More Calcium and Vitamin D, please!

Day 6, and still a bit lacking in calcium and vitamin D. Supplements are too expensive on $3 a day. I learned yesterday that Mark is not crazy about the taste of milk. So, how can we creatively incorporate more of these two important micronutrients into his diet?

A little background on calcium and vitamin D first. Why should Mark worry about not meeting his daily requirement? Both of these micronutrients play key roles in bone health, but let’s start first with calcium. More than 99% of calcium in the body is found in the bones and teeth, while the remainder is part of blood, fluid, muscle, and other tissues. Calcium plays a role in muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and constriction/dilation of blood vessels. So, as you can see, it is a very important micronutrient in the body!

Alarmingly, many Americans fall short in meeting their calcium needs which increases risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. As calcium needs are not met through diet, the efficiency of calcium absorption in the body increases. However, the increase in absorption is not enough to offset the loss with inadequate intake. Added to that, as we age, calcium absorption declines, which leaves less available to its job.

Most of the dietary sources of calcium come from dairy products, which can be expensive if you’re eating on only $3 a day. While the price of milk changes on a daily basis, it averages about $.20 per serving (1 cup). Drinking three cups a day brings the cost to about 20% of the daily budget. Having said that, it’s possible to include, but since Mark is not crazy about drinking milk, let’s look at some other alternatives. He has already incorporated cheese into his meals, but not on a daily basis, and not enough to meet his dietary requirements. It’s too expensive. Yogurt is another option, but can be pricey as well. Perhaps if he buys the store brand in a bulk container, this option may be feasible. I will have to price yogurt on my next run to the grocery store. Other non-dairy calcium rich foods are calcium-set tofu, kale, broccoli, and fortified juices. Mark’s already tried the kale, but maybe can add broccoli? Since it’s not in season right now, he may have to do some price comparisons between stores to find the best deal. Tofu is another great option which he can add as an alternative to chicken in his stir fry veggie recipe to help use up that 5# bag!

Moving on to vitamin D! A fat-soluble vitamin, D’s primary function is to assist in absorption of calcium and phosphorous. So, just as calcium, vitamin D is also heavily involved in bone health. It is synthesized in the skin through exposure to ultraviolet B sunlight rays. Lack of dietary adequacy can cause osteoporosis, or brittle, porous bones, and as we age, our ability to synthesize vitamin D in the skin declines.

Vitamin D naturally occurs in only a few foods, to include the flesh of fatty fish (salmon, swordfish), cod-liver oil, and eggs (from hens fed vitamin D). Not to worry, though, as many foods in the U.S. food market have been fortified with vitamin D, such as milk products, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and fruit juices. Careful label reading can assist in increasing dietary intake of vitamin D. For the $3 diet, fish is probably out since it’s generally on the pricier side. Frozen salmon may yield less cost, but Mark will have to do some shopping around to determine its feasibility on his budget. Eggs may be a better choice, since they run between $.11-15 each. Ready to eat breakfast cereals are definitely out, as a box already exceeds his $3 budget, and breaking it down by serving doesn’t help much in defraying the cost. Milk is affordable, but not the most pleasing to Mark’s palate. So, maybe he should go for the Egg Strata recipe I posted previously, and then add an egg here and there for breakfast.

Read more about calcium, vitamin D, other micronutrients, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans here: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf