Calcium
Counter Makes It Easy to Calculate Daily Intake
San
Antonio TX, 13 May 2002
Calcium
counter measures intake with nine simple questions
Are
you getting enough calcium? Six out of ten women who think they
get enough calcium actually do not meet the Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA), according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Even if you take a supplement you may not know how much calcium
you're getting or how much you need.
Mission
Pharmacal created an interactive Calcium Counter, which is available
on their website (www.citracal.com/).
Easy-to-use, the calcium counter helps you estimate your average
daily calcium intake in less than two minutes by asking nine basic
questions about your diet and supplement use.
"Most
calcium calculators are quite complicated and time consuming to
use," says Dr. Miriam Nelson, university professor and author of
the Strong Women series of books. "This counter provides
a convenient and interactive snapshot of individual calcium intake."
The
importance of getting enough calcium from diet and supplements will
only become more important as the nation ages. Osteoporosis, which
means porous bones, is a preventable chronic disease in which bones
become fragile and more likely to break, typically in the hip, spine,
and wrist. If not prevented or left untreated, osteoporosis can
progress painlessly until a bone breaks. Broken bones often require
hospitalization and major surgery leading to prolonged or permanent
disability or even death. Osteoporotic fractures cost the healthcare
system $17 billion (2001 dollars) annually.
"Bone
loss starts affecting women as early as 30 years of age and in some
extreme cases, younger than 20," says Nelson. "Women assume they
have enough calcium without monitoring themselves. Knowing your
daily calcium intake is an important first step in the fight against
osteoporosis. An excellent regimen to help prevent osteoporosis
consists of a healthy diet, strength-training exercises and taking
a calcium citrate supplement daily to ensure optimal calcium intake."
While
women are most affected by osteoporosis, calcium is also important
for men as they age. The Calcium Counter is not gender-specific.
It evaluates calcium intake and offers tips for men and women of
all ages.
In
spite of decades of awareness raising, research, including new findings
from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), reveals a continuing
trend of low calcium intake leading to low bone mass and osteoporosis.
The
USDA found that among women who claimed enough calcium in their
diet, only 39 percent met the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA).
The news was worse for girls age 12 to 19 in the United States as
only 13.5 percent got the RDA of calcium. Now, according to a new
report by the National Osteoporosis Foundation, osteoporosis and
low bone mass is growing in prevalence, affecting almost 44 million
Americans (55% of people aged 50 and older). That number may grow
to 52 million by the year 2010 and over 61 million by 2020.
"It's
always important to talk to your healthcare professional about your
individual calcium needs," states Dr. Nelson. "Consult your doctor
about obtaining a bone mineral density test which measures bone
mass. The results of a bone mineral density test will help your
physician assess your bone health and prescribe the best course
of prevention or treatment."
Mission
Pharmacal, the makers of Citracal®, is a family-owned pharmaceutical
company based in San Antonio, TX. Currently, Mission Pharmacal provides
pharmaceutical, nutritional and diagnostic products.
Source
Mission
Pharmacal, via PR Newswire.
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