that children who consume more than 3 servings of milk a day are at a much greater risk of becoming obese later.  One serving of milk also has close to one serving of carbohydrates. The key is keep portions appropriate and number of servings in the appropriate range. We should also make our dairy products low fat to fat free. We will talk more about fat in the future.

Other Sources of Calcium:

As you can see, yogurt tends to be a better source of calcium than milk. I like to mix my cereal or some fruit in with yogurt. This can be great for a quick breakfast, a mid-day snack or even an after dinner snack.  Read the label, as yogurt can have a lot of sugar and fat. I prefer the low-carbohydrate variety. A food source that is a good source of calcium contains at least 20% calcium. Here are a couple of recipes for snacks that will help with your daily calcium intake.

Spinach Dip
10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
½ cup light mayonnaise
8 ounces low-fat plain yogurt
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup chopped onion
½ teaspoon dried dill weed
Salt to taste
Assorted fresh vegetables, whole grain crackers, or baked pita chips.

Thaw spinach and pat with paper towel to remove excess liquid. Combine with remaining ingredients. Chill for about an hour before serving.
16 Servings

Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories 39
Total fat 3 grams
Carbohydrates 2 grams

Tips: To make this even lower fat use fat free mayonnaise and fat free plain yogurt.

Source: everydayhealth.com

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
8 ounces fat-free or light sour cream
¼ cup roasted red sweet peppers
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or ½ teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt to taste
Assorted vegetables, whole grain crackers or baked pita chips
Mix ingredients together in food processor. Chill at least 4 hours before serving.
Makes 10-2 tablespoon servings

Nutritional Information per Serving:
Calories 32
Total Fat 0 grams (if using fat-free)
Carbohydrates 6 grams

Source: diabeticlivingonline.com