Calcium Myths and Misconceptions
- “Calcium supplements are vital”. Adults between the ages of 19 and 50 years require an intake of 700mg calcium a day and this can be achieved by eating a healthy balanced diet containing a variety of foods. To ensure an adequate calcium intake, calcium supplements are sometimes prescribed by doctors for patients receiving treatment for osteoporosis”.
- “Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk contain less calcium than whole milk”. Pint for pint, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk contains slightly more calcium than whole milk – the difference is so slight that it may as well be ignored.
- “You have to eat dairy products to get enough calcium in your diet”. Milk and other dairy foods such as yoghurt and most cheeses are the best sources of dietary calcium. If a person does not eat dairy products then it is important for them to eat a range of non-dairy calcium containing foods. These include calcium fortified soya products (tofu, cheese, milk), calcium fortified juice (orange juice), pulses (soya, kidney, haricot), nuts, and seeds, bread, figs, green leafy vegetables and seaweed.
- “All cheese is a great source of calcium”. Cheese is generally a good dietary source of calcium however cottage cheese, cream cheese and spreadable cheeses contain less calcium per 100g than other harder cheeses such as Cheddar, Brie, Feta, Edam, Stilton, Parmesan, Gouda etc.
- “I can’t eat dairy products because I am lactose intolerant”. Most people with lactose intolerance find that they can cope with small amounts of milk in their diet, such as a milk glaze on pastry, or one or two pieces of chocolate, but the amount of lactose tolerated varies from person to person. Cheese and yoghurt are usually well tolerated – cheese contains much less lactose than milk. Yoghurt contains a similar amount of lactose to milk, but it still seems to be easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance. This might be something to do with the bacteria used to make it – they digest some of the lactose for you.
- “Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy”. Low-fat and non-fat milk, yoghurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and calories.