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A P P L I C AT IONS MONO GR A P H

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CALCIUM

WHEY PRODUCTS, MILK MINERALS AND DAIRY CALCIUM New findings, Benefits and Applications
Edited by Dr. D. DiRienzo
Vice President, Nutrition Research, National Dairy Council

Calcium can be obtained in the diet by various sources, but the most highly recommended source is dairy products. Dairy products are a source of calcium with high bioavailability.The ingredient milk calcium is derived from milk by a unique separation technique. A variety of whey ingredients are also available for calcium fortification purposes.

WHEY PRODUCTS AS A SOURCE OF CALCIUM
Whey-based products are an excellent and cost efficient source of calcium (500-2,000mg/100g). In addition, natural milk calcium (and other calcium-rich whey ingredients) present advantages interms of their neutral taste and bland odor. All natural and obtained from milk, these ingredients are preferred by consumers and help manufacturers design products with a “clean label” and natural image.

The gap between calcium intakes and calcium recommendations is much wider than previously thought. Most people are not meeting the new recommendations for calcium. In addition, new scientificfindings have added further support to the beneficial role of calcium in health. The World Health Organization sets recommendations for calcium intake, as well as individual countries health authorities, therefore recommended intakes might be different from those referred to in this monograph. Please consult local recommendations for intake, claims and product labeling.
Calcium RecommendationsChildren 4–8 Preteens and teens 9-18 Adults 19–50 Adults 51 and older 800 mg 1,300 mg 1,000 mg 1,200 mg

MORE CALCIUM IS NEEDED
The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released new recommendations for calcium and related nutrients. These new recommendations — now called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) — update and expand the RecommendedDietary Allowances (RDAs) set in 1989 by the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: National Academy of Science. USA.

THE DAIRY ADVANTAGE
Foods naturally containing calcium, in particular dairy foods and ingredients, are the best sources of calcium. Milk and milk products such as whey and calcium products derived from whey or milk are the preferred source of calcium because of their high contentof calcium. Also, the amount of calcium absorbed from foods varies. For example, little calcium is absorbed from spinach, and the calcium absorbed from navy, pinto or red beans is absorbed about half as well as that from milk. This means that one would need to consume more than a kilo of pinto beans to obtain the same amount of calcium absorbed from one glass of milk.

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A P P L I C AT IONSMONO GR A P H

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CALCIUM

MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF CALCIUM IN THE BODY
cycle. In general, from birth until about age 20, the bones are in a phase of active growth. Beginning in the 40s or later, resorption of existing bone starts to exceed formation of new bone, resulting in a net loss. Age-related bone loss is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. The body’s calcium status dependsmore on overall nutritional factors than just calcium intake. Some nutritive factors influence the body’s absorption of calcium, while other factors affect calcium retention or urinary calcium excretion. Urinary losses of calcium are a big determinant of calcium loss. Calcium nutriture depends not only on calcium intake, but also on numerous dietary and nondietary factors that influence calciummetabolism. Dietary factors aiding calcium absorption and retention include: vitamin D, lactose (which stimulates the intestinal absorption of calcium in laboratory animals and in human infants), fructo-oligosaccharides, phosphorus, protein, sodium and other elements.

CALCIUM’S ROLE IN BONE DEVELOPMENT
Bones serve as a basic support system protecting vital organs and as a reservoir for calcium — the...