Research continues to show that calcium is important to everyone's health, even going beyond building strong teeth and bones.

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Research continues to show that calcium is important to everyone's health, even going beyond building strong teeth and bones.
Recent studies show calcium appears to help prevent hypertension, kidney stones, cardiovascular disease and colon cancer and may also aid in weight management. Calcium that is naturally contained in food seems to provide the greatest benefit, though research is continuing on the benefits of calcium supplements.

For maximum health, children and adults alike need three servings of calcium-rich foods every day, such as milk, yogurt and cheese. For picky eaters, flavored milks often help make it easy to meet kids' daily calcium requirements. Flavored milks contain more sugar and more calories than white milk but the rich nutritional content is the same.

Healthful Food Choices + Physical Activity Can = Weight Loss

If you are like most people, you might feel that 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity every day is a difficult goal to achieve. But a pair of new studies indicate the health benefits of exercise make the effort worthwhile.

The studies, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, tracked the progress of women who were increasing the amount of physical activity they engaged in each day. One of the studies, involving more than 70,000 women, found that 1.5 to 2.5 hours of brisk walking per week can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 18 percent.

In the second study, about 200 women followed one of four different exercise regimens for a year. The women who lost the most weight and saw improvements in their cardio and respiratory functions were those who exercised the most.

These studies offer more evidence that 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity both aids in weight loss and improves your health.

Consumption of Dairy Products May Affect Children's Weight

Calcium's role in building strong and healthy bones is well-known, and new research indicates consumption of calcium-rich foods like dairy products may be related to lower body fat among children.

The study was published in the December issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The researchers examined eating habits of children ages 2 to 8 and their mothers, finding that kids who consumed lower amounts of calcium had overall higher body fat than children with high calcium intake.

The researchers also note that children's dietary preferences -- which generally follow us into adulthood -- are established very early: often by age 5.

This study offers more evidence that children should be strongly encouraged to regularly include calcium-rich foods and beverages in their diets. As always, kids' best role models for good nutrition and physical activity are their parents.

Source: American Dietetic Association